Founding Engineer

Position Overview

You will lead the development and scaling of autonomous systems for critical mineral extraction applications. This is not a join-and-execute roleits a chance to co-create the foundation of our platform. Youll own critical technical decisions and project delivery, shape our process synthesizer, and help reduce cost of critical mineral processing to increase mineral abundance.

Faster deployment. Domestic strength. A shift in the spectrum. Thats the BlueShift mission. If youre mission-driven and want to work on the front lines of industrial resilience, join us. Blueshift is backed by leading investors including ConocoPhillips Technology Ventures, Ridgeline VC, and MassCEC. Our team integrates technology developed at Harvard, the University of Michigan, and ARPA-E.

Responsibilities

• Build AI/ML models that can generate and optimize novel modular process concepts
• Create digital twins to create a scaled-up autonomous process based on data and literature
• Develop platforms to integrate software solutions developed in house with external software applications
• Generate and/or process large datasets (including time series data) to inform process development
• Collaborate externally with vendors, contractors, and design firms
• Mentor and train junior engineers; prepare technical documentation for internal and external stakeholders; collaborate internally with the team for continuous process improvement
• Stay at the forefront of emerging technologies and best practices in autonomous process systems for electrochemistry and mineral extraction for idea generation and continuous improvement

Qualifications

• Degree in computer science, chemical/process engineering, or related technical field (advanced degree preferred, but not required)
• 3-7+ years of experience with building NLP models, developing AI/ML systems, and handling LLMs
• Experience with robotics and control systems, IoT 4.0, digital twins, handling time series data and large datasets, fault detection, and/or process engineering are a big plus
• Hands-on with Python (SciPy, PyTorch/TensorFlow, control/optimization libraries) and comfort with hardware/software integration (sensors, DAQ, PLCs)
• Strong sense of ownership and problem-solving skills, the ability to learn new concepts quickly and make data-driven decisions, and an innovative and entrepreneurial spirit
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a track record of collaboration across disciplines
• Ability to travel to pilot sites and partner facilities as needed

Were starting this role as a contract-based project position with the possibility of full-time conversion. Heres what you can expect:

• Frontier challenge: redefining what counts as an ore body and proving it on wastes before moving into mining.
• High-impact work: accelerate supply chain resilience and national security.
• Fast-moving environment: autonomy, direct influence on roadmap, and no bureaucracy.
• Professional growth: build across software, electrochemistry, and process engineering breadth few roles can match.