Design Center Engineer

Design Center Engineer

Direct Hire

Salary depends on experience

Overview:

Responsible for supporting the design, modeling, and experimental validation of advanced thermal management systems for next-generation electronics cooling applications in data center, semiconductor test and aerospace and defense applications.

The role combines thermal system design, modeling, experimentation, and data science techniques, with a focus on enabling faster design cycles and improved system-level insight.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Support the design and development of thermal management systems, including liquid cooling, two-phase cooling, and heat exchanger-based architectures
• Cooling system design including cold plates, cooling distribution units (CDUs) and passive two-phase solutions (heat pipes and vapor chambers)
• Develop and apply thermal-fluid modeling tools (steady-state and transient) for system level performance prediction, including pressure drop, heat transfer, and coolant distribution
• Implement and use machine learning, AI and data-driven methods
• Support data center cooling system modeling, including rack-level and component-level thermal architecture analysis
• Conduct design of experiments (DOE) and support experimental testing, including instrumentation, data acquisition, and validation of models
• Create and maintain CAD models and engineering documentation (e.g., SolidWorks designs, P&IDs, drawings, and test plans)
• Assist in development of computational tools and simulation frameworks (Python, MATLAB) to support engineering decision-making and research activities
• Support prototype development and testbed construction, including integration of thermal systems and measurement capabilities
• Collaborate with senior engineers and researchers to: 1. Evaluate new cooling technologies, 2.
• Improve system efficiency and performance, and 3. Identify key design tradeoffs
• Contribute to technical documentation, reports, and presentations of results

Additional Responsibilities:

• Support component and material selection for thermal systems (heat exchangers, sensors, cooling loops)
• Assist in manufacturing and assembly support, including prototype builds and testing
• Understand and evaluate trade-offs between cost, performance, and scalability
• Participate in cross-functional collaboration with mechanical, electrical, and controls engineers

Experience / Qualifications:

• Master’s or PhD degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field
• Focus or coursework in heat transfer, fluid dynamics, or thermal systems required
• Laboratory experience
• Graduate research experience in thermal-fluid sciences or cooling technologies strongly preferred

Technical Skills:

Thermal & Fluid Systems:

• Two-phase cooling, electronics cooling, refrigeration/HVAC systems
• Heat exchanger design, boiling/condensation heat transfer

Modeling & Simulation:

• ANSYS (Fluent, Icepak, Mechanical) or similar CFD tools
• System-level thermal-fluid modeling

Data Science & Optimization:

• Machine learning surrogate modeling
• Data-driven engineering approaches

Programming:

• Python and/or MATLAB for modeling, simulation, and data analysis

Experimental Methods:

• DOE, instrumentation, DAQ, and experimental validation

Communications:

• Strong communications skills to facilitate knowledge sharing

Preferred Experience:

• Exposure to data center cooling or high-performance electronics thermal management
• Experience developing reduced-order or surrogate models for thermal systems
• Familiarity with optimization-driven design workflows
• Experience integrating modeling and experimental validation