Mechanical Engineer

About Hertha Metals, Inc.:

At Hertha Metals, our unwavering commitment is to revolutionize heavy industry by embracing technologies that significantly decrease carbon emissions and uplift humanity. While the global steel sector plays a crucial role in providing secure and resilient infrastructure for society, it is also responsible for 10% of worldwide CO2 emissions. Hertha Metals envisions a future that breaks away from the traditional coal-based iron and steelmaking practices of the past three centuries. Our innovative steel manufacturing process utilizes well-established chemistry to dramatically reduce the environmental impact of steel production, all while offering economic advantages to the industry. Hertha Metals is currently building a 1 tonne per day pilot plant in Texas that will produce green iron from low-grade iron ore through our scalable process. 

If you aspire to be at the forefront of pioneering efforts at Hertha, this is the perfect moment to join us. 

Mechanical Engineer

Hertha Metals is scaling up its revolutionary iron smelting technology. We are seeking a hands-on and experienced  Professional to help move our technology from the laboratory to Pilot Scale.  As part of the Engineering Team, you will use your steel making expertise and fundamentals of primary metallurgy along with your engineering and project management skills to help scale Hertha’s technology. You must enjoy working in a fast-paced startup environment where creativity, speed, initiative and cross-functional teamwork are required to succeed.  This position reports to the Head of Engineering.

Your responsibilities

To be successful in this role, a candidate must have skills in mechanical design and be able to straddle the line between R&D and operations. Also, you will be required to perform a substantive role in the design, preparation of specifications, administration functions or field engineering related to assigned engineering projects. Additional responsibilities for this role include: 

• Develop conceptual and detail engineering for actual and future installations.

• Work closely with the vendors during equipment selection and installation to gain a functional understanding of its operation.  This will require developing/reviewing safety protocols, job descriptions, team training, etc.

• Use 3D modeling to create layouts of existing and new installations. Design pieces or devices to improve process performance. 

• Perform and review stress analysis of metallic structures and equipment to evaluate its correct design.

• Create CFD models for process improvement or new equipment design.

• Establish heat transfer models for refractory optimization in the furnace, ventilation applications and auxiliary devices

• Have ownership over the design of the Hertha steelmaking process, from iron ore to steel 

• Collaborate with the R & D department to develop Multiphysics mathematical models for slag-refractory interactions.

• Estimate budget for new projects implementation, including engineering, fabrication and start up.

Your experience

• BS or higher in Mechanical or Chemical Engineering,

• 2+ years of relevant experience in 3D CAD design and simulation of industrial equipment.  Experience in steel making operations is desirable.

• Experience in new plant engineering or plant process engineering with a focus on plant operations/startups

• Candidate must possess the skill to make well-balanced judgments by considering factors such as functionality, dependability, initial investment, and ongoing expenses

• The ability to understand complex interactions between feedstocks, upstream and downstream processes is highly desirable.

• Strong analytical skills with ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, draw valid conclusions and implement sustainable improvements.

• Ability to clearly communicate and present status, action, recommendations, and other technical information at all levels. 

• Capacity to build strong relationships with and positively influence equipment vendors.

Desired:

• ANSYS experience in heat transfer, fluid mechanics, radiation, species transport and stress analysis. 

• Knowledge about facility and systems layout and design 

• Fundamentals in structural design and simulation. 

• Project management experience 

• Basic python coding

  Location: on-site at facility in Conroe, Texas just outside of Houston.

Hertha Culture: 

Inspired by the work and character of the late Hertha Ayrton, we are pioneers, innovators, and risk-takers who are mission driven towards changing the world. We are:

• Committed- having a level of enthusiasm to do what it takes to get the job done; we are decisive and aggressively focused on our tasks, all while maintaining professional and social ethics. 

• Efficient – we don’t have purposeless meetings that drag on 

• Ambitious- Proving that what others say is impossible, is in fact possible

• Inclusive - Valuing each team member’s own perspectives and set of unique experiences that they bring to the table – everyone's voices are heard.

• Curious - Being curious, productive and innovative. 

• Passionate - Working hard not because we have to, but because we are committed to our mission and enjoy our work.

What we offer:

• Competitive compensation package based on expertise. Compensation is increased based on achieved business development milestones

• Stock: ownership in a funded company that is innovating in a trillion-dollar industry

• Paid + unpaid parental leave after 1 year at the company (12 weeks paid, with flexible working style to transition after parental leave such as part-time remote working)

• Flexible working style: as long as you get the job done, we are flexible with remote working on days that you don’t need to be in the lab or at the pilot facilities

• Growth: our team is comprised of people with a growth mindset and we want to help you achieve your future career goals accordingly

• Time off: This is a fast-paced startup company working in one of the most exciting sectors and the last thing we want is our valuable team members to burn out. 

Hertha Metals is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We firmly prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind. In fact, we uniquely hold our shareholders and board members to higher standards than a majority of companies. All employment decisions at Hertha Metals are based on the expertise that the position calls for, without regard to race, religion, sex, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation or age.