Mechanical Engineer — Materials & Prototyping
Delft and Rotterdam, Netherlands • Full-time • On-site
Note: This is a hands-on engineering role to help us build our 10 kW pilot and the 100 kW system that follows. We are looking for someone strong in CAD, procurement, prototyping, assembly, testing, and materials choices. Experience with rotating systems is a plus.
The Purpose
At Spiral Hydrogen you have a chance to do something extraordinary: shape the future of energy.
We started with a big question: what does civilization need to flourish? The answer we came to is: cheap green energy.
We are starting with hydrogen. Our novel electrolyzer design, which achieves 95% electrical efficiency (HHV) and eliminates many costly components, can deliver green hydrogen below gray hydrogen costs.
We just need you to make it happen.
So far, we have validated the core design, protected the IP, and got VC funding. Now we are preparing for a pilot.
You will help own the practical mechanical build of our electrolyzer stack and test hardware.
What you'll do
This is a founding engineering role. You will work directly with the founders and technical team on the physical systems that determine whether Spiral Hydrogen scales.
In practice, you will
Build and maintain 3D CAD assemblies for stack components, fixtures, and test setups.
Turn rough concepts into manufacturable parts.
Procure parts, materials, tools, and supplier quotes.
Assemble prototypes and test rigs in the workshop and lab.
Test hardware, find what fails, and improve the design.
Think carefully about tolerances, sealing, leakage, corrosion, fatigue, wear, and manufacturability.
Select materials that survive the actual electrochemical and mechanical environment.
You’ll often work on problems where nobody knows the right answer yet.
What we’re looking for
Strong candidates usually have:
Strong CAD skills and experience designing mechanical parts.
Hands-on prototyping experience: built, assembled, modified, tested, or broken hardware.
Good mechanical intuition for fits, tolerances, leakage, assembly, and failure modes.
Practical materials knowledge, especially around metals, polymers, coatings, corrosion, or electrochemical environments.
The ability to move quickly.
Comfort sourcing parts, talking to suppliers, and comparing options.
High agency: when something is unclear, you figure out the next useful step.
Clear communication and good teamwork.
These are strong pluses, not strict requirements:
Experience with electrolyzers, batteries, fuel cells, electrochemical systems, or chemical/process equipment.
Experience with alkaline environments, corrosive fluids.
Experience with rotating systems, bearings, shafts, seals, wobble, vibration, balancing, pumps, motors, or turbomachinery.
Experience spanning both small experimental prototypes and larger industrial hardware.
Fluid dynamics or CFD intuition.
Practicalities
Location: On-site in Delft, Netherlands (office + workshop at YES!Delft) and Rotterdam (in the future).
Time commitment: Full-time
Team: Small, technical, founder-led
Compensation: Competitive salary + equity for early employees
Start: As soon as possible
If this sounds exciting, let’s talk!
Note: Due to a large number of applicants we may not be able to respond to everyone. If you haven’t heard back from us in three weeks, please assume we have moved forward with other candidates. Thank you for your interest!