Thermal Systems Engineer, Product Development

AtmosZero is building the next generation of industrial steam infrastructure. Our flagship product, Boiler 2.0, is a modular industrial steam heat pump designed to help manufacturers reduce operational risk, improve flexibility, and modernize steam generation over time. Rather than forcing facilities to choose between reliability and sustainability, AtmosZero enables a practical path toward future-ready steam systems that integrate with existing operations and scale with customer needs.

AtmosZero · Loveland, Colorado (onsite) · Full-time · Engineer III / Senior Engineer I

Reports to: Senior Director of New Product Development

Why this role exists

Boiler 2.0 must become materially lower cost without losing the performance, reliability, controllability, or operating range customers require. This role provides thermal-system and steam-system depth to cost-down concepts, packaging studies, component requirements, and supplier decisions, and turns external analyses into validated production configurations.

Level and scope

We are hiring into this role at whichever of three levels best matches the scope, independence, and judgment demonstrated through the interview process. Apply once and we will place you.

• Engineer III. Independently own significant process or thermal-system workstreams, coordinate technical interfaces, and deliver results from requirements and analysis through testing, troubleshooting, and implementation. 
• Senior Engineer I. Lead complex system work through ambiguity, own major technical workstreams end to end, mentor teammates, and influence cross-functional decisions.

If you are between levels or arrived at this expertise through an unusual route, apply anyway.

What you will do

• Define lower-cost thermal systems
• Evaluate thermal-system configurations, packaging concepts, and performance-cost tradeoffs.
• Define process conditions and requirements for heat exchangers, compressors, valves, pumps, piping, and supporting components.
• Develop validated lower-cost configurations while protecting performance, reliability, controllability, and operating range.
• Own heat-exchanger and component decisions
• Lead heat-exchanger selection, sizing, qualification, and supplier engagement.
• Use analysis, test data, and engineering judgment to compare component choices and define validation requirements.
• Connect system assumptions and component decisions to product requirements, BOM cost, and target cost.
• Direct external technical work
• Coordinate external component-design and thermal-system consultants.
• Define consultant scope, supply technical inputs, review assumptions and models, and drive useful deliverables to closure.
• Translate consultant outputs into controlled requirements, design decisions, supplier packages, and test plans.

What success looks like in your first year

• In the first 90 days, understand the current thermal architecture and cost-down workstreams and take ownership of a component or configuration study.
• By six months, complete a supplier-backed thermal design or cost-down recommendation with clear requirements, assumptions, risks, and validation needs.
• By twelve months, validate a lower-cost thermal-system or heat-exchanger configuration and move it into a production-intent design.

What we need from you

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, or a related discipline, with relevant experience at the level at which you are hired. 
• Strong command of thermodynamics, heat transfer, fluid mechanics, refrigeration cycles, and steam systems.
• Demonstrated experience designing, analyzing, testing, or troubleshooting industrial thermal-fluid hardware.
• Experience defining component operating conditions, specifications, selection criteria, and qualification plans.
• Experience evaluating system configurations and performance-cost tradeoffs with models, test data, and supplier inputs.
• Ability to direct external technical work and critically review assumptions, calculations, models, and deliverables.

What would help

We do not expect anyone to have all of this.

• Advanced degree in mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, or a related discipline.
• Detailed heat-exchanger selection, sizing, and qualification experience using HTRI or comparable methods.
• Experience with industrial heat pumps, refrigeration, steam systems, thermal-cycle design, ORC systems, or comparable industrial thermal equipment.
• Experience with component suppliers, design consultants, qualification testing, and production release.
• Fluency with EES, Aspen Plus/HYSYS, MATLAB, Python, GT-SUITE, HTRI, or comparable analysis tools.
• Experience with design-to-cost, value engineering, packaging optimization, or commercialization of thermal equipment.

Compensation and benefits

Base salary range:

• Engineer III [$110,000 - $165,000]
• Senior Engineer I [$125,000 - $180,000]

Where an offer lands within a range depends on experience, demonstrated capability, and interview performance.

Equity: Stock option grant

Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision coverage; retirement plan and any match; paid time off and holidays; parental leave