Thermal Engineer

About the Company

Orbital is an AI-first industrial company building hardware from the atoms up. We are developing critical hardware for AI data centers to make them more performant and sustainable by uniting AI-automated hardware engineering with AI-designed material science.

Responsibilities

• Design and optimize evaporator cold plates including channel geometry and inlet restriction sizing
• Evaluate candidate refrigerants based on thermodynamic properties and material compatibility
• Develop enhanced boiling surfaces to increase critical heat flux margins
• Construct thermal test vehicles and operate two-phase test loops to characterize flow and boiling curves
• Perform system-level thermodynamic analyses including pressure-enthalpy cycle mapping and component sizing
• Use CFD or other modeling tools to evaluate flow distribution and thermal stresses
• Support proprietary fluid development through compatibility testing and accelerated aging studies
• Specify materials, bonding processes, and manufacturing methods for prototype and production units

Requirements

• Degree in mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, or a closely related discipline
• 5+ years of professional experience
• Demonstrated experience in single or two-phase heat transfer, boiling phenomena, or refrigeration system design
• Proficiency in conducting thermodynamic analysis to optimize cooling system performance
• Hands-on prototyping and lab experience including designing test fixtures and building flow loops
• Experience with CAD for test fixture design
• Ability to interpret experimental data and translate findings into design improvements

Preferred Qualifications

• Background in chemistry, materials science, or chemical engineering related to refrigerant behavior or surface treatments
• Experience with simulation software such as CFD or FEA
• Familiarity with cold plate manufacturing processes like CNC machining, brazing, sintering, or skiving