CFD Engineer (CAE) – Propulsion and Battery Systems

General Motors; Warren (MI); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work arrangement

Relocation benefits

Job summary

General Motors is seeking a CFD Engineer focusing on propulsion and battery systems. You will lead DFMEA-driven 3D CFD analyses to optimize thermal performance across cells, modules, and packs, with emphasis on safety and reliability of high-voltage systems.

The role requires deep knowledge of heat transfer, fluid mechanics, and 3D CFD tools, plus experience in propulsion-related engineering. Hybrid work style and relocation support are available to qualified candidates.

Qualifications

• BS in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering or closely related field.
• 5+ years of experience with propulsion-related system simulation, design, testing, or release.
• Hands-on experience with STAR-CCM+, Simerics-MP+, Fluent or equivalent CFD tools.
• Understanding of heat transfer and fluid mechanics in engineering systems.
• Familiarity with vehicle propulsion system design, operation, or testing.

Responsibilities

• Perform DFMEA-aligned 3D CFD analysis focusing on high-voltage battery systems and power electronics to identify and mitigate thermal failure modes at cell, module, pack, and system levels.
• Simulate and quantify battery Thermal Runaway Propagation, venting gas dynamics, and safety physics under severe abuse scenarios to validate DFMEA mitigation designs.
• Lead thermal risk assessments during early architecture definition using rapid CFD trade studies to eliminate high-risk failure modes before design freeze.
• Correlate virtual failure mode predictions with physical test data to ensure simulation fidelity and reliability margins.
• Communicate analysis plans, assumptions, and results to stakeholders via presentations, reports, and design reviews.
• Meet timing, quality, and cost targets within structured product development processes.
• Participate in benchmarking and advanced methods activities to improve GM’s virtual CFD capabilities.

Skills

CFD simulations

DFMEA-driven analysis

High-voltage battery systems

Thermal management

3D CFD software

Education

BS in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering

Tools

STAR-CCM+

Simerics-MP+

Fluent

Job description

Role

As a CFD Engineer – Propulsion and Battery Systems, you will lead DFMEA-driven 3D Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis at the component, subsystem, and system level to optimize thermal performance and system reliability across GM propulsion systems. Operating within a DFMEA-centric environment, you will use virtual engineering to identify failure modes, evaluate severity/occurrence risks, and drive robust risk mitigation strategies for propulsion systems, specifically battery and power electronics thermal performance, durability and safety requirements.

Work Arrangement

Hybrid work position: This position does not require an employee to be on-site full-time to perform most effectively. The employee’s role enables them to work at a GM facility or off-site as frequently as needed or desired.

Primary Responsibilities

• Perform DFMEA-aligned 3D CFD analysis focusing on high-voltage battery systems and power electronics to identify and mitigate critical thermal failure modes at the cell, module, pack, and system level.
• Simulate and quantify battery Thermal Runaway Propagation (TRP), venting gas dynamics, and safety physics under severe abuse scenarios to validate DFMEA mitigation designs, barrier integrity, and failure containment controls.
• Lead thermal risk assessments during early architecture definition and concept selection using rapid CFD trade studies to eliminate high-risk failure modes prior to design freeze.
• Correlate virtual failure mode predictions with physical test and validation data to ensure simulation fidelity in predicting real-world failure thresholds and reliability margins.
• Clearly and effectively communicate analysis plans, assumptions, and results to internal and external stakeholders using presentations, reports, and design reviews.
• Meet or exceed timing, quality, and cost targets within structured product development processes.
• Participate in and/or lead benchmarking and advanced methods activities to continuously improve GM’s virtual engineering capabilities in CFD and multi-physics analysis.

Required Skills And Experience

• 5+ years of experience with simulation, design, testing, or release of propulsion-related systems (e.g., engines, transmissions, e-drive units, batteries, power electronics, thermal management systems).
• Hands-on experience with at least one commercial 3D CFD software package (e.g., STAR-CCM+, Simerics-MP+, Fluent, or equivalent).
• Demonstrated understanding of heat transfer and fluid mechanics (conduction, convection, radiation, pressure loss, turbulence, etc.) applied to real engineering systems.
• Familiarity or practical experience with vehicle propulsion system design, operation, or testing.
• BS in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering (or closely related field) required.

Preferred Skills And Experience

• 5+ years of advanced experience with 3D CFD thermal and fluid analysis specialized for battery pack and module systems.
• Experience in modeling battery Thermal Runaway Propagation (TRP) and gas venting dynamics under severe thermal abuse and cell failure conditions.
• Experience with electro-thermal multi-physics coupling, integrating electrochemical heat generation models with 3D CFD for cell characterization, module, and pack simulations.
• Expertise in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and Reduced Order Modeling (ROM) for rapid thermal prediction, digital twins, and real-time CFD surrogate modeling.

GM does not provide immigration-related sponsorship for this role. Do not apply for this role if you will need GM immigration sponsorship now or in the future. This includes direct company sponsorship, entry of GM as the immigration employer of record on a government form, and any work authorization requiring a written submission or other immigration support from the company (e.g., H1-B, OPT, STEM OPT, CPT, TN, J-1, etc). This role is categorized as hybrid. This means the selected candidate is expected to report to a specific location at least 3 times a week {or other frequency dictated by their manager}. Relocation benefits are available for candidates who qualify under company policy.

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