System Integration & Test Engineer - Thermal & Fluid Systems

Heron Power•Scotts Valley, CA

About The Position

Uptime, availability, and reliability are critical to our converters (inverters & rectifiers) that connect large-scale renewables, storage, and high-power loads (e.g., data centers) to the grid. Our team focuses on delivering a deep, physics-based understanding of our systems from architecture to field, enabling designs that are reliable, safe, and high performing. We unite systems engineering, modeling, reliability, testing, and failure analysis into a single team that partners with design engineering. We collaborate on the deepest technical questions by challenging assumptions. As a System Integration & Test Engineer, focusing on Thermal and Fluid systems, you will architect, design, build and operate the test infrastructure that lets us validate thermal systems for grid-tied converters that will become part of the electrical infrastructure ahead. This role owns the development lifecycle loop from: design-reviews → failure modes → test strategy → bench design/build → test execution → data analysis → root cause → verified fixes. You’ll uncover design and process failures by executing physical tests and developing automated test equipment and data workflows. If you thrive on building capability from scratch, love lab work, and want your work to directly set the pace of iteration, this role will feel like home.

Requirements

A degree in Mechanical Engineering or related fields, with background in thermodynamics or fluids engineering
>2 years of industry or research experience in a lab environment with proven hands-on experience in testing and developing test fixtures
Sound knowledge and fundamental understanding of flow physics, hydraulics, thermal / heat transfer
Experience with scripting in Python / Matlab and comfortable using source control like Github / Bitbucket
Experience using different types of DAQs and equipment from thermocouples, flow sensors, pressure sensors, anemometers etc.
Strong communication skills in terms of presentations and writing detailed technical reports
Sound mathematical and physics background to perform basics engineering calculations

Nice To Haves

Simulation and modelling experience in fluid network analysis, thermal / RC and CFD modelling, commercial CAD packages
Reliability and statistical analysis
Experience with power electronics and high voltage testing
Prior experience in shipping products for UL certification

Responsibilities

Execute thermal and fluids testing from component-level characterization (e.g., valves, pumps, fans, heat exchangers, insulation materials) through full thermal-system validation.
Develop test plans and Design-of-Experiments (DoE) in partnership with thermal analysis and mechanical design teams—turning hypotheses into crisp pass/fail criteria and learning goals.
Define instrumentation plans to ensure we’re measuring what matters (temperatures, pressures, flows, ΔP, thermal resistances, transients).
Design fixtures and rigs; procure and integrate test equipment including thermocouples/RTDs, pressure sensors, flowmeters, anemometers, DAQs.
Size and integrate plumbing for support equipment (chillers, pumps, fans, reservoirs, filters, fittings, hoses, quick disconnects) to enable safe, repeatable testing.
Own end-to-end bench build quality: layout, plumbing, grounding/EMI considerations near power electronics, safety interlocks, and maintainability.
Automate test execution, data logging, and post-processing to enable repeatable test campaigns and fast iteration loops.
Build data analysis workflows that produce actionable outputs (not just raw logs): clear plots, summaries, and “what changed / why it matters” reporting.
Drive root cause and failure analysis when tests go sideways: reproduce, instrument deeper, isolate failure mechanisms, and validate corrective actions.
Close the loop with design engineering—ensuring fixes are verified and regression-proof.