Founding Mechanical Engineer

Noya is reversing climate change by removing CO2 from the atmosphere. We’re a small, scrappy team of engineers and scientists taking on the biggest problem anybody could be working on. We’ve developed a new process that will use existing industrial equipment to pull CO2 out of thin air, with dramatically lower capex and opex expenses than other carbon capture approaches.

WHAT THIS ROLE IS

This role is fundamental to the long-term success of our mission. Your technical expertise will help you design the first scalable machines that pull CO2 out of air. As a Founding Mechanical Engineer at Noya, you will be responsible for designing, manufacturing, testing, and implementing cutting-edge CO2 capture machines and components. You will participate in company-wide discussions and brainstorm sessions to develop the best systems in the world to help our planet reverse climate change. You will then take these ideas from prototyping all the way through to implementation.

And on top of all that, you will dive head-first into a sea of future potential full of unimaginable growth opportunities. Ultimately, we are looking for a curious engineer who wants to help solidify a bright future for all of humanity.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Develop systems and components for retrofitting existing cooling towers for direct air carbon capture that have high CO2 capture performance, incredibly manufacturability (with appropriate levels of design for manufacturability), and low weight and costs
• Characterize and drive down mechanical risks on CO2 capture components using mechanical/failure mode analyses and appropriately-designed test methods
• Perform mechanical and failure mode analyses and design test methods to characterize and drive down risks on new CO2 capture technology.
• Design [CAD] and model [FEA] for mechanical and thermal stresses.
• Use CFD to understand fluid and temperature flows.
• Select materials and components [compressors, pumps, etc] for high temperature and pressure systems.
• Spend time on the laboratories, shop floor, and remote CO2 capture facilities when technology is being installed and tested. We all get our hands dirty at Noya!
• Interface with chemical engineers to ensure successful system implementation
• Participate and lead the implementation of new technologies and processes in plants
• Participate in brainstorm sessions and idea generation for new technologies to solve climate change.
• Lead development of internal design/manufacturing/installation standards.
• Lead interdisciplinary teams through root cause analysis to resolve unexpected outcomes during development, implementation, or production

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Aerospace or Materials Engineering
• Ninja level CAD skills preferably SolidWorks or AutoCad
• Expertise in computational methods like FEA and CFD
• Strong interpersonal and collaborative skills, enthusiasm for prototyping and getting your hands dirty, and desire to optimize CO2 capture machines.

NICE TO HAVE:

• Ability to develop analytical models (hand calculations) to find correlations between loads applied to components and materials strength.
• Ability to develop analytical models (hand calculations) to find correlations between thermal loads applied to components and steady state temperatures.  
• Familiar with disciplines such as fracture mechanics, mechanical testing, failure in ceramics, and pressure vessel design.
• Experience with sintering of powders and porosity control.
• Experienced within design and manufacture of composite components
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Discrete Element Method.
• Experience with high temperature systems.