CFD Team Lead

DLB Associates

7d•$126,788 - $167,541•Remote

About The Position

The CFD Team Lead is a technical and people leadership role within DLB's Design Department, accountable for the day-to-day direction, quality, and growth of the CFD analysis team. This position owns all aspects of the CFD team, including technical execution oversight, staffing, client engagement, and performance, serving as the primary point of accountability so the Design Director can remain focused on broader departmental leadership. This role requires sufficient technical fluency in CFD and data center cooling analysis to guide scope, evaluate deliverable quality, and represent the team credibly with clients and leadership, while relying on senior CFD engineers to perform the hands-on modeling. Deep, day-to-day CFD execution is not expected of this role; sound technical judgment and the ability to ask the right questions are. The CFD Team Lead is expected to operate with a high degree of independence, providing the Design Director with a concise weekly summary of team status, risks, and priorities, and escalating to leadership along pre-defined pathways.

Requirements

Strong understanding of thermodynamics, heat transfer, and hydraulics (pump/valve/pipe networks and control impacts).
Knowledge of organizational objectives and how they relate to company policies
Knowledge of budgeting and financial management principles
Strong leadership skills to motivate direct reports and ensure they are performing at their best
Strong tactical decision-making skills to handle unforeseen issues that arise during the course of operations
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to interact with senior management, direct reports, and clients
Ability to establish operational objectives and work plans, and delegate assignments to direct reports
Ability to evaluate technical work product and ask the right questions without necessarily performing the analysis personally
Skilled at using MS Office Suite (Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Teams), along with exceptional organizational skills for file management
Ability to work successfully in a remote environment through effective communication and organizational skills, self-motivation, proactiveness, and resourcefulness in a distraction-free workspace
Ability to analyze and prepare documents, reports, and correspondence
Ability to communicate effectively in both oral and written form (technical and non-technical information)
Ability to work under pressure and meet close deadlines
Organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks and direct reports simultaneously
Working knowledge of fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and CFD fundamentals sufficient to evaluate scope, methodology, and deliverable quality
Familiarity with data center mechanical systems and cooling technologies, including traditional (CRAHs, fan walls, in-row coolers) and liquid cooling (direct-to-chip, rear-door heat exchangers) approaches
Familiarity with data center specific CFD tools (such as Cadence Reality DC Design) and general CFD tools (such as Star CCM+ or ANSYS Fluent) sufficient to review and discuss modeling approaches, without requiring hands-on modeling expertise
Ability to interpret CFD results and reports well enough to identify gaps, inconsistencies, or quality concerns
Interest in staying current on CFD industry trends, competing software platforms, and emerging analysis techniques
Ability to communicate technical concepts effectively to clients, senior management, and internal teams
Strong leadership skills to mentor staff and build technical and professional capabilities within the team
Demonstrated experience managing people, including performance management, coaching, and career development
Leadership potential and genuine interest in team development and growth
Ability to work under pressure and meet close deadlines while managing multiple concurrent priorities
Skilled at using MS Office Suite (Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Teams), along with exceptional organizational skills for file management
Comfortable reviewing output from CFD and simulation platforms without requiring hands-on modeling proficiency
Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical engineering (or similar relevant engineering field) and a minimum of 3 (3) years of experience in a consultancy setting.
OR Master's or PhD degree in Mechanical Engineering (or similar relevant engineering field) and a minimum of two (2) years of experience in a consultancy setting.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with project and resource tracking tools a plus

Responsibilities

Serve as the direct people manager for the CFD team, including its core technical resources and project management resource
Conduct 1:1s, performance reviews, and career development planning for all direct reports
Lead hiring for the CFD team, including drafting job descriptions, conducting interviews, and coordinating with Recruitment and HR
Approve PTO, review timesheets and expenses, and manage day-to-day staffing and workload balancing
Mentor team members and promote a culture of delegation, ownership, and continuous improvement
Participate in weekly CFD team coordination and staffing meetings
Solicit feedback from the Design Director and other stakeholders on team and individual performance
Provide technical guidance and oversight for CFD analysis scope, methodology, and modeling strategy
Review and validate meshing, boundary conditions, and modeling approaches at an oversight level, relying on senior engineers for hands-on execution
Coordinate and oversee QA/QC reviews of CFD reports and deliverables
Maintain and evolve CFD standards, templates, and calculators, including documentation on SharePoint
Serve as the escalation point for technical challenges the team cannot resolve independently
Evaluate competing software platforms, licensing needs, and industry trends, and make recommendations to the Design Director
Represent the CFD team in client meetings at a leadership level, particularly for scope, risk, and strategic discussions
Maintain and grow relationships with key clients, identifying opportunities for expanded CFD scope
Develop marketing materials, whitepapers, and conference presentations that showcase DLB's CFD capabilities
Support proposal development, including scope, schedule, and budget input for CFD projects
Track CFD project financial performance, profitability, and resource utilization
Enforce management of CFD project schedules, deliverable submissions, and resourcing across concurrent projects
Review cloud-based solver and software license usage and associated costs
Coordinate closely with the CFD Project Manager to ensure consistent execution across the team
Provide a concise weekly summary of CFD team status, risks, and priorities to the Design Director
Contribute to long-term planning and growth strategy for the CFD capability
Identify and proactively escalate risks rather than reacting to them after the fact
Transition into full people-management responsibility for the CFD team early in the role's onboarding period
Establish a reliable weekly reporting rhythm with the Design Director
Reduce the Design Director's day-to-day involvement in CFD team operations, technical escalations, and client-facing leadership over time
Reduce hiring and staffing bottlenecks by owning the CFD team's recruiting, onboarding, and staffing plans
Strengthen DLB's CFD business development presence through marketing content, whitepapers, and conference participation
Establish and scale clear technical standards and QA/QC practices across the team
Build people-management experience and client-facing leadership exposure that support advancement toward broader departmental leadership roles
Participate in departmental strategic planning alongside the Design Director
Position the role for expanded scope over time, including potential advancement toward Analysis Teams Lead or Associate Director-level responsibility
Leverage AI-enabled and digital tools to enhance efficiency, reduce manual effort, and support consistent, high-quality work output.
Identify opportunities to improve processes and demonstrate a continuous learning mindset, seeking out new technologies, skills, and methods that elevate individual and team performance.
Adapt to emerging technologies and evolving digital workflows, actively supporting the integration and adoption of innovative tools across the organization.
Completion of Assigned Tasks and Deliverables on Time and on Budget
Performs Other Related Duties as Assigned

Benefits

Choice of comprehensive medical plans (including two PPO-style plans and a HDHP w/ HSA option)
Flex spending accounts (FSA)
Dental and vision plans
Comprehensive medical, dental and vision benefits extended to spouse / domestic partner and dependent children up to age 26
401k with company match and self-directed brokerage account option
PTO including additional paid time off during the last week of the year
Company paid life insurance coverage for employees and their eligible dependents
Short and long-term disability, AD&D coverage
Professional development opportunities, tuition reimbursement and professional licensing assistance
Paid parental leave after one year of employment