Fluid Systems Lead

ABOUT AMERICAN SUPERCRITICAL American Supercritical is making heat to valuable to waste. We are building a new generation of power plants for a world that desperately needs power. We’re developing supercritical CO2 turbomachinery that can turn today’s gas turbines into dramatically more efficient combined-cycle systems initially for the fast-growing data center market. These same systems can also transform how SMRs, geothermal plants, concentrated solar plants, thermal batteries, and industrial processes convert heat to electricity. We’re a team of energy, aerospace, and power-generation veterans building real machines to solve hard problems in energy. We’re looking for exceptional engineers who want broad ownership, fast iteration cycles, and the opportunity to help define both the product and the company. ROLE OVERVIEW The Fluid Systems Lead owns the high-pressure piping, valves, instrumentation, and balance-of-plant systems around our turbomachinery. You will take the fluid system from P&IDs and analysis through component selection, procurement, assembly, commissioning, and integrated test. This role requires strong system-level judgment across pressure drop, controllability, serviceability, safety, thermal behavior, and cost. You’ll work closely with turbomachinery, controls, test, and thermal engineers and serve as the responsible engineer as the system moves from design into operating hardware. RESPONSIBILITIES - Own the architecture, design, analysis, procurement, build, and commissioning of high-pressure fluid systems supporting our turbomachinery. - Develop and maintain P&IDs, line lists, valve and instrument specifications, equipment requirements, and system interface definitions. - Perform steady-state and transient analysis including pressure drop, flow distribution, valve sizing, inventory management, and operating-envelope analysis. - Specify valves, relief devices, filters, fittings, piping, instrumentation, and other balance-of-plant hardware; lead technical relationships with suppliers and fabricators. - Design for assembly, serviceability, thermal expansion, startup, shutdown, fault conditions, and safe operation, and lead pressure-system design and readiness reviews. - Support fabrication and assembly on the shop floor, commission the system, troubleshoot hardware issues, and correlate analytical predictions with test data. REQUIREMENTS - Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, Chemical Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience. - 5+ years designing fluid, process, propulsion, test, or power-generation systems that progressed into built and operated hardware. - Strong fundamentals in compressible flow, pressure drop, valve sizing, piping systems, instrumentation, and high-pressure system design. - Experience owning P&IDs and turning system requirements into specified, procured, assembled, and commissioned hardware. - Hands-on experience working with valves, piping, fittings, sensors, pressure-control hardware, and fluid-system suppliers. - Strong technical judgment and the ability to move between analysis, design documentation, supplier management, assembly, and test. PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS - Master’s degree or PhD in Mechanical, Aerospace, Chemical Engineering, or a related field. - Experience with ASME B31.1/B31.3, relief-system design, or other pressure-system codes and standards. - Experience with high-temperature piping, thermal expansion, insulation, and support design. - Experience commissioning power-generation, process, propulsion, or turbomachinery equipment. BENEFITS & COMPENSATION - Meaningful equity ownership in an early-stage company. - 100% of employee medical premiums and 80% of dependent medical premiums covered. - 100% employer-paid dental and vision coverage. - Employer-paid basic life insurance and long-term disability coverage. - 401(k) retirement plan. - Unlimited PTO that we actually expect you to take. - 8 weeks of paid parental leave. - Significant ownership of real hardware. - A beautiful view of the Rocky Mountains from the office. OUR COMMITMENT American Supercritical is 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. Our hiring process is designed to be accessible, fair, and focused on the work that matters most for the role. Reasonable accommodations are available throughout the hiring process and employment.