# Power Electronics - Thermal Engineer Senior Staff

**Company:** [Shield AI](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/shield-ai)
**Location:** Dallas, TX, San Diego, CA, Boston, MA
**Role:** Hardware Engineering
**Salary:** $173k – $260k/yr
**Experience:** 7+ years
**Skills:** Ansys Icepak, Floefd, Star-Ccm+, Nx, Solidworks, Cfd, Heat Transfer, Fluid Mechanics, Thermal Management, Heat Pipes
**Posted:** 2026-04-08

> Leads thermal design, analysis, and integration for high-power avionics in unmanned aircraft, using CFD tools and first-principles problem-solving. Requires 7+ years experience, BS in engineering, and expertise in cooling solutions.

## Job Description

## Responsibilities
- Own thermal analysis and design efforts for unmanned aerial vehicle avionics including custom power electronics
- Develop and validate analytical, numerical, and computational models for heat transfer and fluid flow using hand calculations and CFD tools such as FloEFD
- Provide technical leadership in trade studies, system architecture decisions, and risk assessments
- Lead cross-functional teams designing power electronic circuits and environmental enclosures. Provide design requirements that impact circuit part selection, board layout, material selection, and other design aspects
- Drive test planning, instrumentation, and data analysis to correlate models with experimental results
- Mentor junior engineers and guide cross-disciplinary teams in applying thermal/fluid fundamentals
- Communicate technical findings clearly through executive-level briefings, design reviews, and written reports
- Proactively identify risks, propose solutions, and influence electrical and/or PCBA design direction

## Requirements
- B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related discipline
- Minimum 7 years of professional experience in avionics or electronics thermal engineering
- Strong expertise in heat transfer (conduction, convection, radiation) and fluid mechanics
- Deep understanding of active and passive cooling solutions and their integration at component and system level
- Deep understanding of thermal management design elements including TIMs, spreaders, heat sinks, vapor chambers, heat pipes, and fans
- Proficiency with thermal analysis and CFD tools (e.g., **ANSYS Icepak**, **FloEFD**, **STAR-CCM+**)
- Proficiency with CAD design tools such as **NX**, **SolidWorks**, or similar
- Demonstrated experience applying first-principles reasoning to complex engineering problems
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, with a track record of leading technical discussions and presenting to stakeholders
- Proven ability to learn and adapt quickly to new tools, processes, and technical challenges in a fast paced, startup environment

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