Systems Engineer, Thermal and Airflow

Mill • San Bruno, CA

2d • $1,165 - $195

About The Position

Mill is a waste prevention technology company that builds smart systems and infrastructure for homes, businesses, and municipalities to transform food scraps into valuable resources. The Systems Engineer will help characterize, understand, and improve the performance of Mill’s next-generation commercial food recycler. This is a hands-on individual-contributor role on a small team, working closely with test engineers and collaborating with Mechanical, Electrical, Algorithms, and Product teams.

The role focuses on turning experimental data—especially thermal and airflow data—into clear conclusions and improved hardware. The engineer will own targeted subsystems from characterization through design improvement, help maintain the Engineering Requirements Document (ERD), and provide system understanding that supports product performance, energy efficiency, throughput, and reliable operation.

Requirements

• At least 3 years of hands-on engineering experience with a thermal, airflow/fluids, or mechanical systems focus.
• Comfort analyzing time-series test data and communicating findings clearly.
• Experience writing or reviewing engineering requirements, test plans, or similar technical documentation.
• Familiarity with electromechanical components such as fans, blowers, heaters, valves, and sensors.
• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Thermal, Process, Chemical, or a related engineering field.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present results to engineers across disciplines.
• Ability to work independently on an owned area while collaborating closely with a small, fast-moving team.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with thermal testing and airflow characterization; a mechanical design background with strong test and analysis skills is also considered a good fit.
• Python skills; other acceptable tools include R, MATLAB, spreadsheets, or AI-assisted analysis.
• Prior experience taking a product or process from prototype toward production.
• Exposure to CFD or thermal simulation results and how to validate them against test data.
• Startup or small-team experience in fast-paced environments.

Responsibilities

• Partner with test engineering to plan experiments and analyze data on system parameters such as temperatures, airflow, humidity, and heat transfer.
• Derive conclusions, quantify tradeoffs, and recommend next steps to improve drying performance, energy efficiency, and throughput.
• Own targeted subsystems such as the airflow path, condenser, heater, or drying chamber, including defining requirements, characterizing performance, identifying failure modes, and driving design improvements.
• Review proposed changes to the Engineering Requirements Document (ERD) and draft requirement updates based on test results, field data, and cross-functional input.
• Work with algorithms and firmware teams to provide data and system understanding for refining control schemes related to energy use, drying time, and reliable operation.
• Support mechanical engineers in evaluating and iterating on custom hardware, including mixing paddles, air deflectors, and cutting or shredding components, using test data.
• Help define component requirements for fans, blowers, heaters, sensors, and flow meters, and support part selection and evaluation.
• Build reusable analysis tools and clear reports, including plots, summaries, and test writeups, to make results legible across the team.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level