Thermal Management Engineer

The Shyft Group•Novi, MI

5d•Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking a Thermal Management Engineer to lead the design, simulation, and integration of advanced thermal management systems for our electric vehicle (EV) platform. In this role, you will be responsible for developing efficient heating and cooling solutions across the entire high-voltage powertrain—including battery packs, electric drive units (motors and inverters), power electronics, and cabin HVAC. You will work closely with cross-functional design, software, and validation teams to maximize energy efficiency, optimize battery life, extend vehicle range, and ensure strict compliance with safety standards.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Thermal Engineering, Automotive Engineering, or a related discipline
6+ years of experience in thermal engineering within the automotive or electric vehicle industry
Strong grounding in thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, convective heat transfer, and vapor compression cycles
Hands-on proficiency with thermal/fluid CAE tools (e.g., GT-Suite, STAR-CCM+, Ansys Fluent) and CAD platforms (CATIA, SolidWorks, or NX)
Demonstrated experience with data acquisition tools (e.g., CANoe, Dewesoft, MATLAB/Simulink) and environmental thermal testing protocols
Experience with HV EV battery thermal management, heat pump system design, or fast-charging thermal management

Responsibilities

Design and optimize fluid networks, heat exchangers, pumps, valves, and refrigerant systems to manage thermal loads across the battery, drive unit, and passenger cabin
CAD design of thermal systems and components, packaging studies, routing
Perform 1D and 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and thermal analysis using tools like GT-Suite, or Ansys Fluent to evaluate fluid flow, heat transfer, and system power consumption
Select and specify thermal hardware, including chillers, electric compressors, high-voltage heaters, coolant pumps, and thermal interface materials
Collaborate with controls and embedded software teams to develop closed-loop thermal control algorithms and software logic
Plan and execute bench testing, environmental chamber tests, and track testing using data acquisition systems to validate thermal models against real-world performance
Partner with mechanical, electrical, and vehicle integration teams to resolve packaging constraints and manage mass/cost trade-offs
Work with component suppliers and Tier-1 vendors on Design Verification (DV) and Production Verification (PV) phases