Research Scientist/Engineer (Carbonation)

About Us All across the world, from the azure pools of Turkey and Oman to the travertine terraces of Yellowstone, our planet quietly pulls carbon dioxide from the air and turns it to stone. For eons, Earth has relied on this process to balance its carbon cycle. What if it could be harnessed? What if we could do it faster, in larger quantities, and at a low enough cost to make it an effective tool in the fight against climate change? 
At Heirloom, we are turning that into reality. We use the natural carbon capture properties of abundant minerals to pull CO2 from the air, and store it permanently underground. We come to work every day to slow climate change, and are united behind a single, common goal - to remove 1 billion tons of CO2 from the sky by 2035, and to not stop before we get there.  
We bring together the precise recipe of science, technology, know-how, and strategy necessary to make low cost, high quality carbon removal a reality. If we’re successful, we will directly mitigate climate change, build a world we can proudly hand over to our children and grandchildren, and catalyze an industry that will rival the largest the world has ever seen. If you want to change the planet, come join us. 
Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Heirloom is committed to diversity and building an equitable and inclusive environment for people of all backgrounds and experiences.  We believe wholeheartedly that building a diverse company is critical to Heirloom’s success.  We especially encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply, including women, people of color, LGBTQ+ people, veterans, and people with disabilities.
The RoleWe are looking to hire a dedicated research scientist to assist in Heirloom’s research and development projects related to carbon mineralization. As a part of our carbonation team, you will work towards understanding and characterizing the system’s carbonation kinetics over a variety of environmental parameters. You will share and drive exploratory research and development phases as well as translate key carbonation concepts into metrics for hardware development. Your work has the potential to directly shape our fight against climate change. 

What you will do

• Design experiments to test carbonation at varying environmental conditions, working directly with a team of scientists and engineers. 
• Study and enhance carbonation process of reactive minerals by optimizing our proprietary techniques and developing new ones.
• Design and perform analytical testing using a variety of methodologies to assess carbonation performance.
• Develop and validate kinetic models to predict carbonation behavior under varying environmental conditions.
• Use experimental results to develop and communicate key metrics for hardware development.
• Collect, interpret and analyze data, compile results, and prepare reports.
• Work as a part of a team of world-class scientists and engineers to execute on our development plans, with an urgency rooted in the importance of our mission.

What you will bring

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering (such as Chemical, Process, Materials Engineering, or a related field), Applied Science (Materials Science, Geology, Chemistry, Physics, or related field) or equivalent practical experience.
• ≥ 2 years of relevant work experience in an applied field with expertise in carbon mineralization. 
• Prior experience working in a laboratory environment.
• Strong attention to detail and experience with critical problem solving.
• Self-motivated and willing to learn and adapt in a fast-paced organization.

You don’t have to have every listed requirement and skill to be a great fit - you may even teach us something about what we should be looking for! If you are passionate about this opportunity and think you have the skills to succeed, please apply! 

Bonus Points

• Understanding of and experience with chemical kinetics. 
• Knowledge of materials science/chemistry/geochemistry/physics.
• Expertise in materials characterization and processing, including surface characterization, carbon content, reactivity analyses.
• Experience setting up data acquisition systems.

Our Principles

• Radical Honesty means we are open, transparent, and inclusive in everything we do. We aren't scared to challenge each other, but bring clear motives and our best intentions when we do.
• Persistent Optimism means we carry an infinite amount of optimistic energy with us on our journey, constantly chipping away at what may seem insurmountable.
• Continual Discovery means we maximize our learning rate.  Compounding knowledge is our key to victory - we continuously hone our crafts, seek the fastest paths to new learning, and are quick to absorb new knowledge.

Why you should join Heirloom

• We are solving the engineering problem of our generation.  Climate change is an existential threat, and we need as many of the world’s motivated minds as possible to help. There is no greater challenge or opportunity than fighting climate change. 
• We have done this before.  We’re engineers, scientists, and concerned humans from companies like Tesla, Apple, Plenty and Google, and Universities like Penn and Berkeley. We’ve built technology used by millions of people around the world, and we’re using that experience to build a more equitable, prosperous future for all.
• We are a united, resilient, and optimistic bunch.  We are all here for the same reason - to slow climate change. We recognize the magnitude of the challenge ahead of us, and believe we can solve it. We can see a hopeful future where we eventually reverse climate change. It won’t be easy, but we won’t quit.
• We are backed by the best climate partners in the world.  We’re well funded by investors from Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Ahren Innovation Capital, Carbon Direct, Microsoft, Lowercarbon Capital, ARPA-e and the National Science Foundation. Our early customers include Stripe, Shopify, and Klarna, and we’re building durable partnerships that enable us to tackle this decades-long problem.

Perks and Benefits

• Covered health, dental and vision.  Health, dental and vision insurance covered by Heirloom.
• Generous parental leave.  16 weeks paid leave for all Heirloom employees, regardless of primary/secondary caregiver status.
• Generous stock options
• Flexible time off.  Unlimited PTO for exempt (salaried) employees & 80 hours for full time non-exempt (hourly)  employees.
• Stay healthy.  Monthly health and wellness reimbursement.
• Learn on the job.  Robust annual education and conference budget, including airfare and hotel costs.

Please note: while we appreciate all applicants, only those chosen for an interview will be contacted by our team.