Senior Thermal Engineer: Electronics Cooling for Systems

Anduril Industries; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 146,000 - 194,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity grants

Comprehensive benefits

Health coverage

Job summary

Anduril Industries in Costa Mesa, CA, seeks a Senior Thermal Engineer to own the thermal design of electronic assemblies across air, maritime, ground systems and wearables. You will apply heat transfer and fluid dynamics knowledge to develop robust thermal architectures and verify with prototype builds and tests.

Responsibilities include leading CFD/FEA analyses, defining operating conditions, collaborating with electrical and mechanical teams, and presenting results at reviews.

Qualifications

• MS or higher degree in mechanical, aerospace or a related field with a focus on heat transfer and fluid dynamics (BS with additional experience considered).
• In-depth understanding of heat transfer and fluid dynamics.
• 5+ years of experience designing thermal solutions for electronics or integrated hardware products.
• Practical experience with electronics cooling and packaging—component and board-level thermal management, TIMs, heat sinks, heat pipes, cold plates, and enclosure heat rejection.
• Practical experience designing both passive and active thermal management systems.
• Thermal testing experience—sensor selection, data acquisition, and data post-processing.
• Thermal FEA/CFD experience—STAR-CCM+, ANSYS, Icepak, or FloEFD.
• CAD experience with Siemens NX or SolidWorks.
• Passion for defending the United States and her allies.
• Be able to obtain and hold a U.S. Top Secret security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Own the thermal design and analysis of electronics—from board and component level up through enclosures and full assemblies for products across air vehicles, maritime and ground systems, and wearables/body‑worn devices.
• Use first principles as the basis for every decision and discern the right level of analysis to apply. Execute hand calculations, spreadsheets, and MATLAB/Python first‑order models to inform the path forward before jumping into detailed design.
• Define thermal architecture and heat‑rejection paths—conduction, natural and forced convection, cold plates, heat sinks, heat pipes, thermal interface materials, and coatings—to keep components within junction and touch‑temperature limits across demanding environments.
• Establish hot, cold, and edge‑case operating conditions for each platform based on industry standards and intended use, accounting for altitude and flight envelopes on air vehicles, salt fog and humidity in maritime environments, solar load and enclosed cabinets on ground systems, and human‑contact and comfort limits on wearables.
• Work with electrical, mechanical, and systems engineers to characterize and document component power dissipation under different operating modes.
• Communicate the pros and cons of system and packaging architectures with respect to thermal considerations, and drive trade studies that balance thermal margin against size, weight, and power.
• Own the thermal FEA/CFD models and predict system performance. Define red/yellow design limits for test and operation.
• Define and execute prototype builds and tests to verify thermal designs (do CAD, select sensors and DAQ equipment, post‑process data, summarize results, etc.).
• Present thermal status at formal reviews internally and with customers. Provide a clear understanding of timelines and technical status.
• Develop internal tools to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of analysis.
• Support failure reviews and root‑cause analysis with test data and thermal analysis.

Skills

Heat transfer & fluid dynamics

Thermal design for electronics

Thermal testing

Team collaboration with engineers

Education

MS in mechanical/aerospace engineering or related field

BS with additional experience considered

Tools

STAR-CCM+

ANYSYS

Icepak

FloEFD

Siemens NX

SolidWorks

Job description

Anduril Industries in Costa Mesa, CA, seeks a Senior Thermal Engineer to own the thermal design of electronic assemblies across air, maritime, ground systems and wearables. You will apply heat transfer and fluid dynamics knowledge to develop robust thermal architectures and verify with prototype builds and tests.

Responsibilities include leading CFD/FEA analyses, defining operating conditions, collaborating with electrical and mechanical teams, and presenting results at reviews.