Thermal Engineer (Aerospace)

TL;DR

Thermal Engineer (Aerospace): Developing and maintaining multi-physics thermal models for electric propulsion systems with an accent on heat transfer, flow physics, and FAA certification. Focus on designing high-performance thermal management systems, building engineering prototypes, and validating models through experimental test campaigns.

Location: San Jose, California, United States. Unable to provide work visa sponsorship for this position.

Salary: $172,000 - $225,000

Company

Aerospace company building all-electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to advance sustainable air mobility.

What you will do

• Develop and maintain multi-physics models for electric motors, inverters, thermal management systems, and power distribution.
• Lead trade studies to evaluate design alternatives and optimize overall propulsion system performance.
• Design high-performance thermal systems and build engineering prototypes to confirm performance.
• Plan and oversee execution of thermal test campaigns, including FAA certification testing.
• Collaborate with mechanical design teams for packaging and software teams for embedded thermal models.
• Analyze measured thermal data from aircraft to ensure performance requirements are met.

Requirements

• BS/MS/PhD in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering.
• 4+ years of experience in thermal design and simulation, preferably in aerospace or automotive sectors.
• Strong understanding of heat transfer (conduction, convection, radiation) and flow physics.
• Proficiency in MATLAB/Simulink and Python, including OOP and Git version control.
• Experience with StarCCM+, Ansys Fluent, and Ansys ICEpak.
• Must have valid authorization to work in the US.

Nice to have

• Prior experience with eVTOL aircraft.
• Familiarity with FAA certification basis (Part 23/25 or 27/29).
• Experience with CAD modeling systems like NX, CATIA, or Solidworks.
• Embedded microcontroller software development in C.
• Knowledge of HPC for parallelizing workflows.

Culture & Benefits

• Pay-for-performance reward culture.
• Commitment to a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace.
• Opportunity to solve hard problems in a cutting-edge aerospace domain.
• Inclusive environment that supports and celebrates all team members.