Principal Thermal Systems Product Engineer (onsite)
About The Position
Shape the future of data center cooling! Are you passionate about solving complex thermal challenges and developing cutting-edge cooling technologies? Join our team as a Thermal Systems Engineer and play a key role in designing innovative thermal solutions that power the next generation of data centers. As a Principal Thermal Systems Engineer at Johnson Controls, you will play a pivotal role in bridging advanced research and commercial product development, transforming analytical insights and emerging technologies into market-ready thermal solutions. Serving as the technical lead for thermal product development initiatives within our Data Center Thermal Solutions business, you will drive complex projects from concept through execution while providing technical leadership across cross-functional teams. In this role, you will independently develop comprehensive thermal system solutions, lead multi-domain integration efforts, and champion continuous improvement initiatives. As a recognized expert in one or more thermal engineering disciplines, you will leverage broad cross-domain knowledge to ensure the successful development of integrated, high-performance products. A key responsibility of this position is translating research and advanced development outcomes into scalable product architectures, technical requirements, and specifications that engineering teams can execute. You will help ensure innovative thermal technologies are successfully transformed into manufacturable, reliable, and field-deployable solutions that meet the evolving needs of the data center industry. This position is based on-site at our Advanced Development & Engineering Innovation Center in New Freedom, Pennsylvania. Candidates must reside within commuting distance or be willing to relocate. Johnson Controls offers a variety of relocation assistance packages for qualified candidates.
Requirements
- Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering
- 7+ years experience with released thermal products or systems
- Expert in one or more thermal domains (CDU, chiller, dry cooler, cold plate systems)
- Demonstrated track record of converting research or advanced development concepts into production-released products
- Cross-domain knowledge across thermal, controls, electrical systems; proficiency across multiple domains valued over deep expertise in only one
- Heat transfer analysis (conduction, convection, two-phase)
- Thermodynamic cycle analysis
- Fluid mechanics and hydraulic system design
- Thermal system component sizing and selection
- CAD proficiency (SolidWorks, Creo, or equivalent)
- Engineering calculations and documentation (MathCAD, EES, or equivalent)
Nice To Haves
- Master of Science or PE
- Python scripting and environment management (package installation, virtual environments, basic automation)
- CFD (ANSYS Fluent, Star-CCM+, OpenFOAM, or equivalent)
- FEA (ANSYS Mechanical, Abaqus, or equivalent)
- MATLAB/Simulink for system modeling and controls
- Controls fundamentals (feedback loops, PID tuning, system response)
- Electrical systems basics (motor sizing, VFDs, power distribution)
- Refrigeration system design and refrigerant properties
- Data center cooling architectures (direct liquid cooling, rear-door heat exchangers, CDUs)
Responsibilities
- Plan and execute complex thermal product development projects and product releases; own full thermal system designs from concept through production
- Serve as the primary technical interface between research/advanced development teams and product design engineering, translating research findings into actionable product development plans
- Integrate subsystems into complete thermal product solutions; coordinate across cooling loops, controls, and heat rejection with focus on producibility and system-level performance
- Define specifications for complete thermal systems including multi-domain requirements (thermal, controls, electrical) and manufacturing constraints
- Lead process improvement initiatives across thermal product development domains
- Present status and strategy information across departments
- Mentor engineers
Benefits
- competitive Bonus plan
- competitive benefits package
- relocation assistance packages
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Principal
