Thermal Systems Engineer

Ford Motor Company

Thermal Systems Engineer specializing in coolant subsystem design for Ford's electric vehicles. Leading development of systems for battery and component temperature regulation.

Posted 6/19/2026full-timeLong Beach • California • 🇺🇸 United StatesMid-LevelSeniorWebsite

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

Python

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Lead the design, development, and integration of fluid-based thermal management loops.
Lead the architecture, design, and development of coolant subsystems that interact with HV battery, drive unit, power electronics, refrigeration, and HVAC components.
Define detailed thermal and hydraulic performance specifications for individual components (e.g., pumps, valves, heat exchangers, fans, hoses, degas bottles, etc.) within the coolant subsystem.
Work with application engineers to evaluate and select appropriate components based on performance requirements, cost, packaging constraints, and reliability targets.
Develop, calibrate, and maintain high-fidelity plant models that accurately simulate thermal and hydraulic behavior of the subsystem's components.
Conduct detailed thermal and fluidic analysis to ensure components meet specified performance targets under various operating conditions.
Collaborate with test engineers to define and execute component and subsystem characterization tests to validate and refine plant models.
Work closely with the Design Engineers to ensure component designs meet thermal and mechanical requirements, and with the Controls Engineer who will use the plant models for algorithm development.
Ensure traceability between high-level system requirements and detailed component specifications.

Requirements

What you’ll need

Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of relevant education and experience.
3+ years of experience in thermal system design or component engineering.
Strong understanding of thermodynamics, heat transfer, and fluid dynamics principles.
Experience with physical system modeling and simulation tools (e.g., MATLAB/Simulink, GT-SUITE, etc.).
Proficiency in Python or similar programming languages for model development.
Master's or Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering or related engineering discipline.
Experience with EV thermal management systems.
Familiarity with vehicle communication protocols (CAN, LIN) for controlling smart pumps and valves.
Strong collaborative skills to work across hardware and software teams in a fast-paced EV development environment.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Immediate medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage
Flexible family care days, paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up child care and more
Family building benefits including adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, fertility treatments, and more
Vehicle discount program for employees and family members and management leases
Tuition assistance
Established and active employee resource groups
Paid time off for individual and team community service
A generous schedule of paid holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day
Paid time off and the option to purchase additional vacation time

ATS Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

thermal system designcomponent engineeringthermodynamicsheat transferfluid dynamicsphysical system modelingsimulation toolsPythonMATLABGT-SUITE

Soft Skills

collaborative skills

Certifications

Bachelor's degreeMaster's degreePh.D.