Thermal Hydraulic Fluids Engineer I & II

Airswift; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Airswift seeks a Thermal-Hydraulics Engineer II for Deployable Energy to support thermal-hydraulic analyses for nuclear energy programs, including helium and supercritical CO2 systems, under senior mentorship.

You will develop and document models, perform calculations, and contribute to design evaluations, verification, and licensing-quality documentation across reactor, heat-transport, and power-conversion domains.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required in a mechanical/nuclear/chemical/aerospace field.
• Experience with thermal-hydraulics, thermal-fluids, systems analysis, or safety-critical environments.
• Strong fundamentals in heat transfer, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, and engineering problem-solving.
• Ability to produce defensible, well-documented technical work with traceability.

Responsibilities

• Perform thermal-fluid and thermal-hydraulic calculations and analyses supporting nuclear engineering programs.
• Develop, execute, and document analytical, system-level, CFD, or multiphysics models under established methodologies and senior direction.
• Evaluate fluid-flow, heat-transfer, thermodynamic, steady-state, transient, sensitivity, and performance behavior for assigned systems and components.
• Support design evaluation, technical trade studies, optimization, testing, and multidisciplinary technical decision-making.
• Support verification, validation, benchmarking, uncertainty evaluation, and correlation against data.

Skills

Thermal-Hydraulics

Thermal-Fluids Engineering

Fluid Dynamics

Heat Transfer

Thermodynamics

Systems Analysis

Computational Modeling

Verification & Validation

Regulatory & Licensing Support

Helium & Supercritical CO2 Systems

Nuclear Safety Culture

Engineering Judgment

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Nuclear, Chemical, Aerospace Engineering, or related discipline

Advanced engineering degree or graduate coursework in a relevant discipline

Tools

CFD

Job description

THERMAL-HYDRAULICS ENGINEER II Deployable Energy Position Summary

Early to Mid-career technical professional responsible for supporting thermal-hydraulics and thermal-fluids engineering activities within a growing nuclear energy organization. Works with moderate guidance from senior technical personnel while taking ownership of defined calculations, analyses, models, documentation, and project-support deliverables. This role supports advanced-reactor and power-conversion applications involving helium and supercritical CO2 systems and contributes to disciplined engineering execution, technical problem-solving, verification and validation activities, and licensing-quality documentation while developing deeper capability under senior engineering mentorship.

Functional Scope

• Thermal-Hydraulics - Support analysis of fluid flow, pressure drop, heat removal, coolant behavior, and system response for reactor, heat‑transport, power‑conversion, and supporting systems.
• Thermal-Fluids Engineering - Apply heat transfer, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, and component-performance fundamentals to practical design and operating evaluations.
• Fluid Dynamics - Evaluate internal‑flow behavior including flow distribution, mixing, recirculation, compressible‑flow effects, and impacts on system performance.
• Heat Transfer - Support assessments of conduction, convection, radiation, heat‑exchanger performance, thermal margins, component temperatures, and heat‑rejection pathways.
• Thermodynamics - Apply first‑principles and systems‑level analysis to Brayton‑cycle, helium, supercritical CO2, and related power‑conversion applications.
• Systems Analysis - Model and evaluate integrated system behavior, operating envelopes, interfaces, performance limits, and interactions between reactor, heat transport, power conversion, and supporting systems.
• Engineering Modeling & Simulation - Develop, maintain, and check analytical, system‑level, CFD, or multiphysics models used to support design decisions and technical trade studies.
• Verification & Validation - Support model checking, benchmarking, sensitivity studies, test‑data correlation, uncertainty evaluation, and documentation of analysis credibility.

Key Responsibilities

• Perform thermal‑fluid and thermal‑hydraulic calculations and analyses supporting nuclear engineering programs.
• Develop, execute, and document analytical, system‑level, CFD, or multiphysics models under established methodologies and senior technical direction.
• Evaluate fluid‑flow, heat‑transfer, thermodynamic, steady‑state, transient, sensitivity, and performance behavior for assigned systems and components.
• Support design evaluation, technical trade studies, optimization activities, testing, and multidisciplinary technical decision‑making.
• Support verification, validation, benchmarking, uncertainty evaluation, and correlation against test or available operational data.
• Prepare controlled calculations, technical documentation, assumptions, model records, and review packages.
• Collaborate with reactor physics, mechanical, systems, safety, testing, and other engineering disciplines.
• Follow applicable engineering quality, safety, licensing‑support, configuration‑management, and document‑control requirements.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Nuclear, Chemical, Aerospace Engineering, or related discipline.
• Approximately 3-10 years of relevant technical experience in thermal‑hydraulics, thermal‑fluids, systems analysis, power generation, nuclear, aerospace, defense, or another safety‑critical engineering environment.
• Hands‑on experience performing engineering calculations, modeling, simulation, analysis, or technical evaluation within the assigned discipline.
• Solid technical fundamentals in heat transfer, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, and engineering problem‑solving.
• Ability to develop defensible technical work products with appropriate assumptions, methods, traceability, reviewability, and documentation quality.
• Ability to communicate clearly, collaborate across multidisciplinary teams, and operate effectively in a growing organization where processes and capabilities are still being developed.
• Demonstrated attention to detail, accountability, engineering judgment, and willingness to work within nuclear‑safety and quality expectations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced engineering degree or graduate coursework in a relevant discipline.
• Experience with thermal‑hydraulic systems analysis, CFD, complex systems modeling, or multiphysics analysis.
• Experience with helium‑cooled systems, supercritical CO2 power cycles, Brayton‑cycle systems, or related reactor thermal‑fluid applications.
• Experience with verification, validation, benchmarking, sensitivity studies, uncertainty evaluation, or correlation of analytical results against experimental or test data.
• Familiarity with regulatory‑review processes, licensing methods, nuclear‑quality requirements, or preparation of related technical bases.
• Direct nuclear‑industry experience or adjacent experience in another highly regulated, safety‑critical engineering environment.
• Exposure to technical process improvement, controlled calculations, configuration management, document control, or change‑control practices.

Core Competencies

• Thermal‑Hydraulics
• Thermal‑Fluids Engineering
• Fluid Dynamics
• Heat Transfer
• Thermodynamics
• Systems Performance Analysis
• Computational Modeling
• Verification & Validation
• Regulatory / Licensing Support
• Helium and Supercritical CO2 Thermal‑Fluid Systems
• Nuclear Safety Culture
• Engineering Judgment