Lead Combustion Engineer

About Us

At Arbor Energy & Resources Corporation ("Arbor Energy"), we’re creating technology to power our lives while protecting the planet that sustains them. Our advanced power systems deliver clean, reliable baseload electricity with zero operating emissions—modular, fuel-flexible, and engineered for the realities of today’s energy demand. At the core is a supercritical CO₂ turbine with integrated carbon capture, designed to bring carbon-neutral power online quickly at meaningful scale.

Our team includes aerospace engineers, combustion experts, and systems thinkers with a shared goal: to build technology worthy of the world we want to live in. While many of us began our journeys looking to the stars, we’re applying that expertise here at home to deliver dependable, emission-free baseload power and a future of lasting abundance.

If you share our values and are drawn to rigorous work with lasting impact, we’d love to learn more about you. Come build what the future will run on.

Steward our planet : We build for tomorrow, ensuring every bolt we tighten and every hand we lend leaves our environment stronger than we found it.

Lead with Love : We champion the success of our people, partners, and planet, nurturing excellence through camaraderie and rigor.

Explore the Uncharted : We embrace the unknown with curiosity, using courage and discipline to transform uncertainty into opportunity.

Role Overview

Our Lead Combustion Engineer serves as the technical authority pioneering our rocket-inspired, high-pressure oxy-fuel combustion systems - integral in delivering carbon-neutral and carbon-negative power cycles at scale.

In this leadership role, you’ll own the combustion subsystem, guiding a talented team through end-to-end development of breakthrough, high-efficiency devices in a fast-paced, collaborative startup environment. You’ll drive strategy from clean-sheet concepts and advanced modeling through hands-on testing, rapid iteration, and performance validation, establishing the technical direction that powers a sustainable future.

You’ll mentor junior engineers, align cross-functional efforts with test, analysis, and design teams, and make critical trade-off decisions to accelerate progress while pushing the boundaries of efficiency and reliability.

This is an onsite opportunity in our El Segundo, CA office.

Responsibilities

Serve as technical lead for oxy-fuel combustion systems: own architecture, clean-sheet design, rigorous analysis, and delivery of breakthrough performance

Define and lead high-pressure/high-temperature test campaigns—from planning and execution through in-depth data analysis and actionable recommendations

Direct system configuration trades and performance optimization to achieve maximum efficiency, reliability, and scalability

Own rapid hardware development cycles—from manufacturing and assembly through testing and iterative improvements

Champion the use of additive manufacturing, modern CFD/tools, and advanced simulation to shorten timelines and enable innovation

Mentor team members, drive continuous improvement initiatives, and implement design upgrades that elevate system capability

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, aerospace, chemical engineering, or related field

7+ years of experience in combustion system design, analysis, and testing

Deep expertise in thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and combustion

Hands-on experience with high-temperature and pressure equipment

Strong leadership presence with experience mentoring engineers and influencing cross-functional teams

Demonstrated ability to own product lifecycle from conceptual design to validation

Curious, inventive, and entrepreneurial mindset—thrives in ambiguity and drives progress relentlessly

Preferred Qualifications

Advanced degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) in Mechanical, Aerospace, or Chemical Engineering

Direct experience leading hot-fire testing campaigns in rocket propulsion, gas turbines, or similar environments

Proficiency in programming for data analysis and automation (Python, MATLAB, etc.)

Prior success in startup or fast-paced hardware development environments

Compensation & Benefits

Pre-IPO stock options

Medical, dental, and vision insurance (Arbor covers 90% for employees)

Basic life insurance fully covered

Health savings account (HSA) with matching

Flexible savings account (FSA)

Unlimited PTO

12+ company holidays, including Earth Day!

401(k)

Commuter benefits

Annual learning and development stipend

And more!

Base Pay : $170,000 - $185,000 USD/year. The salary is subject to the applicant's skills, qualifications, experience, and geographic location.

Our Commitment

Arbor Energy is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, religion, national origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law. Solving global energy challenges requires a wide range of perspectives and experiences, and we are committed to building a team that reflects the world we serve.

Our hiring process is designed to be accessible, fair, and focused on the work that matters most for this role. Reasonable accommodations are available throughout the hiring process and employment—please let us know if you need one.