Principal Application Engineer

Air Joule is seeking a Principal Applications Engineer to join the Technology division, within which sit the Systems and Applications teams. This role bridges laboratory R&D and real‑world deployment — leading experimental programs, guiding product development, and integrating Air Joule systems into customer sites. The role also carries people management responsibility for a small team of engineers. The position is based at Air Joule’s headquarters in Newark, DE.

• Serve as technical project lead across the full product lifecycle
  , from early‑stage R&D and laboratory experimentation through field deployment.
• Act as technical manager to a small team of engineers (typically 2–4 direct reports), with primary emphasis on technical mentorship, goal‑setting, and delivery accountability. This is a hands‑on technical leadership role, not a purely administrative one.
• Serve as subject matter expert (SME) across key technical domains (e.g., process development, thermal management, psychrometrics, mass transport and adsorption theory), and serve as a technical authority for experimental scientific methodology and R&D quality.
• Lead design, execution, results analysis, and progression of experimental testing campaigns for full‑sized Air Joule product and prototype systems.
• Perform rigorous data analysis to validate all conclusions.
• Document experimental results in the form of PowerPoint presentations, technical report documents, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and electronic laboratory notebook (ELN) entries.
• Uphold a safe, respectful, collaborative, inclusive, and appreciative team environment.

• 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), 9+ (post MS degree), or 5+ (post PhD degree), in a non‑academic environment.

• Experience with real‑world implementations of complex thermal/mechanical/chemical systems
  , especially field deployment of rigs/systems, running chemical or power plants, etc.
• Experience with system troubleshooting
  , causal analysis, and/or diagnostic and performance reviews.
• Subject matter experience in at least two of the following areas is required
  : psychrometrics, HVAC systems, thermal systems, power systems and energy interconversion, water treatment systems (filtration, ion‑exchange, membrane processes, etc…)
• Demonstrated excellence in experimental science and applied engineering
  . Rigorous implementation of scientific is mandatory.
• Expertise in P&, including key components such as blowers, pumps, heat exchangers, condensers, compressors, vacuum lines, coolant lines, valves, sensors (thermocouples, pressure transducers, flow meters, etc).
• Aptitude in data analysis: data table structuring, joining, and summarization with a strong skillset in numerical methods for data analysis.
• Passionate about hands‑on work while acting as a driver with respect to project execution.

In addition to good working conditions and competitive pay, it is Air Joule’s policy to provide a comprehensive benefits package that provides access to plans which support the overall well‑being of our employees and their dependents. These benefits include, but are not limited to, health care coverage (medical, dental, vision, pharmacy), a retirement plan that includes a 401K, Life Insurance options, Disability coverage, paid time‑off, and more.

Air Joule, LLC does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, medical condition, marital status, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibility, personal appearance, genetic information, matriculation, political affiliation, or any other status protected under law.