What are the responsibilities and job description for the Founding Turbomachinery Engineer position at Approach Venture?
Founding Turbomachinery Engineer – Build the Next Generation of Advanced Power Systems!
Los Angeles, CA | On-site
Opportunity Summary
Join a venture-backed energy technology startup on a mission to redefine how industrial power is generated and deployed. While legacy turbine platforms have seen incremental improvements over decades, true step-change innovation has remained rare. Our team is building a new class of high-performance rotating machinery designed to meet modern energy demands and unlock next-generation efficiency across traditional and emerging power markets. As a Founding Turbomachinery Engineer, you will play a central role in shaping both the product architecture and the engineering culture of the company. This is not a maintenance or optimization role. You will help design, analyze, build, and validate advanced high-speed turbomachinery from first principles. If you are motivated by clean-sheet engineering, hands-on hardware development, and the opportunity to influence core technical strategy from day one, this is a rare platform-level opportunity.
About Us
We are a deeply technical team of engineers with more than a decade of experience in turbomachinery analysis, rotating equipment design, and high-speed testing. Our focus is on reimagining industrial power systems through advanced turbine architectures and novel thermodynamic approaches. Backed by early-stage capital and driven by real-world validation, we are building hardware that bridges cutting-edge analysis with manufacturable, scalable systems intended for next-generation energy applications.
Job Duties
$150,000 – $225,000
Los Angeles, CA | On-site
Opportunity Summary
Join a venture-backed energy technology startup on a mission to redefine how industrial power is generated and deployed. While legacy turbine platforms have seen incremental improvements over decades, true step-change innovation has remained rare. Our team is building a new class of high-performance rotating machinery designed to meet modern energy demands and unlock next-generation efficiency across traditional and emerging power markets. As a Founding Turbomachinery Engineer, you will play a central role in shaping both the product architecture and the engineering culture of the company. This is not a maintenance or optimization role. You will help design, analyze, build, and validate advanced high-speed turbomachinery from first principles. If you are motivated by clean-sheet engineering, hands-on hardware development, and the opportunity to influence core technical strategy from day one, this is a rare platform-level opportunity.
About Us
We are a deeply technical team of engineers with more than a decade of experience in turbomachinery analysis, rotating equipment design, and high-speed testing. Our focus is on reimagining industrial power systems through advanced turbine architectures and novel thermodynamic approaches. Backed by early-stage capital and driven by real-world validation, we are building hardware that bridges cutting-edge analysis with manufacturable, scalable systems intended for next-generation energy applications.
Job Duties
- Lead the architecture and development of high-speed rotating machinery systems from concept through validated hardware
- Perform aerodynamic, structural, thermal, and rotordynamic analysis to inform and optimize system performance
- Execute detailed mechanical design including 3D CAD modeling, materials selection, GD&T, and design for manufacturing and assembly
- Translate analytical results into practical hardware solutions through iterative prototyping and testing
- Support the development of custom test rigs and instrumentation for rotating machinery validation
- Analyze experimental data to refine models and drive rapid engineering iteration
- Collaborate closely with technical leadership, suppliers, and cross-functional engineers to deliver reliable hardware under aggressive timelines
- Establish engineering processes and best practices that support long-term scalability
- Bachelor’s degree or higher in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline
- 5 years of experience working on turbomachinery or closely related rotating equipment such as gas turbines, turbopumps, compressors, turboexpanders, steam turbines, or turbochargers
- Strong fundamentals in fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, heat transfer, and mechanical design
- Demonstrated ability to take ownership of complex technical problems in a fast-paced environment
- Proficiency with modern CAD platforms such as NX, SolidWorks, Creo, CATIA, Onshape, or Fusion 360
- Clear communication skills and the ability to collaborate across engineering and leadership teams
- Experience designing or analyzing supercritical CO2 power systems
- Proven track record of carrying rotating machinery from initial design through full hardware testing and validation
- Development of custom turbomachinery test rigs and associated instrumentation
- Familiarity with manufacturing methods for high-temperature alloys and precision rotating components
- Experience integrating analysis tools into rapid hardware development cycles
- Prior early-stage or startup experience
- Foundational technical leadership role with meaningful influence over product architecture
- Opportunity to build hardware from clean-sheet design through real-world validation
- Direct collaboration with experienced technical founders
- High ownership and visibility within a fast-moving engineering team
- Significant room for growth as the company scales
- Meaningful equity ownership
- Subsidized medical, dental, and vision insurance
$150,000 – $225,000
Salary : $150,000 - $225,000