Co-Op, Thermal Test Engineer, Fall 2026 (July-December)

Alloy Enterprises; Burlington (MA); On-site; USD 32,000 - 39,000; Full time

Job summary

Alloy Enterprises is seeking a hands-on Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Co-op to support our thermal test lab and product validation efforts. You will build, troubleshoot, and work directly with hardware to drive test data and inform development.

You will execute thermal and fluidic testing, develop setups, and collect high-quality data while collaborating with engineering and production teams on designs and process improvements.

Qualifications

• Pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related field.
• Strong hands‑on aptitude and interest in building and debugging physical systems.
• Basic understanding of heat transfer, thermodynamics, and fluid mechanics.
• Experience with lab equipment, instrumentation, or test setups (academic or internship).
• Ability to work independently and take ownership of tasks from setup through execution.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to repeatable, high-quality results.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Build, assemble, and maintain thermal and fluidic test setups (pumps, heat exchangers, sensors, plumbing, etc.).
• Execute testing on cooling plates and assemblies, including: Leak testing, Flow rate measurement, Pressure drop (ΔP) characterization, Thermal performance evaluation.
• Instrument test setups with thermocouples, pressure sensors, and flow meters.
• Collect, clean, and organize test data for analysis.
• Support development and refinement of standardized test methods.
• Troubleshoot test setups, fixtures, and data acquisition systems.
• Collaborate with engineering to evaluate new designs and process improvements.
• Assist in documenting results for internal reports and customer-facing materials.
• Help maintain lab organization, safety, and repeatability across test specimens.

Skills

Hands-on

Lab equipment experience

DAQ

Python data analysis

CAD tools (Onshape/SOLIDWORKS)

Thermal systems familiarity

Independent work

Clear communication

Education

Mechanical Engineering or Industrial Engineering (pursuing)

Tools

Onshape

SOLIDWORKS

Job description

Cooling performance limits high-power computing, semi-conductor fab, cell networks, photonics, power electronics, and most of our digital world. Alloy Enterprises enables customers to break through these constraints with novel complex metal components that dramatically improve heat dissipation in high-performance systems. Alloy’s patented Stack Forging™ process enables complex micro-geometries, resulting in single-piece, leak-tight parts that deliver superior cooling performance, lower pressure drops, and exceptional reliability. Founded in 2020, Alloy is a 45-person hardtech startup that has raised over $50M in capital and is shipping components to customers manufacturing servers, lasers, semiconductor equipment, and defense systems.

About the Role

We are looking for a hands-on Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Co-op to support our thermal test lab and product validation efforts. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys building, troubleshooting, and working directly with hardware.

You will work closely with engineering and production teams to execute thermal and fluidic testing, develop test setups, and generate high-quality data that informs both product development and customer deliverables. Strong communication, attention to detail, and a bias toward action are critical to success in this role.

What you will do:

• Build, assemble, and maintain thermal and fluidic test setups (pumps, heat exchangers, sensors, plumbing, etc.)
• Execute testing on cooling plates and assemblies, including:
  • Leak testing
  • Flow rate measurement
  • Pressure drop (ΔP) characterization
  • Thermal performance evaluation
• Instrument test setups with thermocouples, pressure sensors, and flow meters
• Collect, clean, and organize test data for analysis
• Support development and refinement of standardized test methods
• Troubleshoot test setups, fixtures, and data acquisition systems
• Collaborate with engineering to evaluate new designs and process improvements
• Assist in documenting results for internal reports and customer-facing materials
• Help maintain lab organization, safety, and repeatability across test specimens

What You’ll Bring

• Pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related field
• Strong hands‑on aptitude and interest in building and debugging physical systems
• Basic understanding of heat transfer, thermodynamics, and fluid mechanics
• Experience with lab equipment, instrumentation, or test setups (academic or internship)
• Ability to work independently and take ownership of tasks from setup through execution
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to repeatable, high-quality results
• Clear written and verbal communication skills

Preferred Experience:

• Experience with data acquisition systems (DAQ), sensors, or lab instrumentation
• Familiarity with Python, MATLAB, or similar tools for data analysis
• Experience with CAD tools (Onshape or SOLIDWORKS)
• Exposure to thermal systems, cooling loops, or fluid handling systems
• Previous co‑op, internship, or hands‑on project experience in a lab or manufacturing environment

*Pay Range: $23-28/hour dependent on experience, qualifications, and education level

Additional requirements

This position will require access to information subject to control under U.S. export control laws and regulations, including the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”) and International Traffic in Arms Regulations (“ITAR”). Please note that any offer for employment will be conditioned on authorization to receive controlled items without sponsorship for an export license.

Regarding Sponsorship

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa, including H-1B, H-1C, H-2A, H-2B, H-3, F-1 or OPT at this time.

Equal employment opportunity

We are committed to creating an equitable and inclusive environment for all our employees and seek to build a team that reflects the diversity of the people we hope to serve with our products. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.