Senior Project Engineer - HVAC Design & Development Hybrid

U.S. Water Heating; Fort Smith (AR); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Hybrid work arrangement

Job summary

Rheem North America in Fort Smith, AR, is seeking a Project Engineer III (Design & Development) to drive the design, development, and validation of commercial rooftop packaged and split HVAC&R systems. The role focuses on system modeling, prototyping, testing, and cost-improvement efforts across the product life cycle.

The ideal candidate has 5+ years in HVAC&R development, hands-on lab experience, and strong skills in thermo-fluid analysis, control strategies, and phase-gate project management.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related field.
• 5+ years in HVAC&R product development with phase-gate processes.
• Experience validating HVAC systems with inverter-driven components.
• Strong thermo-fluid analysis and design optimization experience.
• Hands-on lab experience in development environments preferred.
• Proficient in data analysis and reporting for projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of next-gen rooftop and split HVAC products.
• Drive projects from concept through launch using phase-gate process.
• Perform thermo-fluid analysis with tools and simulations.
• Coordinate with Sourcing, Manufacturing, Quality, and Finance.
• Design and select components for HVAC integration and performance.
• Plan concept and validation testing to verify reliability and standards.
• Document findings, create reports, and manage project scope.

Skills

HVAC&R product development

Phase-gate development

Thermo-fluid modeling

Lab prototyping & testing

Project leadership

Data analysis & statistics

MS Office familiarity

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Chemical, or Aerospace Engineering

Tools

Creo

Solidworks

Pro/E

FEA

CFD

Job description

Rheem North America in Fort Smith, AR, is seeking a Project Engineer III (Design & Development) to drive the design, development, and validation of commercial rooftop packaged and split HVAC&R systems. The role focuses on system modeling, prototyping, testing, and cost-improvement efforts across the product life cycle.

The ideal candidate has 5+ years in HVAC&R development, hands-on lab experience, and strong skills in thermo-fluid analysis, control strategies, and phase-gate project management.