Automation Engineer II
Charm Industrial
Company Overview
Charm Industrial
San Francisco, CA, United States
2018
Approximately 60 employees (source: contrary.com). Revenue figures are not publicly available, but the company has secured $100 million in total known funding as of June 2023 (source: contrary.com).
What They Do
Charm Industrial specializes in carbon removal technology, focusing on the fast pyrolysis of biomass waste. This innovative process involves heating various organic materials, such as corn stover, rice straw, and timber slash, to around 500°C in oxygen-free environments. The result is a viscous bio-oil and biochar, which not only helps in carbon sequestration but also serves as a soil amendment (source: contrary.com). The primary service offered by Charm is the permanent removal of carbon dioxide by injecting this bio-oil into deep abandoned oil wells, where it can sequester CO₂ for over 10,000 years, leveraging existing oil infrastructure for scalability (source: lowercarbon.com). Additionally, the company is exploring secondary applications of bio-oil, including its conversion into renewable hydrogen fuel and its use as a cleaner ingredient in zero-carbon steel production (source: time.com). Charm targets corporate buyers of carbon removal services, particularly in the tech, finance, and retail sectors, and sources biomass from farmers and forestry operations to address waste from wildfires and harvests (source: mcj.vc).
Projects & Track Record
Charm Industrial has made significant strides in carbon removal, completing its first injection of bio-oil within just 10 months of pivoting to this technology in 2020. By 2021, the company had successfully delivered over 5,000 tons of carbon removals to early customers, including notable clients like Stripe, Shopify, and Microsoft (source: charmindustrial.com). Ongoing projects include the front-end engineering for its first demonstration fast pyrolysis plant, which is set to be site-specific in 2024, and field trials for purpose-grown crops in Louisiana (source: contrary.com). The company has also secured key contracts, such as a $53 million deal with Frontier for 112,000 tons of CO₂ removal from 2024 to 2030, and a separate agreement with JP Morgan for over 28,000 tons (source: time.com). Charm's geographic presence spans its San Francisco headquarters, operations in Colorado, and scaling efforts in the corn belt, with ambitions to dominate the U.S. heartland for biomass sourcing (source: lowercarbon.com).
Recent Developments
In recent years, Charm Industrial has secured a $53 million offtake agreement with Frontier in May 2023, aimed at achieving 112,000 tons of CO₂ removal by 2030, alongside a separate contract with JP Morgan for over 28,000 tons (source: contrary.com). The company also closed a $100 million Series B funding round in June 2023, which is intended to enhance its injection wells, pyrolysis capacity, and workforce (source: time.com). Media recognition has been significant, with TIME featuring Charm as a leader in the carbon capture race in 2023, and Bloomberg covering the Frontier deal, highlighting the company's innovative approach to carbon removal (source: weforum.org).
Working There
Charm Industrial offers a variety of roles aimed at building a new industry, with open positions emphasizing engineering, operations, research, and geology. Key departments include Engineering, led by Dillon Card, who has a background at SpaceX, and Research, led by Ed Young, a PhD from Princeton (source: charmindustrial.com). The company is primarily hiring in its San Francisco headquarters and Colorado for pyrolysis and injection operations, with plans to expand into the corn belt (source: contrary.com). Charm's culture emphasizes principles such as "First, Do No Harm" and "Gigatons or Bust," reflecting a commitment to safety, health, and ambitious growth targets (source: time.com).
Last updated on Feb 23, 2026 | Report an issue
As an Automation Engineer II, You will work with a highly motivated cross functional team of Engineers and Operators to deploy Industrial automation solutions across multiple business units. As a member of the Automation, Controls and Electrical Engineering team you will support our Engineering and Operations teams by automating manual processes and delivering PLC and HMI programming solutions for many novel machines and processes.
The ideal candidate for this role will have experience delivering, maintaining and modifying PLC and HMI programs, is mindful of electrical safety and enjoys working in a collaborative fast paced start up environment.
Your Responsibilities
- Convert process control narratives into working PLC code using Siemens TIA portal environment
- Create simple and intuitive user interfaces and manage data acquisition in Inductive Automation's Ignition Platform
- Specify appropriate control system hardware (Processors, remote racks, IO Cards, network hardware, etc.)
- Create and maintain useful dashboards and reports for many stakeholders across the organization
- Interpret Piping and instrumentation diagrams
- Function as the Subject Matter Expert on Automation best practices
- Provide operations support and contribute to team On-Call schedule
- Travel as needed (< 25%)
You Bring
- 3-5 years experience in an automation engineering role
- Proven programming skills using standard industrial programming languages; Ladder, Structured text, Function block
- A solid understanding of Industrial control systems
- Ability to read industrial control panel schematics
- Experience supporting industrial control systems in a manufacturing environment
- Experience creating and supporting operator interfaces
- Understanding of SCADA/Historian implementation
Bonus if You Bring
- Experience with Siemens/TIA Portal
- Experience with Inductive Automation Ignition (Vision and/or Perspective)
- Familiarity with common industrial automation protocols (Modbus RTU/TCP, EIP, HART, etc.)
- Experience designing and/or building control panels using AutoCAD Electrical
$90,400 - $135,600 a year
What We Offer
- Stock options
- Health benefits (medical, dental, vision)
- Traditional and Roth 401(k) with a 50% match on contributions up to 6%
- Paid time off, including parental leave
- A yearly professional development stipend
- Healthy snacks for onsite employees
- A chance to pivot into a role in climate!
Visa Sponsorship Policy
Since we are a small startup, certain accommodations for visa sponsorship may not be within our capability. At this time, Charm Industrial is only sponsoring E3 and TN visas.
Our Commitment
Charm Industrial is an equal opportunity employer. We hire based on skills, experience, and passion for our mission. Climate challenges require a wide range of perspectives and expertise, and we welcome applicants from all backgrounds. We're excited to grow our team with people who bring unique strengths and help us improve as a company.
Apply now
Job expired?Please let Charm Industrial know you found this job on Rejobs. This will help us grow and get more people to work on renewable energy!
Apply now
Job expired?Please let Charm Industrial know you found this job on Rejobs. This will help us grow and get more people to work on renewable energy!
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About the role
April 5, 2026
Full time
Company
- Fort Lupton, Colorado, United States
3-5 years
UTC-07:00
