Thermal Engineer

Yank Technologies, Inc. is a wireless power startup in Brooklyn, New York. We develop long-range, high power wireless charging technology. Safe. Simple. No contact required. With patented antenna and amplifier developments in resonant inductive technology, we provide a scalable solution for variable ranges of power and distances. We have multiple aerospace, military, mobility, and industrial customers for a range of applications, such as wirelessly charging robotic vehicles on the Moon and terrestrial industrial automation systems.

The Thermal Engineer will own thermal design across our product lines, from high-power electronics and wireless power hardware on the ground to systems that must operate in vacuum and survive extreme environments in space. The ideal candidate understands where heat is generated in power electronics, how it moves through devices, boards, and assemblies, and how to get it out, and can carry a thermal solution from analysis through design, build, and test.

This position requires an engineer who bridges mechanical and electrical hardware. Many of our thermal problems are set at the board and device level by layout, component selection, and loss budgets, so the candidate should be comfortable working directly with electrical engineers on PCBs and power stages, as well as designing the mechanical hardware, such as cold plates, heat sinks, and thermal straps, that rejects the heat. We are looking for an engineer with sound judgment who knows when a hand calculation is enough and when detailed simulation is warranted.

This role offers significant ownership and variety. The Thermal Engineer will serve as the team’s thermal lead, work closely with electrical, mechanical, and systems engineers, see designs go from concept to working hardware quickly, and play a key role in taking our technology from prototype toward flight and production readiness.

Competitive compensation includes a base salary, healthcare benefits, and stock options in the company.

The primary responsibilities of the Thermal Engineer are as follows:

• Own thermal architecture and design for power electronics and wireless power hardware, from device and board level through system-level heat rejection
• Develop thermal models ranging from hand calculations and resistor networks to detailed FEA and CFD, and use them to drive design decisions
• Design thermal hardware such as cold plates, heat sinks, heat spreaders, and thermal straps, including interface materials and electrical isolation
• Work with electrical engineers on PCB layout, component placement, thermal vias, board-level thermal strategies, and loss budgets to manage heat at the source
• Evaluate and apply thermal technologies such as heat pipes, vapor chambers, liquid cooling, conduction pathways, radiator fins, and thermoelectric coolers
• Plan and run thermal tests, including instrumentation and vacuum and environmental testing, and correlate models to measured data
• Develop thermal designs for space environments, including radiative heat rejection and survival through extreme cold
• Identify thermal risks early, such as eddy-current heating near magnetics and condensation on chilled hardware, and drive them to closure
• Participate in design reviews and produce clear documentation, analysis reports, and test reports
• Collaborate with electrical, mechanical, systems, and manufacturing teams on system-level integration and the transition from prototype to production

Qualifications Required

• Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, or Electrical Engineering, or a related field 
• 3+ years of full-time experience in thermal engineering for electronics hardware
• Demonstrated experience with thermal management of power electronics, such as power semiconductors, magnetics, and high-current assemblies
• Strong understanding of conduction, convection, and radiation heat transfer
• Proficiency with thermal analysis tools (e.g., Ansys, SolidWorks Simulation) and with hand calculations
• Mechanical design experience in SolidWorks or similar CAD software
• Hands-on experience building, instrumenting, and testing hardware
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• US Citizen or US Permanent Resident
• Ability to operate in a fast-paced environment, meet deadlines, and make effective and timely decisions
• Eagerness to learn new technologies and apply sound engineering to unfamiliar problems

Qualifications Preferred

• Master's Degree or PhD in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering
• Spacecraft or vacuum thermal experience, including radiative design, MLI, and thermal vacuum testing
• Experience with Thermal Desktop or similar spacecraft thermal analysis tools
• Prior experience in aerospace, automotive, industrial, or other demanding hardware applications
• Prior experience working in a startup
• Prior experience in wireless power or magnetics, including eddy-current and induction heating effects
• Portfolio of thermal designs and built projects