The role
At Ore Energy, we are on a mission to fundamentally expand the amount of energy society can reliably harness and use, helping move civilization toward a more abundant energy future. We are doing this by developing long-duration, utility-scale iron-air batteries that provide safe, low-cost, multi-day energy storage for electricity grids and data centers.
We are expanding our product development team and are looking for a hands-on, highly skilled Balance of Plant (BoP) Systems Lead to join us in Amsterdam. In this role, you will take ownership of the architecture, design, and integration of the critical supporting subsystems required to operate our iron-air batteries safely, efficiently, and reliably.
Operating at the intersection of mechanical engineering, fluid mechanics, thermal management, and process control, you will bridge our core electrochemical cells with the physical support systems that surround them. We are looking for a pragmatic, systems-thinking engineer who thrives in a lab/workshop environment, designing functional physical setups and scaling concepts into robust, product-level assemblies.
Key responsibilities
BoP Architecture & Sizing: Define the technical architecture, specifications, and component sizing for all BoP subsystems, including air management, gas conditioning, fluid handling, thermal management, and pressure control.
Component Selection & Integration: Evaluate, specify, and integrate active hardware components, including pumps, blowers, valves, manifolds, sensors, heat exchangers, filters, and piping networks.
Interface & Trade-Off Analysis: Translate electrochemical operating requirements into clear subsystem specifications. Perform system-level trade-off studies balancing thermal performance, pressure drop, parasitic energy consumption, cost, and complexity.
Prototyping & Hands-on Testing: Maintain a strong physical presence in the lab/workshop—building, plumbing, commissioning, and troubleshooting proof-of-concept rigs, full-scale prototypes, and early product builds.
Mass & Energy Balances: Develop and maintain detailed system-level mass, fluid flow, energy, and thermal balance models to guide engineering decisions.
Root-Cause Analysis & Validation: Collaborate closely with testing and quality teams to define validation plans, execute root-cause failure analysis, and drive iterative hardware improvements based on empirical data.
Risk Management & Standards: Participate in DFMEA sessions, hazard analyses, and technical design reviews, establishing clean documentation and standardized operating procedures for BoP subsystems.
Your profile
Experience: 5+ years of hands-on engineering experience designing and integrating complex fluid, thermal, gas-handling, or chemical-process hardware systems.
Systems Engineering Thinking: Proven ability to define functional requirements, manage interface controls, and bring a multi-component electromechanical system from initial concept through physical prototyping and validation.
Multi-Disciplinary Hardware Expertise: Deep technical foundation in fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, pneumatics, sensor integration, and active component selection (pumps, blowers, valves, heat exchangers).
Hands-on & Resourceful: Practical, resource-efficient problem solver who loves building physical test rigs, wiring/plumbing setups, and troubleshooting issues directly on the lab floor.
Analytical & Data-Driven: Strong capability in system sizing calculations, engineering modeling (MATLAB, Python, or process simulation tools), and interpreting empirical test data to guide mechanical redesigns.
Industry Background: Direct experience in batteries, fuel cells, electrolyzers, Direct Air Capture (DAC), HVAC, or industrial chemical-process equipment is highly valuable.
Communication & Autonomy: Flawless professional English. Highly autonomous, structured, and capable of translating complex subsystem dynamics into clear, actionable recommendations for cross-functional engineering teams.