Senior Thermal Systems Engineer - Advanced Energy Hardware

Opportunity Summary Join a venture-backed energy technology company developing advanced power generation systems designed to meet growing global energy demands. This role will lead the design and performance development of critical thermal management hardware that directly impacts system efficiency, power output, and overall product scalability. Working closely with the founding engineering team, you will own the design, analysis, and validation of high-performance heat exchange systems operating in demanding thermal and pressure environments. This position combines thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, modeling, supplier management, and hardware execution as systems move from concept through testing and production. Location: Hawthorne, CA | On-site About Us We are an early-stage energy technology company focused on developing advanced power generation and conversion systems for future energy infrastructure. Our team brings together expertise across thermal systems, turbomachinery, manufacturing, and testing to develop scalable hardware capable of addressing growing global power demands. With active hardware development underway and significant technical milestones ahead, this is an opportunity to help shape foundational technology from the ground up. Job Duties Lead thermal and fluid system design of high-performance heat exchange hardware for a MW-scale energy platform Perform thermal sizing, pressure drop analysis, effectiveness calculations, and overall performance optimization Own steady-state and off-design performance predictions across a range of operating conditions Develop and maintain 1D thermal-hydraulic models to support system sizing and architecture decisions Perform CFD analysis to evaluate flow distribution, thermal performance, header design, and fluid uniformity Collaborate with systems, turbomachinery, structural, and manufacturing engineers to establish design requirements and interfaces Drive heat exchanger development from initial concept through fabrication, inspection, testing, and acceptance Manage technical interactions with suppliers, fabricators, and external partners Support prototype builds, commissioning activities, and hardware validation campaigns Correlate analytical models with test data and implement design improvements based on measured performance Qualifications Bachelor's degree or higher in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical field Strong foundation in heat transfer, thermodynamics, and fluid mechanics Experience designing, sizing, and analyzing heat exchanger systems Understanding of thermal-hydraulic performance prediction, pressure drop analysis, and heat transfer calculations Experience developing engineering models using thermal-fluid simulation tools and computational methods Proficiency with CFD analysis and thermal system modeling Experience supporting hardware development through fabrication, integration, or testing Strong communication skills and ability to collaborate across multidisciplinary engineering teams Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, hands-on engineering environment Preferred Experience Experience with advanced working fluids, supercritical systems, or high-pressure thermal processes Design of compact, high-effectiveness heat exchangers such as microchannel, plate-fin, or printed circuit architectures Additively manufactured thermal management hardware Air-cooled heat rejection systems and thermal management infrastructure Combustion-side thermal systems, fired heaters, or industrial heating equipment Structural, thermal stress, creep, or pressure boundary analysis of heat exchanger hardware Heat exchanger testing, validation, and model correlation activities Familiarity with applicable pressure vessel, thermal system, or heat exchanger design standards Startup or early-stage hardware development experience Why Join Us Join a venture-backed company tackling one of the most challenging problems in energy and power generation Own a critical subsystem that directly influences system performance, efficiency, and scalability Work alongside experienced founders and multidisciplinary engineering leaders Significant technical ownership and influence over product architecture Meaningful equity ownership Medical, dental, and vision insurance Fully stocked kitchen with snacks, coffee, and lunch Opportunity to help shape a growing engineering organization and future product roadmap Compensation Details $170,000 - $220,000 #J-18808-Ljbffr Approach Venture