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R&D Mechanical Technician

Natel Energy is seeking an energetic, creative, self-motivated, and problem-solving Mechanical Technician to join our team and assist in research and development activities related to FishSafe hydro turbine development. You will be responsible for the fabrication, assembly, operation and maintenance of scale-model hydro turbines and other test equipment, as well as participating in performance and fish passage testing operations. You will also help maintain a machine shop, aquaculture system, and warehouse space located in a historic hangar in Alameda, CA. This is a hands-on role requiring you to be on your feet for the majority of the workday and lift up to 50 lbs regularly. The successful candidate will have a strong background as an engineering technician with hands-on experience in fabrication and assembly in an R&D environment, be highly motivated and organized, have excellent communication skills, and excel at solving complex problems independently and as part of a team.

Join our team and apply your technical, creative, and problem-solving skills, and physical capabilities, to help us innovate and advance the field of FishSafe hydro turbine technology.

Responsibilities:

• Assemble and maintain innovative scale-model hydro turbines and test equipment structures according to specifications and engineering drawings.

• Participate in performance and R&D testing, utilizing our laboratories and equipment.

• Collaborate with engineers to identify and resolve any fabrication, assembly, or operational issues as equipment is commissioned and operated.

• Maintain and monitor an aquaculture system, ensuring proper functioning of pumps, filters, and other equipment.

• Maintain, troubleshoot, and upgrade machinery and other shop equipment.

• Organize and maintain warehouse storage of equipment and supplies.

• Ensure that Natel’s shop operations are conducted in a safe, efficient, and professional manner.

Required Skills and Qualifications:

• 2-5 yrs experience in mechanical fabrication, assembly, and testing operations in an R&D/prototyping environment.

• Strong knowledge of mechanical principles and manufacturing processes, working with a multitude of materials, processes, and resources.

• General knowledge and proficiency of mechanical and electrical shop equipment and tools.

• Proficiency with manual machine tools (mill, lathe, drill press, etc.)

• Strong safety mindset and contribution to building a healthy safety culture.

• Excellent problem-solving skills and attention to detail.

• Effective independent time management and organizational abilities.

• Strong communication and teamwork skills. 

• Experience with forklift and crane operation, rigging, lifting and positioning of heavy equipment.

• Physical stamina and strength: ability to stand for extended periods and lift up to 50 lbs regularly.

Optional preferred skills:

• Engineering Drawing Interpretation with a good understanding of GD&T.

• Quality Assurance and part inspection.

• Experience in maintaining and operating aquaculture systems and caring for fish.

• MIG/TIG welding.

• CAD/CAM software (Siemens NX, Fusion 360), CNC experience.

We are proud to offer great benefits like 4 weeks of paid vacation, 2 weeks of paid sick leave, and trans-inclusive health insurance plans (along with dental, vision and life insurance). We want our team to live full lives outside of work.

Starting pay for the successful applicant will depend on a variety of job-related factors, which may include job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Compensation range for on site CA applicants is $30-$40, depending on experience and skills. This range may be modified in the future.

Location

In person, Alameda, California. This is a full time on-site position at our office and R&D facility in Alameda, CA. Occasional travel may be required for supplier site visits, field testing, or similar.

About half of our employees work in person at this location on a regular basis, and the others are fully remote. As a distributed team, we communicate regularly using Slack and video conferencing. We make an effort to gather the full team in real life occasionally, and we plan more frequent gatherings for lunch and happy hour with the local team.

Our hiring process

Natel Energy is committed to building, supporting, and growing a diverse team. We have a standardized interview process designed to reduce individual bias, and have structured pay scales to prevent inequity. We don’t discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

Role

Natel Energy is seeking a skilled and motivated turbine CFD design engineer to join our team! Natel Energy designs and tests high performance FishSafe hydraulic turbines, helping the hydropower industry modernize while preserving biodiversity. You will join an exciting and fast-paced team where we develop customized solutions for some of the largest turbines in the global fleet down to scale model performance test units.

You will help us achieve our goals of modernization, decarbonization, and biodiversity by designing and optimizing hydro turbine geometry from first principles through detailed CFD and, at times, through to physical scale model testing. You will work with other hydraulic design engineers at Natel to complete regular design deliverables for customers and partners, aid the commercial team with proposals, conduct R&D-related analysis and design work for test equipment, and improve and automate processes for increased throughput.

Prior experience in the hydro industry is a plus, but not required. A successful candidate will have a strong foundation of engineering fundamentals and systems design, with focused expertise in utilizing CFD to support system or product development. Candidates must be effective communicators, collaborators, and independent contributors. Candidates must also be creative and driven problem solvers, not satisfied with the status quo.

Responsibilities

• Lead the modern hydro turbine industry with design and analysis techniques to produce competitive, efficient, FishSafe, and manufacturable turbine and hydropower facility designs and upgrades.

• Utilize Siemens NX, STAR-CCM+, and other related tools as necessary for hydraulic turbine design, analysis, and optimization. Apply existing design and analysis workflows as well as develop new and improved methods and automations.

• Become an expert in Natel’s system and product design space. Understand tradeoffs in hydraulic design performance, cost, and mechanical + operational implications; interpret and apply customer and site design requirements along with performance and fish survival models and test data; recommend and deliver designs and associated documentation.

• Deliver results to clients and to the team efficiently and professionally. Propose and implement process and methodology changes to constantly improve quality and throughput. Document and report results in formats ranging from tabular data and figures to publication-worthy reports and presentations.

Required Skills and Qualifications

• At least 3 years experience in related role(s)

• A bachelor’s degree or higher in an applicable engineering discipline (mechanical, aerospace, etc)

• Competence with advanced CAD surfacing and parametric modeling techniques (preferably in Siemens NX)

• Competence in single and multiphase aerodynamic or hydrodynamic CFD meshing and analysis, preferably with complete turbomachinery or other rotating systems, preferably with STAR-CCM+

• Familiarity with data analysis and/or automation coding languages (eg. Python, Java)

• A motivation to apply your skills and knowledge in a fast-paced small team environment

• An organized and data-driven approach to problem solving

• Strong written and verbal communication skills: comfortable receiving as well as providing guidance and technical material from/to engineers, designers, technicians, and suppliers

• Confidence in working independently to drive a project forward

Not Required, but Pluses:

• Proficiency in Siemens NX surfacing techniques

• Expertise in STAR-CCM+

• Experience in the design or analysis of hydro turbines or pumps or turbomachinery in general

• Both Windows and Linux based HPC setup and job management experience

• Endorsements or certifications in applicable skill areas

Compensation & Benefits

Starting pay for the successful applicant will depend on a variety of job-related factors, which may include job-related knowledge, skills, and experience, market location, business needs, other compensation components, and/or market demands. The starting base salary range for this role is  $120k-$170K. This range may be modified in the future.

In addition to competitive salaries, we offer equity to new employees and incentive compensation  based on team performance.

We are proud to offer great benefits like 4 weeks of paid vacation, 2 weeks of paid sick leave, and trans-inclusive health insurance plans (along with dental, vision and life insurance). We want our team to live full lives outside of work.

Location 

Natel is headquartered in Alameda, California with a mix of onsite and remote employees. If you have strong qualifications you are encouraged to apply, whether local or remote. Occasional travel may be required for team events, supplier site visits, field testing, or similar.

Our hiring process

Natel Energy is committed to building, supporting, and growing a diverse team. We have a standardized interview process designed to reduce individual bias, and have structured pay scales to prevent inequity. We don’t discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.