Principal Mechanical Engineer

Role overview

Key job responsibilities

• Lead technical vision, research, prototyping, modeling, experiments, and validation for novel systems.
• Define architectures, requirements, tradeoffs, integration paths, and structured learning plans.
• Evaluate emerging technologies, patents, journals, and public data to assess feasibility.
• Develop intellectual property strategies and protect key innovations.
• Lead cross-functional teams and collaborate with universities, startups, and industry partners.
• Develop externally funded research proposals and lead awarded programs through delivery.
• Communicate progress and risks to technical and executive leadership.
• Mentor engineers and promote technical excellence, innovation, and accountability.

Required qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, Electrical, or Systems Engineering.
• At least 10 years of experience in thermodynamic cycles, heat transfer, fluid dynamics, or related engineering domains.
• At least 10 years of experience in HVAC/R industrial applications.
• At least two years as a principal investigator or project team lead.
• At least five years with technology development processes and technology readiness levels, or seven years leading innovation-focused teams.
• Must be self-driven and able to drive development projects autonomously while incorporating expert feedback.

Preferred qualifications

• Master's or PhD in Mechanical, Aerospace, Thermal, Chemical, Electrical, or Systems Engineering.
• Experience with system and component testing, physics-based modeling, CFD, FEA, or system-level modeling.
• Experience with project delivery, system architecture, multidisciplinary integration, intellectual property, and patents.
• Experience with design of experiments, test rigs, instrumentation, and measurement uncertainty analysis.
• Experience working with universities, consortia, external labs, or startups.
• Familiarity with electromechanical HVAC systems, distributed energy resource controls, model predictive control, or reinforcement learning.
• Strong communication and influencing skills with technical, non-technical, and executive stakeholders.

Compensation

• Annual salary is listed as $117,500 to $234,500.
• The position is eligible for short-term cash incentives subject to plan requirements.

Benefits

• Benefits may include medical, dental, vision, wellness incentives, retirement programs, paid time off, leave programs, disability coverage, life insurance, tax-advantaged accounts, and tuition assistance.