Powertrain Thermal Engineer (Modeling , Simulation, GT-Suite)

Detroit Engineered Products; Michigan; On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Detroit Engineered Products is seeking a Vehicle Thermal Simulation Engineer to support the development, simulation, and optimization of vehicle thermal management systems.

The engineer will perform thermal and fluid-flow simulations, analyze vehicle thermal performance, correlate simulation results with physical testing, and work closely with design and engineering teams to deliver robust thermal solutions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or automotive engineering.
• Experience with vehicle thermal management, CFD, or CAE analysis.
• Strong understanding of thermodynamics, heat transfer, and cooling systems.
• Experience interpreting engineering drawings, specifications, and test data.

Responsibilities

• Perform vehicle thermal system simulations to evaluate cooling performance, heat transfer, temperature distribution, and thermal loads.
• Develop and maintain 1D and/or 3D thermal simulation models for vehicle thermal management systems.
• Analyze thermal performance of powertrain, battery, HVAC, cooling, exhaust, and other vehicle systems.
• Correlate simulation results with vehicle/component test data and identify areas for model improvement.
• Prepare simulation reports, technical presentations, and engineering documentation.

Skills

Vehicle Thermal Simulation

Thermal Management

CFD

CAE Analysis

Heat Transfer

Thermodynamics

Battery Thermal Management

EV Thermal Systems

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical/Automotive/Aerospace engineering or related field

Tools

GT-SUITE

GT-POWER

ANSYS Fluent

STAR-CCM+

Amesim

MATLAB/Simulink

Python

Job description

we are seeking a Vehicle Thermal Simulation Engineer to support the development, simulation, and optimization of vehicle thermal management systems. The engineer will perform thermal and fluid-flow simulations, analyze vehicle thermal performance, correlate simulation results with physical testing, and work closely with design and engineering teams to deliver robust thermal solutions.

Responsibilities

• Perform vehicle thermal system simulations to evaluate cooling performance, heat transfer, temperature distribution, and thermal loads.
• Develop and maintain 1D and/or 3D thermal simulation models for vehicle thermal management systems.
• Analyze thermal performance of powertrain, battery, HVAC, cooling, exhaust, and other vehicle systems.
• Conduct simulations for coolant flow, pressure drop, heat rejection, component temperatures, and thermal balance.
• Support development of EV and hybrid vehicle thermal-management systems, including battery thermal management.
• Correlate simulation results with vehicle/component test data and identify areas for model improvement.
• Perform simulation studies to support design optimization and troubleshooting of thermal systems.
• Work with design engineers to evaluate proposed hardware changes and their impact on thermal performance.
• Prepare simulation reports, technical presentations, and engineering documentation.
• Support design reviews, engineering investigations, and root-cause analysis of thermal issues.
• Collaborate with CFD, testing, controls, powertrain, battery, HVAC, and vehicle integration teams.
• Participate in development activities from concept through production release.
• Ensure simulation activities meet engineering requirements, project timing, and quality objectives.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Automotive Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
• Experience with vehicle thermal management, thermal simulation, CFD, or CAE analysis.
• Strong understanding of:
• Thermodynamics
• Heat transfer
• Thermal management
• Heat exchangers and cooling systems
• Experience developing and analyzing thermal simulation models.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, specifications, and test data.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Experience working in an automotive OEM or Tier-1 supplier environment is preferred.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with GT-SUITE / GT-POWER, Simcenter Amesim, ANSYS Fluent, STAR-CCM+, or similar CAE/thermal simulation tools.
• Experience with MATLAB/Simulink or Python for data analysis and automation.
• Experience with EV battery thermal management systems (BTMS).
• Knowledge of vehicle HVAC, coolant circuits, radiator/condenser systems, heat pumps, and powertrain cooling.
• Experience with simulation-to-test correlation and model validation.
• Familiarity with CAN data and vehicle test measurements.
• Knowledge of automotive thermal requirements and development processes.
• Experience with DOE, optimization, sensitivity analysis, and automated simulation workflows.

Key Skills

Vehicle Thermal Simulation | Thermal Management | CFD | CAE | Heat Transfer | Thermodynamics | Fluid Mechanics | Cooling Systems | Battery Thermal Management | EV Thermal Systems | GT-SUITE | GT-POWER | ANSYS Fluent | STAR-CCM+ | Amesim | MATLAB | Simulink | Simulation Correlation | Thermal Testing | Automotive Engineering

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Automotive Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience in automotive thermal simulation and vehicle thermal management, with the ability to build simulation models, interpret results, correlate models with physical testing, and work with cross-functional engineering teams to resolve complex thermal-performance issues.