Antora Energy delivers affordable, reliable energy to industry, data centers, and the grid. Our thermal batteries turn low-cost electricity into always-on heat and power, without supply-constrained critical minerals or multi-year construction timelines.
We are growing our company with people who put team and mission first, value connection through laughter and joy, and work with humility and openness. We are committed to building a diverse, passionate, and creative team dedicated to a future powered by abundant, clean, low-cost energy.
Antora Energy is seeking a Senior Plant Process & Controls Engineer to join our Operations & Maintenance team at the POET Big Stone thermal energy storage (TES) facility in Big Stone City, SD. This role is central to improving and maintaining the performance of our deployed HeatCore thermal battery modules and balance-of-plant systems, with the majority of working time spent on-site developing first-hand insight into how our technology performs in the field. This Engineer will identify major and recurring issues across the plant, lead the design, procurement, and implementation of engineered solutions, and facilitate root cause analysis for field incidents and systemic issues failures. Reporting to the Site Manager, this person will also serve as the primary link between ground-level observations and the broader engineering organizations responsible for reliability, product development, and commissioning—converting field learning into durable product improvements that keep the Big Stone plant meeting its operational metrics and informing future plant and module designs.
What You'll Do
- Maintain sustained on-site presence at the POET Big Stone facility to develop comprehensive, ground-truth knowledge of plant performance, equipment behavior, and failure modes across HeatCore modules and BOP systems.
- Identify, document, and prioritize major and recurring field issues/priorities — including module efficiency, gas consumption, equipment failures, environmental impacts on instrumentation, and power delivery performance —and own those issues through to verified resolution.
- Lead end-to-end resolution of identified issues: scope the problem, develop or coordinate engineering solutions, drive procurement of required parts and materials, and manage field implementation through to closure.
- Conduct and facilitate formal root cause analysis (RCA) for field incidents and systemic issues, leveraging structured methodologies (e.g., 8D, 5-Why) and coordinating cross-functional input from controls, mechanical, EHS, and product development.
- Partner closely with the O&M TPM, Product Development Reliability Engineer, Process Design, Controls and Responsible Engineers to ensure field learnings are systematically captured, prioritized, and fed back into the broader engineering roadmap.
- Serve as a technical resource and escalation point for on-site maintenance and operations staff; support the maintenance team in executing complex corrective and preventive work orders.
- Contribute to continuous improvement of commissioning, maintenance, and operating procedures based on direct field experience; support knowledge transfer for new O&M personnel. Responsible for Work instructions/procedures for operations and maintenance. Interact with RnD & Responsible Engineer's to fill the gap between O&M.
What We're Looking For
- B.S. in Mechanical, or Chemical engineering, Electrical, or related engineering discipline.
- 7+ years of field engineering, commissioning, or plant operations experience in an energy, industrial, or process environment.
- Demonstrated ability to independently lead technical troubleshooting and issue resolution from identification through implementation.
- Experience with SCADA/controls systems and the ability to interpret process data and alarm logs.
- Strong understanding of controls, instrumentation, and supporting control system architecture
- Background in process engineering, system integration, and troubleshooting complex industrial systems
- Hands-on experience with formal RCA methodologies (e.g., 8D, 5-Why, fault tree analysis).
- Ability and willingness to work predominantly on-site in a construction or operating plant environment, including outdoor and confined-space settings. Occasional travel to Antora HQ in San Jose, CA.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills; able to translate field observations into clear engineering documentation and stakeholder updates.
- Proficiency with engineering work management systems (e.g., CMMS, PLM, issue tracking platforms).
Bonus Qualifications
- Experience with thermal energy storage, heat transfer fluids, or high-temperature industrial systems.
- Read and understand PLC logic. Experience with network and communications systems. Allen Bradley and Siemens hardware background
- Familiarity with SCADA/controls systems and the ability to interpret process data and alarm logs.
- Experience with SPCC, EHS compliance, or environmental incident response in an industrial plant setting.
- Prior experience with first-of-kind or early-stage technology deployment where standard procedures are still being developed.
- Experience working cross-functionally with product development or R&D teams in a field engineering capacity.
Work Location: Onsite in Big Stone City, South Dakota
Salary Range: $123-150k USD
Salary Basis:
Please note that the salary range listed above reflects Antora Energy's estimated pay for this position. The actual salary offered will be within the posted range and determined based on several factors including but not limited to a candidate's experiences, credentials and expertise, as they pertain to the position's requirements.
In addition to a competitive base salary, Antora Energy’s Total Rewards program includes equity compensation in the form of stock options, a premium health benefits package with life and disability insurance, a 401K plan with employer contributions, flexible spending accounts, and an industry leading paid-time-off policy that features flexible and inclusive holiday observance, as well as paid volunteer time off.
When it comes to stopping climate change, we need everyone. We believe that having a diversity of backgrounds and experiences strengthens all of us, and we strive to create an environment where every one of us is empowered to create meaningful change.