Senior Systems Engineer, Mechanical Design

Location Hawthorne, CA Employment Type Full time Location Type On-site Department Engineering Compensation Senior Engineer: Base Salary Range $140K – $200K The stated compensation range reflects only the targeted base salary range for Senior Engineers in the Los Angeles metropolitan area and excludes additional earnings such as bonus and benefits. If your salary requirements fall outside of the range, we still encourage you to apply. About the Role We are seeking a versatile Senior Systems Engineer with experience in mechanical design and fluid dynamics to support the design, development, testing, and optimization of clean energy power generation systems. Collaborating with engineers across the company, this Systems Engineer will take ownership from cradle to grave and help drive the project through completion. This role focuses on mechanical and structural design and integration of power generation systems and components such as heat exchangers, turbines, pumps, cooling & lubrication loops, piping, and other balance-of-plant subsystems. The ideal candidate will combine strong fundamentals and practical product development experience to bridge system architecture, physical layout, and structural integrity, ensuring industry-leading performance, reliability, and integration of complex energy systems. The role will involve collaborating closely with other members of the Systems team in addition to Turbomachinery, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Field Ops, and others. Candidates must be willing to be flexible in their work and be willing to embrace new learning opportunities and expand their comfort zone to benefit the growth of Critical Energy. The title of this role may be adjusted based on the candidate's qualifications and experience. Experience specifically with power generation or process plant systems is not a requirement but is a significant bonus. Responsibilities Define system requirements, interfaces, and performance targets related to mechanical structures and fluid systems Develop and maintain system-level architecture for mechanical and fluid subsystems Perform trade studies to evaluate mechanical configurations, flow architectures, and their impact on system performance and cost Integrate components such as pumps, piping networks, valves, heat exchangers, and rotating machinery into the overall system design Design structural support hardware for multiple components and sub-systems Perform hand calculations using first principles to size components, determine flow rates, estimate stresses, etc. Perform finite element analysis (FEA) to evaluate structural integrity of components and subsystems Identify opportunities to optimize plant layout to increase construction efficiency, minimize cost, and improve maintainability Identify, outline, design, and support component-level and sub-system testing required for risk mitigation Assist in the development of test plans and instrumentation strategies to validate mechanical and fluid performance Analyze experimental data to refine and improve system design Generate technical documentation including system specifications, modeling reports, design trade studies, test analysis reports Develop and manage relationships with third-party vendors Support Field Ops teams with technical expertise and advice after product delivery and accept feedback on possible design improvements Other related tasks as defined by your supervisor that add value to the design needs Required Qualifications Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering or related field, or equivalent experience 5+ years of proven experience in systems engineering or highly related role, with a strong portfolio of projects involving diverse and integrated machinery A solid understanding of and the ability to apply first principles of core mechanical engineering principles, including structural and fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, and material science Experience with a modern CAD package and a willingness to immediately self-teach proficiency in Siemens NX Excellent analytical and critical thinking skills Highly self-motivated with effective communication and team-working skills Basic Experience Experience with components and sub-systems common to power generation or process plants, like heat exchangers, pumps, turbines, valves, piping, fittings, sensors, and fluid management systems Strong intuition for optimizing the layout of a complex system of machinery Experience generating 3D models and managing assemblies in CAD while ensuring proper fit and function Experience with FEA using commercial software (e.g., ANSYS Mechanical, NASTRAN, Catia) You have worked with other engineering disciplines (such as Aerodynamics, Turbomachinery, Dev Test, Materials, and Manufacturing) to optimize designs for performance, reliability, and manufacturability You are effective and respectful in communicating with other engineers even when it is controversial or regarding errors that you have observed or have been observed in your work Experience creating and maintaining comprehensive design documentation including design reviews and component and system specifications Bonus Experience You have been part of a team that designed and commissioned a power generation or processing plant Proven expertise in Siemens NX / Teamcenter environment Experience with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) using commercial software (e.g., ANSYS CFX, ANSYS Fluent) Hands-on experience with product development, such as resolving manufacturing issues and analyzing test data to inform design modifications Compensation Range: $140K - $200K #J-18808-Ljbffr Critical Energy Systems