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Senior Thermal Engineer
Job Summary
Join a seed-stage company pioneering AI-driven thermal hardware design and take ownership of heat exchanger development as the key human validator for the AI platform. You will design systems from blank CAD files, validate AI outputs with advanced simulations, and ensure manufacturable hardware that meets aggressive thermal specs. Your expertise directly accelerates customer project delivery in high-stakes thermal challenges.
Essential Functions
- Design heat exchangers end-to-end from blank CAD to simulation-backed geometry targeting tight thermal and pressure-drop requirements while optimizing for additive manufacturing.
- Validate AI/ML platform outputs using 1D first-principles models and high-fidelity CFD/CHT simulations to confirm physical accuracy.
- Leverage advanced simulation tools to evaluate trade-offs, guide design decisions, and communicate engineering rationale.
- Incorporate manufacturability from the start, addressing additive constraints like support strategy, distortion, and post-processing.
- Plan and execute validation experiments, interpret physical test results, and refine models based on real-world data.
- Develop reusable simulation setups, parameterized studies, and design guidelines to boost team efficiency.
Required Qualifications
- PhD in Mechanical or Thermal Engineering with concentration in thermal-fluid sciences.
- 5+ years post-PhD experience in thermal or mechanical engineering designing heat exchangers using CFD tools.
- Proven track record designing heat exchangers from scratch (blank CAD to validated hardware), ideally at 200kW+ scale.
- Proficiency setting up and running CFD and conjugate heat transfer (CHT) simulations in tools like STAR-CCM+ or Ansys Fluent.
- Ability to build 1D first-principles heat exchanger models in EES, MATLAB, or Python.
- High autonomy and output ownership, thriving in intense environments with tight timelines.
Preferred Qualifications
- Background in data center cooling, HVAC, or liquid cooling systems.
- Experience designing for metal additive manufacturing (L-PBF/SLM) with focus on constraints like powder removal and distortion.
- Familiarity with topology optimization or generative design tools applied to thermal problems.
- Degree from a leading thermal engineering program.
Technical Skills
- CFD modeling (STAR-CCM+, Ansys Fluent)
- Conjugate heat transfer (CHT) simulation
- 1D first-principles modeling (EES, MATLAB, Python)
- Topology optimization and generative design (nTop, PhysicsX)
- Heat exchanger design and analysis
- Additive manufacturing (L-PBF/SLM)
- CAD for thermal hardware
- Simulation-driven design optimization
- Physical validation testing
- Manufacturability for high-power thermal systems
Education & Certifications
PhD in Mechanical or Thermal Engineering with focus on thermal-fluid sciences required. Advanced degrees from top programs strongly preferred.
Compensation & Benefits
Competitive salary range of $175,000 - $225,000 based on experience, plus equity in a high-growth seed-stage company.