Thermal Engineer

SwirlX, Inc.; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

SwirlX, Inc. in San Diego, CA is seeking a Thermal Engineer to develop and optimize thermal solutions for advanced data center cooling systems on site.

You will perform detailed thermal analysis, simulations, and design heat transfer concepts, integrate with mechanical, electrical, and systems engineers, and drive prototype testing. The role emphasizes data-driven iteration and thorough technical documentation.

Qualifications

• BS, MS, or PhD in Mechanical, Aerospace, Chemical Engineering, or a related thermal fluids field.
• Strong foundation in thermal engineering and analysis, including heat transfer and thermal system design.
• CFD experience in Fluent, StarCCM+, or CFX with CAD proficiency.
• Experience building and testing heat exchanger hardware and applying measured data to iterate designs.
• Ability to communicate complex concepts across multidisciplinary teams and to customers.

Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize thermal solutions for advanced data center cooling systems.
• Perform detailed thermal analysis and simulations.
• Design and evaluate heat transfer and thermal management concepts.
• Drive prototype development and testing.
• Own technical documentation and participate in design reviews; improve engineering processes.

Skills

Thermal engineering

CFD

Heat transfer

Data center cooling

Education

BS/MS/PhD in Mechanical, Aerospace, Chemical Engineering or related thermal fluids field

Tools

CFD: Fluent/StarCCM+/CFX

CAD software

Job description

SwirlX, Inc. is a stealth startup rethinking cooling for modern data centers. We are developing thermal management technology that improves energy efficiency and reliability in high density computing environments. The team works closely together to design, build, and test next generation cooling systems, with a strong emphasis on measured performance. Joining SwirlX is an opportunity to shape foundational technology in a fast growing sector and contribute to real world engineering outcomes.

The Thermal Engineer will work on site in San Diego, CA, full time, developing and optimizing thermal solutions for advanced data center cooling systems. Day to day responsibilities include detailed thermal analysis and simulation, designing and evaluating heat transfer and thermal management concepts, and driving prototype development and testing. The role involves working with mechanical, electrical, and systems engineers to integrate thermal designs into the broader product architecture, and interpreting test data to iterate designs based on measured performance. The Thermal Engineer will also own technical documentation, participate in design reviews, and improve engineering processes as the team scales.

Requirements

• BS, MS, or PhD in Mechanical, Aerospace, Chemical Engineering, or a related thermal fluids field
• Strong foundation in thermal engineering and thermal analysis of complex systems, including heat transfer fundamentals and thermal system design (modeling, simulation, and optimization of cooling architectures)
• CFD experience in Fluent, StarCCM+, or CFX, plus working proficiency in a mainstream CAD package
• Demonstrated experience building and testing physical heat exchanger or fluid machinery hardware, including laboratory instrumentation, test execution, and data analysis for thermal performance validation
• Evidence that you have changed a design based on measured data, and can explain why the first version was wrong
• Ability to work across a multidisciplinary team and explain technical concepts clearly to non specialists, including customers

Preferred Qualifications

• Thermal management experience with high power electronics or data center environments (CDU, direct to chip, single phase liquid loops)
• LPBF metal additive manufacturing or DfAM background
• Python for automation, DOE, or surrogate modeling
• Experience with SS316L post processing and surface roughness effects on internal flow
• Startup experience, meaning comfort owning a problem end to end without a defined process

Details

• Location: San Diego, CA. This is a hardware role and requires onsite presence.