Lead Propulsion Thermal Systems Engineer

Wabtec Corporation; Erie, Northern (Erie County, KY); Hybrid; USD 62,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Health benefits

Annual bonus

Job summary

Wabtec is seeking a Lead Engineer for Propulsion System Thermal Management to design, validate, and production-support locomotive ventilation and battery thermal systems. You will define requirements, select components, and lead analyses and testing to optimize reliability and performance.

The role requires 5+ years in thermal management, strong thermodynamics knowledge, CAD/CFD experience, and collaboration with multi-disciplinary teams to deliver cost-effective solutions across propulsion

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in thermal management, HVAC, fluid systems, or similar applications.
• Strong understanding of thermodynamics, heat transfer, fluid flow, and mechanical system design.
• Experience with CAD, engineering drawings, GD&T, DFMEA, and manufacturing-focused design practices.
• Familiarity with CFD, thermal analysis, and simulation tools.
• Experience with testing, validation, troubleshooting, and root cause analysis.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills with cross-functional teams and suppliers.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop ventilation and battery thermal management systems for locomotive and off-highway vehicle applications.
• Define airflow, thermal, hydraulic, mechanical, and packaging requirements for propulsion system thermal management equipment.
• Select and integrate components such as blowers, filters, ducting, heat exchangers, pumps, valves, and thermal management units.
• Perform thermal, airflow, hydraulic, and mechanical analyses to support design decisions and system optimization.
• Develop and execute component and system-level validation plans, including laboratory and locomotive testing.
• Analyze test results, troubleshoot issues, and lead root cause investigations and corrective actions.
• Collaborate with suppliers and cross-functional teams to support component development, qualification, and product launches.
• Support manufacturing, commissioning, field investigations, and continuous improvement initiatives to enhance reliability and reduce cost.

Skills

Thermal management

HVAC systems

Fluid systems

Mechanical design

CFD

Troubleshooting

Cross-functional collab

Education

Bachelor's/Master's in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

CAD

GD&T

DFMEA

CFD tools

Thermal analysis tools

Job description

Wabtec is seeking a Lead Engineer for Propulsion System Thermal Management to design, validate, and production-support locomotive ventilation and battery thermal systems. You will define requirements, select components, and lead analyses and testing to optimize reliability and performance.

The role requires 5+ years in thermal management, strong thermodynamics knowledge, CAD/CFD experience, and collaboration with multi-disciplinary teams to deliver cost-effective solutions across propulsion