Electronics Thermal Engineer

Allen Control Systems•Austin, TX

About The Position

Allen Control Systems (ACS) is a cutting-edge defense startup founded by two former Navy electrical engineers with a proven track record in robotics and software. We are developing an autonomous gun turret using advanced computer vision and control systems to precisely detect, track, and neutralize enemy drones. With an engineering-first culture, ACS values technical excellence and innovation. Backed by our founders’ successful exits from two previous ventures acquired for a combined $180M in 2022, we are committed to ensuring that the groundbreaking technologies we develop will have a real-world impact. We are looking for an Electronics Thermal Engineer to own thermal design and analysis across our power electronics systems. You will engineer thermal solutions for our high-performance motor drive and power conversion hardware — from early-stage thermal simulation and component selection through physical validation in the lab. This role sits at the intersection of power electronics and mechanical thermal management, and requires someone who can work closely with our electrical and mechanical teams to ensure our systems operate reliably under demanding field conditions.

Requirements

3+ years of hands-on experience in electronics thermal design with a focus on power electronics, motor drives, or high-power embedded systems.
Strong proficiency in thermal simulation tools — ANSYS Icepak, FloTHERM, or equivalent — for both component-level and system-level heat transfer analysis.
Solid understanding of heat transfer fundamentals: conduction through PCB stackups and heatsink interfaces, forced and natural convection, and radiation in enclosed electronics systems.
Hands-on experience with thermal validation techniques: thermocouple placement, thermal imaging, and bench-level characterization of power dissipation and temperature rise.
Familiarity with power electronics hardware — ability to read schematics, understand loss mechanisms in MOSFETs, inductors and ICs, and translate component power dissipation into thermal load inputs.
Experience specifying thermal interface materials, heat sinks, cold plates, and other passive thermal management components.
Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or closely related field with a focus on thermal or fluid systems
Experience correlating thermal simulation models with physical test data and iterating designs to close gaps.

Nice To Haves

Experience with thermal management for defense, aerospace, or autonomous systems where reliability under sustained load is non-negotiable.
Familiarity with power electronics design — PCB layout, switching losses, and gate driver behavior — that allows you to contribute beyond thermal analysis into early-stage hardware design reviews.
Experience with liquid cooling or active thermal management systems for high-power-density electronics.
Background in GaN or SiC power device thermal characterization, including junction temperature estimation and derating under high-frequency switching.
Knowledge of military or industrial thermal standards (MIL-STD-810, JESD51, or equivalent).

Responsibilities

Design and analyze thermal solutions for power electronics systems including embedded computing, motor drive inverters, and DC/DC converters— ensuring components operate within safe temperature limits under worst-case operating conditions.
Run steady-state and transient thermal simulations using tools such as ANSYS Icepak, FloTHERM, or equivalent CFD software to evaluate heat dissipation, airflow, and thermal resistance across the system.
Perform heat transfer analysis — conduction, convection, and radiation — to characterize thermal paths from junction to ambient and identify design risks before fabrication.
Select and specify thermal interface materials (TIMs), heat sinks, cold plates, and thermal management components; work with PCB layout engineers to optimize copper pours, thermal vias, and component placement for heat spreading.
Validate thermal designs through lab testing using thermocouples, thermal cameras, and data acquisition systems; correlate simulation results with measured data and iterate on design as needed.
Collaborate with electrical engineers during schematic and PCB layout reviews to flag thermal risk areas early and propose design modifications.
Support system-level thermal architecture for the autonomous turret platform, including enclosure thermal management under sustained operational load.
Maintain thermal analysis documentation including simulation models, test results, derating calculations, and design verification reports.