Principal Engineer

AirJoule is uniquely poised at the intersection of addressing climate change, supporting the energy transition, and helping water starved regions. If you are passionate about these missions, and are passionate about disrupting technologies that will change the world as we know it, then AirJoule is the place for you! We are a joint venture between GE Vernova and AirJoule Technologies. Our revolutionary atmosphere water harvesting technology enables both dehumidification and transformative cooling, while also producing clean and decentralized water for industrial, commercial, and humanitarian purposes. If you are a highly motivated and experienced individual who wants to make a real-world impact, please apply! Position Summary AirJoule is seeking a Principal Engineer to join the Technology division. This role will involve leadership of a small team. This role bridges laboratory R&D and real-world deployment — leading experimental programs, guiding product development, integrating AirJoule systems into customer sites, and developing best-in-class water purity across industrial, commercial, and humanitarian applications. As the technical team lead, this role owns two core platforms — Water (water quality and purification) and Process Engineering (running full-scale R&D systems and rigorously evaluating hypotheses). The role also carries people management responsibility for a small team of engineers. The position is based at AirJoule’s headquarters in Newark, DE. Key Responsibilities Technical Project Leadership and Program Management: From early-stage R&D through product launch, own program-level timelines, technical milestones, and cross-functional dependencies, and communicate progress and risk clearly to leadership and stakeholders. Management of a small team of engineers (typically 2–4 direct reports): Primary emphasis is on technical mentorship, goal-setting, and delivery accountability. This is a hands-on technical leadership role, not a purely administrative one. Own and provide technical leadership across the core technology platforms — Water (water quality and purification) and Process Engineering (operating full-scale AirJoule R&D system) — serving as subject matter expert (SME) for each. Effectively communicate both upward to VP Technology — delivering clear, concise conclusions while maintaining alignment — and downward to direct reports — setting clear directives, requirements, and expectations. Close alignment must be maintained in both directions. Communication must be frequent and transparent Lead the design of experimental campaigns using rigorous scientific method — including well-controlled experiments and disciplined guarding against false positives/negatives — and structure, staff, and resource those campaigns through to completion. Uphold a safe, respectful, collaborative, inclusive, and appreciative team environment. Education and Experience Requirements Minimum Education: Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Chemistry, Material Science, or related field required. Minimum Experience: 12+ years (post BS degree), 10+ (post MS degree), or 7+ (post PhD degree), in a non-academic environment. Minimum Leadership Experience: at least 2–3 years leading technical projects and/or managing direct reports. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required Hands-on experience running complex integrated systems — for example, process rigs and pilot units, pilot plants/lines, chemical or power plants, water or wastewater treatment plants, or comparable manufacturing and production processes. Demonstrated track record of driving engineering programs to completion — managing scope, schedule, and technical risk across hardware, experimental, or field-deployed systems. Subject matter experience in water quality and purification (filtration, ion-exchange, membranes, etc…) and process engineering (especially within complex systems such as power plants, manufacturing plants/processes, etc…). Demonstrated excellence in experimental science and applied engineering , with rigorous implementation of the scientific method. Aptitude in statistical methods analysis : a strong understanding of error bars, sources of error, and how to reliably draw valid conclusions — and to translate those conclusions into value-added, actionable results. Passionate about teamwork and driving AirJoule’s larger mission. Preferred Data table structuring, joining, and summarization , with a strong skillset in numerical methods for data analysis. Experience with systems deployed in the field or at customer sites — including commissioning and troubleshooting of rigs or systems outside the lab. Expertise in P&ID , including key components such as blowers, pumps, heat exchangers, condensers, compressors, vacuum lines, coolant lines, valves, and sensors (thermocouples, pressure transducers, flow meters, etc.). #J-18808-Ljbffr AirJoule