Lead Engineer - Thermal Management and Systems – GE Aerospace Research

GE Aerospace; Town of Niskayuna (NY); On-site; USD 90,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare benefits

Tuition assistance

Relocation assistance

Annual discretionary bonus

Job summary

A leading aerospace company located in Niskayuna is seeking a Lead Engineer focused on Thermal Management and Systems. This role involves designing and validating innovative power and thermal management systems. The ideal candidate holds a doctorate or master's degree in Aerospace or Mechanical disciplines with experience in thermal management, and is capable of effective collaboration in a multidisciplinary team. Strong knowledge in heat transfer and fluid mechanics is essential. Compensation ranges from $90,000 – $175,000 annually, with benefits including healthcare and relocation assistance.

Qualifications

• Doctorate degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, or related discipline with 3 years of experience or Master's with 6 years.
• Knowledge in thermal management related discipline such as heat transfer, fluid mechanics, and controls.
• Experience in thermal/energy management systems and/or component development.

Responsibilities

• Develop innovative solutions to control thermal loads in aerospace systems.
• Collaborate with GE product engineers and external partners.
• Utilize modeling and simulation to validate power and thermal management systems.

Skills

Heat transfer

Fluid mechanics

Mechanical design

Electrical systems

Controls

Systems engineering

Education

Doctorate degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, or related discipline

Master's degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, or related discipline

Tools

MATLAB Simulink

ANSYS

Fluent

Python

EES

Job description

Lead Engineer - Thermal Management and Systems – GE Aerospace Research

Located in Niskayuna, New York, central to the New York Capital District, GE Aerospace Research builds on GE’s 125+ years of industrial research heritage, tackling the most challenging engineering problems through multi-disciplinary teams to deliver innovative technologies.

As a Lead Engineer in the Thermal Management and Systems Laboratory, you work individually and in teams to contribute to the design and validation of power and thermal management systems and systems‑of‑systems; the design and development of thermal management components; the fabrication and testing of thermal management components; and the integration and testing of power and thermal management systems.

Essential Responsibilities

• Apply knowledge of heat transfer, fluid mechanics, mechanical design, electrical systems, controls, or systems engineering to develop innovative solutions to control thermal loads in complex aerospace systems such as gas turbine primary and secondary systems, power distribution and other electrical systems, and avionics.
• Collaborate in a multidisciplinary team of GE product engineers, GE Aerospace Research team members, and external partners to invent and mature the next generation of power and thermal management technology.
• Utilize experience in modeling, simulation, and/or experimentation to characterize and validate novel power and thermal management components and systems.
• Contribute to the development and writing of internal and external proposals.
• Establish and grow an external network of collaborators in academia, government, and industry.
• Patent inventions and develop a record of publication via conferences and peer‑reviewed journals.

Required Qualifications

• Doctorate degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, or related discipline with 3 years of experience OR Master’s degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, or related discipline with 6 years experience.
• Fundamental knowledge in a thermal management related discipline such as heat transfer, fluid mechanics, mechanical design, electrical systems, controls, or systems engineering.
• Experience in thermal/energy management systems and/or component development.
• Ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary team.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain US Government Security Clearance; prerequisite for a security clearance is U.S. citizenship.
• Must be willing to work out of an office located in Niskayuna, NY.
• Submit application for employment on the careers page at careers.geaerospace.com to be considered.

Desired Characteristics

• 6+ years of work experience in an industrial or laboratory setting; knowledge of propulsion applications, hybrid‑electric systems, electronics cooling, space power, or high‑speed flight vehicles; excellent communication skills and ability to interface with senior leaders and customers with clarity and confidence.
• In-depth knowledge of system modeling and/or systems‑of‑systems modeling; experience implementing system models in NPSS, MATLAB Simscape, MATLAB Simulink, Modelica, PROOSIS, GT‑Suite, or similar tools; familiarity with System Engineering Principles and requirements management; knowledge of AI/ML methods as applied to system optimization, data reduction and reduced order modeling, and predictive methods; knowledge of model verification and validation, model calibration, and uncertainty quantification.
• In-depth knowledge of component analysis and design; familiarity with the application of computational fluid mechanics tools such as Fluent, CFX, OpenFOAM, etc.; familiarity with mechanical and thermal stress analysis tools such as ANSYS, COMSOL, etc.; experience developing custom engineering models in languages such as EES, MATLAB, Python, Fortran, C++, etc.
• Experience testing components and/or fluid‑thermal systems; familiarity with component level design, fabricating, and testing; familiarity with the design, fabrication, commissioning, and operation of fluid‑thermal systems and their associated test enabling sub‑systems; experience with data acquisition hardware and software, such as NI LabVIEW, DEWESoft, Cyres, and process PLCs; experience specifying, installing, calibrating, and troubleshooting common instrumentation for mechanical, fluid, and electrical systems; experience with data reduction and visualization using commercial packages or custom scripts in MATLAB, Python, Fortran, C++, etc.

Base Pay and Benefits

The base pay range for this position is $90,000 – $175,000 USD annually. The specific pay offered may be influenced by a variety of factors, including the candidate’s experience, education, and skill set. This position is also eligible for an annual discretionary bonus based on a percentage of your base salary. The posting is expected to close on February 28, 2026.

Healthcare benefits include medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug coverage; access to a Health Coach, a 24/7 nurse‑based resource; and access to the Employee Assistance Program. Retirement benefits include the GE Retirement Savings Plan, a tax‑advantaged 401(k) savings opportunity with company matching contributions and company retirement contributions, and access to Fidelity resources and planning consultants.

Other benefits include tuition assistance, adoption assistance, paid parental leave, disability insurance, life insurance, and paid time‑off for vacation or illness.

Relocation assistance: Yes.

Additional Information

GE Aerospace offers a great work environment, professional development, challenging careers, and competitive compensation. GE Aerospace is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.

GE Aerospace will only employ those who are legally authorized to work in the United States for this opening. Any offer of employment is conditioned upon the successful completion of a drug screen (as applicable).