Project Engineer

Limelight Steel is on a mission to eliminate emissions from iron and steelmaking and build a brighter future. 8% of global CO2 emissions come from current fossil-based steelmaking processes - the largest source of industrial emissions today. Limelight Steel's electrified ironmaking technology has the potential to eliminate those emissions, significantly reduce energy use, and produce iron for cheaper than fossil-based methods.

We are a startup in Oakland, CA, backed by industry-leading climate tech investors, looking to grow our team. We are committed to building a diverse and courageous team of people motivated to make a positive impact on the world. We want to hire kind and supportive teammates who have the perseverance to achieve our audacious goal of decarbonizing steel.

Role

Limelight Steel is seeking a Project Engineer to spearhead the development of critical hardware at the heart of our Laser Furnace. In this leadership role, you will guide a team of engineers while applying deep expertise in mechanical design, thermal modeling, and materials engineering to deliver safe, scalable, and robust molten metal ladles and high-temperature vacuum vessels. You will set technical direction, ensure engineering excellence, and play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our technology platform.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to a cross-functional team of equipment design engineers.
• Own and guide the design of molten-metal hardware, ensuring mechanical integrity, safety, and scalability under extreme operating conditions.
• Drive the integration of optics, sensors, vacuum sealing surfaces, and high-temperature mechanical structures into next-generation laser furnace systems.
• Oversee the design and development of vacuum vessels, ensuring robustness under thermal, mechanical, and pressure gradients.
• Partner with pyrometallurgical engineers, safety experts, and process teams to integrate industry best practices and push forward innovation in high-temperature equipment design.
• Establish engineering standards, design review processes, and validation protocols to balance speed, rigor, and safety in hardware development.
• Influence strategic decision-making on equipment architecture and scale-up pathways for pilot and commercial systems.

Qualifications

Benefits

Compensation

Salary range for this role is $180,000-240,000, plus meaningful equity. Final compensation will be based on experience.

Seniority level

Mid-Senior level

Employment type

Full-time

Job function

Engineering and Information Technology

Manufacturing

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