Staff Engineer, Advanced Thermal Applications

POSITION PURPOSE

The Staff Engineer, Advanced Thermal Applications serves as a key technical resource within Global Advanced Thermal Applications team responsible for supporting complex internal/external customer requests related to thermal, fluid dynamics, and airflow analyses and for defining, maintaining, and continuously improving the processes and analytical standards to perform those studies.

This role is focused on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis of external heat rejection equipment site layouts, including the effects of air recirculation, cross winds, obstruction induced flow distortion, and multi-unit interactions. In addition, the position supports non-CFD related complex thermal and fluid mechanics analyses as required to address the customer specific technical questions, validate product application limits, and support internal decision making.

The incumbent is expected to work independently, exercise sound engineering judgment, and act as a technical authority for how customer-facing analyses are scoped, executed, documented, and interpreted. The incumbent is also responsible for interacting with the customer’s counterparts to discuss the details of the CFD and thermal analyses and ensure that technical analyses are properly understood and interpreted.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES

Customer Technical Support & Analysis

• Perform CFD analyses to support customer specific heat rejection site evaluations, including but not limited to:
• Translate customer requests into appropriate analytical scope, defining assumptions, boundary conditions, and success criteria
• Evaluate airflow distribution, unit to unit interaction, airflow recirculation effects, and thermal performance impacts due to layout, wind, and surrounding structures
• Provide recommendations to reduce the impact of the above parameters on thermal performance.
• Communicate results professionally and clearly to internal and external stakeholders (Customers, Applications Engineering, etc.), when required
• Support special technical inquiries from the customer where standard selection tools or guidelines are insufficient or analysis is complicated.

Standards, Methods, and Best Practices

• Define and maintain CFD modeling standards, including geometry simplification rules, meshing strategies, modeling approaches, boundary condition conventions, validation methods, and sensitivity checks
• Establish documentation and reporting standards to ensure consistency, traceability, and appropriate use of analysis results
• Stay up to date with developments in the CFD industry and evaluate capabilities of assorted commercial CFD simulation providers
• Support internal training efforts by clearly articulating how and why CFD studies are performed, and how results should (and should not) be used

Non-CFD Analytical Support

• Perform or support other forms of thermal and fluid mechanics analysis as needed, which may include:
• Simplified thermal or fluid mechanics calculations
• Heat exchanger performance assessments
• Back of the envelope or reduced order models for screening studies
• Provide engineering judgment regarding when CFD is required versus when simpler methods are appropriate

Technical Leadership & Collaboration

• Serve as a technical point of contact for customer studies within Advanced Applications team.
• Collaborate with Product Engineering, BPI, Research and Development, Applications, and Sales to ensure analytical approaches align with product capabilities and published guidance

KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS

Required

• Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering or related field, advanced degree is preferred.
• Strong fundamentals in fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and thermodynamics
• 8+ years of experience working in the HVAC industry, with minimum 5 years of experience performing complex CFD analyses for external flow, thermal, or HVAC related applications
• Ability to work independently, prioritize work, and exercise sound engineering judgment on open-ended problems
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex results to the internal and external customers.

Preferred

• Experience with HVAC, evaporative cooling, or heat rejection equipment
• Experience with phase-change heat transfer simulation
• Experience defining or enforcing engineering standards or analytical best practices
• Familiarity with experimental validation concepts or interaction with laboratory/testing teams
• Experience supporting customer specific engineering analyses

NATURE & SCOPE

This position functions as a technical specialist role within Advanced Applications team. Work is primarily analytical and office-based, with limited travel expected. The Staff Engineer, Advanced Thermal Applications is expected to operate with minimal supervision, providing authoritative guidance on CFD and non-CFD based customer analysis and contributing to continuous improvement of BAC’s analytical capability.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Working hours are the standard BAC 40 hours per week with flexible start and finish times allowed. Work is primarily sedentary and office based with extensive computer use. Occasional travel to manufacturing facilities or job sites may occur and may involve exposure to weather, noise, heat, and industrial environments. Occasional evening or weekend work may be required.

BAC Hiring Compensation Range $98,400 - $168,900

BAC offers a comprehensive benefits package to include medical, dental, vision, paid time off, 401k, employee stock ownership plan, and more. Please see additional details on the BAC website at www.Baltimoreaircoil.com.  

BAC Employees are eligible to participate in an annual bonus incentive program.