CFD Engineer

GTI Fabrication

Buffalo, New York

JOB DETAILS
SALARY
$95,724–$132,880 Per Year
SKILLS
Acoustics, Alternative Energy, Analysis Skills, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Assembly Equipment, Best Practices, Bill of Materials (BOM), CAD/CAM (Computer-Aided Design/Computer-Aided Manufacturing), Channel Support, Continuous Improvement, Contract Manufacturing, Cross-Functional, Customer Retention/Renewal, Customer Support/Service, Data Analysis, Dental Insurance, Electrical Engineering, Electricity, Electronics, Engineering Drawing, Fluid Mechanics and Dynamics, HVAC, Heat Exchanger, Heat Transfer, Leadership, Manufacturing, Manufacturing Design, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Design, Mechanical Engineering, Mentoring, Model Validation, Network Operations Center, Performance Analysis, Power Generation, Product Development, Product Testing, Product/Service Launch, Prototyping, Regulatory Compliance, Root Cause Analysis, Safety/Work Safety, Sheet Metal Design, SolidWorks Simulation (fka Cosmos FEA), Strategic Planning, Structural Engineering, Switchgear, System Integration (SI), System Validation, Systems Administration/Management, Systems Analysis, Systems Engineering, Systems Scalability, Team Player, Technical Analysis, Technical Leadership, Technical Support, Test Data, Test Requirements, Testing, Thermal Analysis, Thermal Management, Vendor/Supplier Selection, Vision Plan
LOCATION
Buffalo, New York
POSTED
30+ days ago
GTI is a contract manufacturing partner supporting customers in renewable energy, power generation, infrastructure, and industrial systems.
 
We fabricate custom designed, purpose-built enclosures and skids for our customers and perform mechanical and electrical integration in-house, delivering a true turn-key product to our customers. Our scope spans Engineering, prototype builds, through full production, requiring teams that can move fast, adapt, and execute with precision.
 
GTI Values: Safey I Quality I Customer Obsession I Speed I Agility 

Key Responsibilities

CFD Modeling & Thermal Analysis

  • Lead CFD analysis and thermal modeling activities for enclosed industrial systems and modular infrastructure products
  • Develop airflow simulations for BESS enclosures, modular data centers, power electronics, electrical rooms, and integrated equipment platforms
  • Analyze airflow distribution, pressure drop, temperature gradients, recirculation zones, hot spots, and thermal rejection performance
  • Validate system performance under worst-case operating and ambient conditions
  • Optimize thermal architectures to improve cooling efficiency, reliability, acoustics, and manufacturability

Cooling System Design & Airflow Management

  • Design and integrate cooling systems based on actual equipment heat loads and operational requirements
  • Develop enclosure airflow strategies including intake/exhaust placement, ducting, baffles, plenums, circulation paths, and pressure balancing
  • Select and integrate off-the-shelf cooling equipment including HVAC units, heat exchangers, fans, chillers, and thermal management systems
  • Design for real-world operating environments including dust, humidity, vibration, solar loading, and extreme ambient conditions
  • Ensure designs meet thermal performance targets without excessive cost, noise, or packaging complexity

Mechanical System Design & Product Development

  • Support mechanical packaging and enclosure design activities related to thermal system integration
  • Coordinate thermal system layouts with structural, electrical, and manufacturing constraints
  • Develop CAD models, engineering drawings, and BOMs supporting thermal and mechanical integration
  • Ensure designs support manufacturability, serviceability, maintenance access, and production scalability

Testing, Validation & Product Performance

  • Support prototype testing, heat runs, thermal validation, and system troubleshooting activities
  • Correlate CFD models with physical testing data and refine simulations accordingly
  • Analyze field performance data to identify opportunities for thermal improvement
  • Participate in Root Cause Analysis for overheating, airflow imbalance, thermal failures, or reliability concerns

Cross-Functional Engineering Collaboration

  • Partner closely with Electrical Engineering, Structural Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, NPI, and Operations teams
  • Support customer technical discussions related to cooling performance and thermal design strategy
  • Work with manufacturing teams to ensure thermal solutions align with fabrication and assembly capabilities
  • Support supplier selection and technical evaluation of cooling system components and technologies

Design for Manufacturing (DFM) & Continuous Improvement

  • Drive DFM initiatives focused on scalable thermal system integration and assembly efficiency
  • Reduce unnecessary complexity while maintaining thermal performance and reliability targets
  • Standardize cooling architectures, airflow strategies, and thermal design methodologies where appropriate
  • Contribute to engineering standards, calculation templates, and best practices for CFD and thermal analysis

Technical Leadership

  • Serve as a subject matter expert for CFD analysis, airflow management, and thermal systems engineering
  • Mentor junior engineers and support development of internal thermal engineering capability
  • Influence system-level product architecture and cooling strategies across multiple programs

Requirements

Required Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related engineering discipline
  • 6–12+ years of experience in thermal systems engineering, CFD analysis, or mechanical product development
  • Strong hands-on experience performing CFD analysis for enclosed industrial systems or thermal-critical products
  • Experience sizing cooling systems based on actual heat loads and thermal performance requirements

Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience supporting BESS, modular data centers, power systems, or energy infrastructure products
  • Experience validating CFD models through physical testing and heat-run correlation
  • Background in enclosure design, sheet metal, weldments, or industrial packaging
  • Familiarity with UL requirements, environmental testing, and thermal compliance standards
  • Experience operating in high-growth manufacturing or engineered-to-order environments
  • Master’s degree with concentration in thermal sciences, heat transfer, or fluid dynamics preferred
  • Experience designing cooling systems for battery systems, power electronics, industrial skids, generator enclosures, modular data centers, switchgear, or similar equipment
  • Strong understanding of airflow management within enclosed systems
  • Experience with CFD tools such as ANSYS Fluent, Icepak, 6SigmaET, SolidWorks Flow Simulation, or similar platforms
  • Strong understanding of mechanical integration, manufacturability, and enclosure packaging constraints

Benefits & Perks

GTI Energy offers a competitive compensation and benefits package designed to support employees and their families while providing long-term career growth opportunities within a fast-growing manufacturing organization. Benefits may include:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) with company match (where applicable)
• Paid Time Off (PTO) and paid holidays
• Sick time in accordance with state and local requirements
• Company-paid life insurance and disability coverage
• Career advancement opportunities within a rapidly growing organization
• Exposure to advanced manufacturing, modular infrastructure, and large-scale industrial projects
• Collaborative, fast-paced environment with strong operational and engineering leadership
• Employee-focused culture centered on safety, quality, accountability, and continuous improvement

Benefits eligibility and offerings may vary based on position, location, and employment classification.

$95,724 - $132,880 a year
GTI promotes a diverse and inclusive workforce and is an Equal Opportunity Employer that does not discriminate against employees or applicants for employment on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, age, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, military or veteran status, marital status, or any other Federal or State legally-protected classes. We also value the safety of all employees and work hard to maintain a Drug Free Workplace.
 
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.

About the Company

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GTI Fabrication