Sr. Mechatronics Engineer

Flint Hills Resources; Lisle (IL); On-site; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Koch Companies is seeking a skilled engineer to lead mechanical design, product validation, and manufacturing development of BoundaryCool thermal management solutions for the CAEPlus Phase I program. You will own detailed design of cold plates, active module integration geometry, and manufacturing drawings, driving from concept to prototype validation with CAEPlus founder and cross-functional team.

The role requires experience in mechatronics, electromechanical systems, and embedded control; you

Qualifications

• BS in Mechatronics or related engineering field is required.
• 3+ years of electromechanical system design and integration experience.
• Strong understanding of electromechanical and electromagnetic principles including actuator design and motor control.
• Experience with control systems, embedded controllers or PLC programming.
• Experience with PCB design and electrical-mechanical interface development.
• Experience taking electromechanical systems from concept to validated prototype.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop actuator systems for the thermal active cooling assembly.
• Apply EM principles to design and integration of active cooling mechanisms.
• Develop PCB electrical interface: pinout, power requirements, signal timing, and interface specs.
• Implement firmware and embedded controller performance for active cooling electronics.
• Develop controller system (PLC-type) for the active thermal management control node.
• Create block diagrams for open-loop and closed-loop control of thermal and actuator systems.
• Set up EMI testing and VNA measurements with the Electrical Engineer.
• Integrate mechanical, electrical, and software subsystems into a validated active module assembly.
• Collaborate on housing geometry and mechanical integration.
• Support manufacturing: define assembly procedures, tooling, and QC criteria.
• Troubleshoot and iterate through prototype build/test cycles.

Education

BS in Mechatronics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Systems Engineering

Tools

Altium

Cadence

Oscilloscope

Function generator

Power supply

PCB design

Embedded programming

Job description

As part of Molex's strategic investment in CAEPlus and the ongoing development of next-generation AI data center thermal management solutions, this position will operate in a unique collaboration model between the two organizations. While employed by Molex and receiving all Molex employment benefits, the successful candidate will work closely with the CAEPlus team and focus primarily on advancing CAEPlus technologies, products, and innovation initiatives. This role offers the entrepreneurial environment of a growing technology venture combined with the resources, stability, and engineering expertise of a global industry leader.

This role leads the mechanical design, product validation, and manufacturing development of BoundaryCool™ thermal management solutions for the CAEPlus Phase I program. The engineer will own the detailed design of cold plates, active module integration geometry, and manufacturing drawings — driving the full product development lifecycle from concept through prototype validation. Working directly with the CAEPlus founder and cross-functional program team, this individual will apply expertise across precision machining, materials, and thermal hardware design to bring a breakthrough active cooling platform to market.

What You Will Do

• Design and develop the actuator systems for the thermal active cooling assembly of cold plates and related thermal solutions
• Apply electromechanical and electromagnetic engineering principles to the design and integration of active cooling mechanismsDevelop and integrate the PCB electrical interface, including connector pinout, power requirements, signal timing, and electrical-mechanical interface specifications
• Implement and validate embedded control firmware performance for the active cooling electronics system, including control drivers, sensor data acquisition, and thermal performance feedback loop
• Develop a controller system (PLC-type or equivalent) for the active thermal management control node (TCN)
• Develop block diagrams for open-loop and closed-loop control systems (OLS and CLS) for thermal and actuator control applications
• Set up and conduct electromagnetic compatibility testing, including Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) characterization and Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) measurements in collaboration with the Electrical Engineer
• Integrate mechanical, electrical, and software subsystems into a validated active module assembly
• Collaborate with the Mechanical Design Engineer on active module housing geometry and mechanical integration
• Support manufacturing of active cooling components, define assembly procedures, tooling requirements, and quality acceptance criteria
• Troubleshoot and iterate on system performance through prototype build and test cycles

Who You Are (Basic Qualifications)

• BS in Mechatronics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Systems Engineering
• 3+ years of electromechanical system design and integration experience
• Strong understanding of electromechanical and electromagnetic principles including actuator design and motor control
• Experience designing electromechanical and electromagnetic actuation systems, including solenoids, inductor coils, electric motors, and related drive electronics
• Experience with control systems, feedback loops, and embedded controller or PLC programming
• Experience using electronic measurement equipment including oscilloscope, DC power supply, function/waveform generator, and related bench instruments
• Experience with Python or MATLAB-Simulink for system modeling and control algorithm development
• Experience with PCB design and electrical-mechanical interface development
• Experience taking electromechanical systems from concept to validated prototype

What Will Put You Ahead

• Experience with PCB layout tools (Altium, Cadence, or equivalent)
• Ability to develop and debug embedded firmware (C, C++, or equivalent)
• Familiarity with thermal management applications and liquid cooling system integration

For this role, we anticipate paying $100,000 - $130,000 per year. This role is eligible for variable pay, issued as a monetary bonus or in another form.

At Koch companies, we are entrepreneurs. This means we openly challenge the status quo, find new ways to create value and get rewarded for our individual contributions. Any compensation range provided for a role is an estimate determined by available market data. The actual amount may be higher or lower than the range provided considering each candidate's knowledge, skills, abilities, and geographic location. If you have questions, please speak to your recruiter about the flexibility and detail of our compensation philosophy.

Hiring Philosophy

All Koch companies value diversity of thought, perspectives, aptitudes, experiences, and backgrounds. We are Military Ready and Second Chance employers. Learn more about our hiring philosophy here .

Who We Are

At Koch, employees are empowered to do what they do best to make life better. Learn how our business philosophy helps employees unleash their potential while creating value for themselves and the company.

Our goal is for each employee, and their families, to live fulfilling and healthy lives. We provide essential resources and support to build and maintain physical, financial, and emotional strength - focusing on overall wellbeing so you can focus on what matters most. Our benefits plan includes - medical, dental, vision, flexible spending and health savings accounts, life insurance, ADD, disability, retirement, paid vacation/time off, educational assistance, and may also include infertility assistance, paid parental leave and adoption assistance. Specific eligibility criteria is set by the applicable Summary Plan Description, policy or guideline and benefits may vary by geographic region. If you have questions on what benefits apply to you, please speak to your recruiter.

Additionally, everyone has individual work and personal needs. We seek to enable the best work environment that helps you and the business work together to produce superior results.

Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and protected veteran status. Except where prohibited by state law, some offers of employment are conditioned upon successfully passing a drug test. This employer uses E-Verify.