Thermal Systems Engineer, Electric Propulsion

Archer; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 172,000 - 225,000; Full time

Job summary

Archer is seeking a Senior Thermal Engineer in San Jose, CA to develop and validate propulsion thermal models for an all-electric aircraft. You will design high-performance cooling solutions, run multi-physics analyses, and lead FAA-related thermal testing to verify performance.

You will collaborate with mechanical, software, and controls teams, build prototypes, and document results with clear engineering rationale to inform design decisions.

Qualifications

• BS / MS / PhD in Mechanical Engineering or Aerospace Engineering.
• 4+ years in thermal design and simulation in aerospace or automotive sectors.
• Strong heat transfer and flow physics knowledge: conduction, convection, radiation.
• Experience with power electronics, heat exchangers, and gearboxes.
• Proficient in MATLAB/Simulink and Python; Git version control.
• Experience with StarCCM+, Ansys Fluent, ICEpak and thermal tools.
• Ability to communicate complex technical rationale to multidisciplinary teams.
• Experience with lumped-parameter thermal networks, reduced-order modeling, Kalman filters.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain models for electric motors, inverters, thermal management, gearboxes, and power distribution.
• Create integrated multi-physics models coupling electrical, thermal, mechanical, and controls domains.
• Inform design decisions via analysis; lead trade studies for thermal solutions.
• Design high-performance thermal systems and build prototypes to verify performance.
• Build thermal test setups to measure temperatures, flowrates, and pressures.
• Plan and oversee thermal test campaigns, including FAA-related testing.
• Collaborate with engineers to define thermal boundary requirements and package within constraints.
• Coordinate with mechanical design to fit within vehicle volume and mass limits.
• Work with software/controls to develop embedded thermal models and observers.
• Document rationale, methodologies, and test results clearly.

Skills

Thermal design

Multiphysics modeling

MATLAB/Simulink

Python

Heat transfer fundamentals

Control theory basics

Kalman filters

Problem solving

Communication skills

Education

BS / MS / PhD in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering

Tools

StarCCM+

Ansys Fluent

Ansys ICEpak

Thermal analysis packages

Job description

Archer is seeking a Senior Thermal Engineer in San Jose, CA to develop and validate propulsion thermal models for an all-electric aircraft. You will design high-performance cooling solutions, run multi-physics analyses, and lead FAA-related thermal testing to verify performance.

You will collaborate with mechanical, software, and controls teams, build prototypes, and document results with clear engineering rationale to inform design decisions.