Junior Thermal Research Engineer

Job Description The Junior Thermal Research Engineer will work within a multidisciplinary engineering team to develop innovative thermal management and test solutions for high-performance electronics and data center systems. The role combines thermal system design, modeling, experimentation, and data science techniques, with a focus on enabling faster design cycles and improved system-level insight.

• Support the design and development of thermal management systems, including liquid cooling, two-phase cooling, and heat exchanger-based architectures
• Cooling system design including cold plates, cooling distribution units (CDUs) and passive two-phase solutions (heat pipes and vapor chambers)
• Develop and apply thermal-fluid modeling tools (steady-state and transient) for system-level performance prediction, including pressure drop, heat transfer, and coolant distribution
• Implement and use machine learning, AI and data-driven methods
• Support data center cooling system modeling, including rack-level and component-level thermal architecture analysis
• Conduct design of experiments (DOE) and support experimental testing, including instrumentation, data acquisition, and validation of models
• Create and maintain CAD models and engineering documentation (e.g., Solid Works designs, P&IDs, drawings, and test plans)
• Assist in development of computational tools and simulation frameworks (Python, MATLAB) to support engineering decision-making and research activities
• Support prototype development and testbed construction, including integration of thermal systems and measurement capabilities
• Collaborate with senior engineers and researchers to:
  Evaluate new cooling technologies Improve system efficiency and performance Identify key design tradeoffs Contribute to technical documentation, reports, and presentations of results
• Support component and material selection for thermal systems (heat exchangers, sensors, cooling loops)
• Assist in manufacturing and assembly support, including prototype builds and testing

• Master’s or PhD degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field
• Eaton will not consider applicants for employment immigration sponsorship or support for this position. This means that Eaton will not support any CPT, OPT, or STEM OPT plans, F-1 to H-1B, H-1B cap registration, O-1, E-3, TN status, I-485 job portability, etc. Relocation may be offered for the role, must be currently located in the United States.

• Exposure to data center cooling or high-performance electronics thermal management
• Experience developing reduced-order or surrogate models for thermal systems
• Familiarity with optimization-driven design workflows
• Experience integrating modeling and experimental validation
• Focus or coursework in heat transfer, fluid dynamics, or thermal systems required
• Laboratory experience
• Graduate research experience in thermal-fluid sciences or cooling technologies strongly preferred

All positions may require participation in video and in-person interviews as part of the hiring process. All candidates will be evaluated based on job-related competencies, and all candidates’ privacy rights and data security will be protected in accordance with applicable laws.

Fredericksburg Remote Type On-Site

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