Pilot Plant Operator Technician

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Job Description

Twelve is a new kind of chemical company built for the climate era. Our breakthrough technology eliminates emissions by turning CO2 into essential products. We are a team of scientists, engineers and problem solvers on a mission to fundamentally shift the way the world addresses climate change and lead the transition to a fossil free future with our carbon transformation technology.

The stack testing team at Twelve coordinates, tests, and maintains commercial scale test stands to operate Twelve’s proprietary technology. The team works closely with R&D and Engineering teams to capture data and iterate on overall performance to implement and scale up our technologies.

Job Brief

As a critical part of ongoing R&D, the stack testing program sits at the interface between lab-scale and commercial processing units. In this role, you will be a key member in the successful commissioning, operation, and improvement of the Twelve pilot plant and electrolyzer. Successful operation of the electrolyzer is paramount to achieving Twelve’s mission of transforming CO2 into essential products. You will engage in various planned stack testing activities, including electrolyzer start up, equipment maintenance, and stack turnarounds. Additionally, you will operate, monitor, and take daily readings on stack data; this includes regularly collecting samples for analysis and troubleshooting any problems that may arise. The Pilot Plant Operator Technician will be responsible for ensuring that all operations tasks required for stack testing are performed safely and according to the relevant operating procedures.

This is an onsite role at our Alameda and Berkeley offices.

What You Will Do

  • Be a champion for safety by promoting a safety-first culture and ensuring a safe work environment with a commitment to zero workplace injuries
  • Perform plant walkarounds, ensuring process equipment is operating correctly
  • Rapidly solve operational problems and avoid unexpected delays and shutdowns
  • Complete planned plant/electrolyzer activities, including following the standard procedure to successfully start-up, turndown, and shutdown of the plant/electrolyzer
  • Complete basic maintenance activities including lockout/tagout (LOTO), calibration, resin-bed replacement, filter replacement, etc.
  • Maintain a log of daily plant health, including plant run status, any alarms that occurred during the shift and how the problems were solved. Communicate these issues to other operators and the plant engineer
  • Report safety concerns including near miss, hazards, and incident reporting through the appropriate channels
  • Operate control board for the plant/electrolyzer via an HMI (Human-Machine Interface)
  • General schedule will be Monday through Friday 8 AM - 5 PM, but must be willing and able to work occasional overtime, evenings, and weekends.

Who You Are

  • 3+ years of relevant work experience in oil and gas, manufacturing, or pharmaceuticals
  • Able to operate test equipment and work with compressed gasses
  • Able to troubleshoot process equipment in a manufacturing or chemical plant setting
  • Comfortable operating a control board via HMI (Human-Machine Interface)
  • Able to prepare for equipment maintenance (LOTO) lockout/tagout
  • You have excellent communication skills and able to work as part of a team
  • You are able to climb stairs, stand for extended periods of time, and safely lift up to 60 lbs
  • You are comfortable wearing PPE (personal protective equipment) for extended periods of time
  • Experience working in a refinery or chemical plant is a plus

Twelve Benefits

  • Medical, dental, and vision coverage
  • Paid sick days and vacation
  • Competitive salary and equity compensation commensurate with experience
  • Diverse and inclusive work environment

At Twelve, it's important each employee is compensated competitively and fairly. In alignment with state legal requirements, Twelve conducts exhaustive research to understand compensation markets. A range for the included position is listed below. Be advised, actual offer details are determined by job category, job location, and candidate skill level.

United States Wage Range: $41 - $48/hr

Please note that some pay bands may have wide ranges of compensation to accommodate candidate's diverse sets of skill levels.


We believe that the unique contributions of each individual is the driver of our success. To make sure that our products and culture continue to incorporate everyone's perspectives and experience we never discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, or marital, veteran, or disability status.

Want to work with us but don't see a current opening that fits your background? Email us at [email protected].


Potential Twelve Candidates, please be aware of potential recruiting scams. Twelve will never ask you for payment or your payment information in order to pursue a career here. If anyone has requested such a payment or payment information in relation to a Twelve position or if you believe that someone outside Twelve has impersonated a Twelve recruiter or employee, please contact [email protected]. Thank you and be safe!

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