Turbomachinery Aerodynamicist — CFD & Impeller Design

Karman Industries

Founded in 2024 and headquartered in Gardena, California, Karman Industries is at the forefront of revolutionizing industrial thermal energy. Our mission is to electrify global thermal systems across data centers, manufacturing, and energy industries. Karman is developing the revolutionary Heat Processing Unit (HPU) to reinvent thermal handling for giga-scale data centers & AI factories. The HPU is built around a supercritical CO2 chiller system utilizing a high-speed electrically driven turbomachinery core. Our system aims to reduce energy consumption in data center thermal management by greater than 25% and increase energy density by 10x.

At Karman Industries, we are committed to fostering a dynamic and inclusive work environment where innovation thrives. Our team is composed of passionate professionals dedicated to making a tangible impact on the future of industrial manufacturing. Join us in our mission to transform the industry and contribute to a more sustainable world.

Turbomachinery Aerodynamicist

Karman Industries is seeking a highly skilled Turbomachinery Aerodynamicist to join our talented engineering team in Long Beach, CA. This role focuses on aerodynamic design, analysis, and performance modeling of centrifugal impellers and associated components (diffusers, seals, etc.) for high-speed turbomachinery systems. The ideal candidate has experience designing state-of-the-art compression and expansion stages, with a strong foundation in thermodynamics and fluid mechanics, expertise in CFD analysis, and experience developing 1D mean-line performance models in modern programming environments, including surge and stall margin prediction.

Responsibilities:

• Design and optimize compressor impellers, diffusers, and related flow paths to meet performance and operating range targets

• Perform CFD simulations for steady/unsteady flow

• Develop and maintain 1D mean-line performance models

• Automate performance evaluation and design optimization workflows

• Support testing to validate aerodynamic and mechanical performance

• Correlate experimental results with analytical predictions to continuously improve design tools and modeling processes for improved accuracy and efficiency

• Work closely with the mechanical design team to ensure structural integrity and manufacturability of impeller and associated components

• Work in a collaborative environment to ensure a stable codebase using Git workflows

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering (or related field); M.S. or Ph.D. preferred

• Strong fundamentals in thermodynamics and fluid mechanics, especially compressible flow

• Experience with design, analysis, and performance map modeling of centrifugal compressors in high-speed turbomachinery

• Ability to write 1D mean-line performance models in modern programming languages and integrate third party APIs and libraries

• Proficient with CFD tools (ANSYS CFX preferred) and CAD (NX preferred)

• 3+ years in turbomachinery aerodynamic design

Desired Skills and Experience:

• Familiarity with multi-stage compressor systems and system-level simulation and integration

• Ability to own mechanical analysis and optimization of aerodynamic components

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a first-principles, physics-based approach

• Ability to interpret complex flow fields and system-level interactions

• Excellent communication skills and ability to work cross-functionally

• Familiarity designing compression or expansion systems with supercritical or transcritical carbon dioxide as the working fluid

Compensation bands are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay is determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related skills, education, experience, technical capabilities and internal equity. In addition to base salary, for full-time hires, you may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of stock options, and access to medical, vision & dental coverage as well as access to a 401(k) retirement plan.

Karman Industries is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Karman Industries is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.