Thermal Architect: Electronics Cooling for Defense

Anduril Industries, Inc.; Costa Mesa, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 129,000 - 171,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive benefits

Security clearance support

Job summary

Anduril Industries in Costa Mesa, CA seeks a Thermal Engineer to lead thermal design for electronics across air, maritime, ground systems, and wearables. You will own the thermal architecture, perform first-principles analyses, develop CFD/FEA models, and drive prototypes and testing to validate performance in harsh environments.

The role requires an MS in a related field, 2–4 years of hands-on experience, and the ability to obtain a U.S. Top Secret clearance.

Qualifications

• MS or higher in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, applied physics, or related field with focus on heat transfer and fluid dynamics
• In-depth understanding of heat transfer and fluid dynamics fundamentals
• 2-4 years of experience in thermal design, analysis, or testing for electronics or integrated hardware
• Familiarity with electronics cooling concepts (TIMs, heat sinks, heat pipes, enclosures)
• Exposure to thermal testing (sensor selection, data acquisition, post-processing)
• Experience with at least one thermal FEA/CFD tool (STAR-CCM+, ANSYS, Icepak, FloEFD, COMSOL)
• CAD experience with Siemens NX, SolidWorks, or equivalent
• Be able to obtain and hold a U.S. Top Secret security clearance
• Passion for defending the United States and allies
• Preferred: Python or MATLAB for thermal analysis
• Exposure to multiple product classes; defense standards familiarity

Responsibilities

• Own the thermal design and analysis of electronics from board level to enclosures across product lines
• Use first principles and MATLAB/Python first-order models before detailed design
• Define thermal architecture and heat-rejection paths to meet temperature limits
• Establish operating conditions for platforms considering altitude, humidity, solar load, and human contact
• Collaborate with electrical, mechanical, and systems engineers on power dissipation
• Present thermals trade studies balancing margin against size, weight, and power
• Own thermal FEA/CFD models and set design limits for tests
• Execute prototype builds and testing, post-process data, and summarize results
• Present thermal status at reviews and with customers
• Develop internal tools to improve analysis efficiency
• Support failure reviews with data and thermal analysis

Skills

Heat transfer

Fluid dynamics

Thermal design

FEM/CFD tools

CAD experience

Education

MS in mechanical/ Aerospace/ related field

Tools

STAR-CCM+

ANSYS

Icepak

FloEFD

COMSOL

Siemens NX

SolidWorks

Job description

Anduril Industries in Costa Mesa, CA seeks a Thermal Engineer to lead thermal design for electronics across air, maritime, ground systems, and wearables. You will own the thermal architecture, perform first-principles analyses, develop CFD/FEA models, and drive prototypes and testing to validate performance in harsh environments.

The role requires an MS in a related field, 2–4 years of hands-on experience, and the ability to obtain a U.S. Top Secret clearance.