Senior Thermal Engineer

We are seeking a highly skilled Senior Thermal Engineer to join our team at our Westlake Village, CA headquarters. In this role you will lead the thermal design and analysis of Ember products, conducting thermal experiments, building and correlating thermal models, and providing in-depth analysis. The ideal candidate has a proven track record of technical excellence in the design and development of cutting-edge consumer or medical devices, with a strong focus on delivering innovative thermal solutions.

This role supports the Ember Cube development team on next-generation product platforms, working from concept through production release, and also provides ongoing engineering support for products already in production and in the field.

This position requires strong mechanical design capability in addition to thermal expertise. The Senior Thermal Engineer is expected to carry a thermal concept through detailed mechanical design, CAD, drawings, and working prototypes independently, without relying on support from other mechanical engineering staff. This includes enclosure and structural design, tolerance analysis, material and fastening selection, and design for manufacturability of the parts and assemblies that carry the thermal solution.

This role is based in-office at our Westlake Village, CA headquarters and reports to the Director of Engineering. Ember Lifesciences does not sponsor employment visas (e.g., H-1B, TN, O-1) for this role, now or in the future. Candidates must have work authorization that does not require current or future employer sponsorship to continue working in the U.S.

Responsibilities

· Lead the thermal design, analysis, and validation of next-generation Ember Cube products from concept through production release.

· Perform thermal analysis and design solutions for complex systems, including phase change materials, insulation systems, electronics/batteries, heat sinks, fans, and solid-state heat pumps.

· Apply thermal and fluid analysis methods — conduction, convection, radiation, and phase-change behavior — building representative models with available tooling and correlating them to empirical test data.

· Independently produce the mechanical design that implements the thermal solution, including detailed 3D CAD, assemblies, detail drawings, GD&T, and tolerance stack-ups, without requiring support from other mechanical engineering staff.

· Design, build, and iterate working prototypes using rapid fabrication methods such as additive manufacturing, quick-turn machining, and soft tooling, and verify they meet thermal specifications.

· Design and execute thermal experiments and test setups, applying Design of Experiments (DOE), statistical, and uncertainty analysis, and develop the instrumentation needed to collect the data.

· Support design for manufacturability and assembly, working with contract manufacturers and suppliers on tooling, process, and part quality.

· Provide sustaining engineering support for products currently in production and in the field, including thermal performance investigations, design changes, engineering change orders, and root cause investigation.

· Travel to manufacturing facilities as needed, and be available for calls outside normal business hours to work with global teams across time zones.

Requirements and skills

· Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related field (advanced degree is a plus).

· Minimum 7 years of hands-on experience in thermal design and engineering.

· Demonstrated ability to own mechanical design independently, including production-intent CAD, detail drawings, GD&T, tolerance stack-ups, and prototype fabrication, without support from other mechanical engineers.

· Strong experience designing mechanical components using injection-molded plastics, machined components, and sheet metal.

· Extensive experience in thermal modeling and analysis, with the ability to build credible models of product behavior and validate them against measured test data.

· The successful candidate must have experience with dedicated CFD packages, or with evaluating and standing up new simulation tooling.

· Deep understanding of material thermal properties and their application to product design and performance.

· Consumer electronics or medical device industry experience.

· Proven experience in high-volume manufacturing environments, with the ability to work effectively with overseas manufacturers.

· Experience supporting products in production, including engineering change control and field failure analysis.

· Experience in a regulated or quality-controlled environment (ISO 13485, medical device, or cold chain) is a plus.

· Ability to travel domestically and overseas approximately 10% of the time.