Senior R&D Test Engineer

At Antora, we’re on a mission to stop climate change. And we can’t do that unless we tackle the 30% of global emissions that come from industry.

Antora is unlocking zero-emissions industrial energy, cheaper than fossil fuels. Antora’s thermal batteries store energy from renewables as heat for days on end, delivering that stored energy as heat and power at the scale and temperatures that large industrial operations demand. We’re on a path to eliminate gigatons of emissions while strengthening domestic manufacturing, curbing industrial air pollution, and enhancing America’s clean energy leadership.

We are growing our company with people who put team and mission first, value connection through laughter and joy, and build with humility and openness. We are committed to continue building a diverse, passionate, and creative team dedicated to a future where every industrial facility, everywhere on earth, is powered by abundant, low-cost, zero-emissions energy.

Position Summary

We are seeking a self-driven and passionate individual to join our solid-state thermal battery systems engineering team to deliver zero-carbon industrial heat and power. You will work closely with your colleagues on the R&D Test team to operate, automate and maintain high value experiments on Antora’s full-scale thermal energy storage modules and test equipment. This work will directly contribute to the commercialization of a first of a kind long-duration energy storage technology.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and operate high-value sensing, instrumentation and control schemes for custom test rigs at Antora’s R&D hub in San Jose, CA.
• Operate, and develop systems to automate, high power (hundreds of kW to MW), high temperature (>2000C) R&D test equipment, including creating standard operating procedures, test recipes and other key documents to standardize test operations.
• Work closely with controls team to redline instrumentation lists and wiring diagrams, as well as write, test and maintain controls algorithms and software.
• Work closely with mechanical design team to provide critical design feedback.
• Collaborate with mechanical, electrical, controls, and technology development teams to interpret product development goals and turn them into high value experiments.
• Maintain a high level of safety awareness and implement critical safety interlocks into controls schemes.
• Work with a high degree of autonomy while remaining open to deliver and receive feedback.

Key Qualifications

• 5+ years as a test, test automation, field, or controls engineer for high-temperature, high-power industrial systems (energy, thermal processing rockets, etc.) in a fast moving environment with exposure to a wide array of subsystems (fluids, thermal, electrical etc.) and instrumentation (TC/RTD, optical sensors, load gauges, flow meters, etc.).
• Solid knowledge of engineering physics fundamentals (thermal, fluids, electrical, structural) to support troubleshooting and data interpretation.
• Hands-on experience building, modifying, maintaining, and troubleshooting capital equipment, plumbing systems, low and high voltage electrical systems, etc.
• Experience working with cross-functional engineering and technician teams to root cause failures.
• Comfortable with hand tools (drills, saws, torque wrench, etc.) and characterization equipment (multimeter, gas sensors, microscopes, etc.).
• Willingness to work flexible hours to accommodate test priorities, including night and weekend shifts.

Additional Qualifications Desired

• Experience with common industrial communication protocols (Ethernet/IP, Modbus, Profinet, HART, CAN, etc.).
• Experience with programmable logic controllers and ladder logic.
• Experience reading and interpreting process diagrams (process flow, plumbing & instrumentation, etc.).
• Experience working in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, comfortable communicating with all levels of the organization.
• Comfortable providing and receiving directions and feedback from engineers and technicians across the organization.
• Experience with fluidic and thermal systems, Solidworks, MATLAB, and data post-processing.

Work Location

Onsite - San Jose, CA

Salary Range

$138,000 USD - $165,000 USD

This job posting contains the salary range that Antora Energy believes it would be willing to pay for the posted job. The actual salary offered will be determined within the posted range based on a candidate's experience, credentials, and expertise as they pertain to the requirements of the position.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical coverage for employees & dependents.
• Health savings account option with employer contribution.
• Vision, dental, and life coverage.
• Flexible spending account & dependent care account options.
• Subsidized backup childcare, senior care, and petcare.
• 80 hours of sick leave.
• Personalized access to mental health support.

Facilities & Community

• Fully stocked kitchen with a variety of healthy snacks & drinks.
• Weekly team lunches catered by local restaurants.
• On-site gym with fitness equipment.
• On-site showers and bike parking.
• On-site EV charging (coming soon!).
• Monthly social gatherings.
• Quarterly “home week” with on-site & off-site team building.

When it comes to stopping climate change, we need everyone. We believe that having a diversity of backgrounds and experiences strengthens all of us, and we strive to create an environment where every one of us is empowered to create meaningful change.