Automation Engineer Intern - Colorado

About Charm

Our mission is to return the atmosphere to 280 ppm CO₂. We convert excess inedible biomass into carbon-rich bio-oil and inject it into underground storage for permanent carbon removal. At scale, we can use bio-oil to make fossil-free iron.

Our carbon removal efforts began in 2020 with initial purchases from customers like Stripe, Shopify, and Microsoft. Since then, we’ve scaled to thousands of tons of carbon removal, grown to over a hundred employees, and established three locations in San Francisco, Colorado, and Kansas. Join us in 2025 as we work toward putting 10,000 tons of carbon back underground!

We're expanding our team of ambitious, creative, and hands-on problem solvers. We value psychological safety, collaboration, and continuous learning. We take calculated risks and treat mistakes as opportunities to improve. If you're excited about tackling big challenges, we encourage you to explore our company values.

Come help us reverse climate change. Gigatons or bust!

About the Role

• You will be building automation that enables our novel electromechanical equipment to put more carbon underground as effectively as possible! These automation solutions could include better HMIs, new SCADA systems to monitor and control more of our plant from one central location, and making visualizations of our key data.

• This position will be hands-on with hardware in addition to writing software using common industrial automation languages. You’ll work closely with our operators to identify opportunities to improve our production capabilities via better automation systems.

• The position is a 10- to 12-week on-site role in Fort Lupton, CO

Your Responsibilities

• You’ll conceptualize, implement, and validate automation software solutions, which reduce operator burden and accelerate our ability to scale effectively

• You’ll own the design of intuitive Human-Machine Interfaces (HMIs) tailored for frontline operators and for test equipment

• You’ll design and run test benches to evaluate subsystems for next generation pyrolyzers.

• You’ll analyze data to determine how well the design met the success criteria.

• You’ll work alongside a cross-functional team, where you’ll need additional help to get your work to completion and vice versa.  You’re always willing to help out and lend a hand for the betterment of the team.

You Bring

• Experience designing working with users/operators to design effective user interfaces

• Programming skills in Python, Structured Text (ST), Function Block Diagram (FBD), Ladder Logic (LD), or Codesys

• Understanding of protocols such as Modbus, E/IP, RS485 and OPC-UA

• Team and growth oriented mindset. You’ll rapidly learn new interdisciplinary concepts and methods and implement them with a multidisciplinary team.

• Resourcefulness to problem solving.  You’re constantly balancing cost, timeline and impact when making decisions on what to do next.

• A self-directed mentality.  You can find out where you can add the most value to your team and the organization.

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• Bonus

• Basic knowledge of electrical systems (reading schematics, wire harness fabrication, etc.)

• CAD experience, preferably SolidWorks.

• Familiarity with mechanical and electrical fabrication techniques

• Experience working in high volume production environments

What We Offer

· Healthy snacks and subsidized lunches

· A sweet workplace with lots of space inside and out

· A chance to pivot into a role in climate! (this internship could lead to a future career opportunity at Charm, but we cannot guarantee employment beyond the internship program)

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.