Staff Mechanical Engineer – Thermal Simulation & Analysis

The Role
Apptronik is seeking a Staff Mechanical Engineer – Thermal Simulation & Analysis to lead the thermal architecture of our humanoid robot Apollo. In a humanoid system high-power
actuators high-performance compute clusters and dense battery packs are packed into tight mobile volumes—creating one of the most challenging thermal environments in robotics.
As a Staff Engineer you are the technical authority for the entire "thermal stack". You will move beyond simple steady-state analysis to model complex transient thermal events during high-intensity robot maneuvers. You will influence the robot's physical architecture from the concept phase ensuring that we maximize performance and duty cycle without compromising safety or hardware longevity.

Key Responsibilities
● Thermal Architecture Leadership: Own the thermal roadmap for the humanoid platform. Define the cooling strategies (passive active or phase-change) for high-torque actuators and high-density compute enclosures.
● High-Fidelity Simulation: Develop complex CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) and heat transfer models using industry-standard tools (e.g. Ansys Icepak/Fluent Simscale or).
● Transient Duty Cycle Modeling: Predict thermal behavior during dynamic robot activities (walking lifting..) where power consumption varies rapidly necessitating complex transient thermal-fluid analysis.
● Multi-Physics Integration: Work closely with Structural Simulation engineers to perform Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) and thermal-stress analysis on critical components like motor housings and battery frames.
● Test & Correlation: Design and lead physical thermal validation experiments. Utilize IR thermography thermocouples and flow sensors to correlate real-world data with your simulation models.
● DfX & Manufacturing Support: Collaborate with the DfX team to select specialized materials (TIMs heat spreaders high-conductivity alloys) that balance thermal performance with weight and cost.
● Mentorship: Act as the subject matter expert (SME) for thermal issues company-wide mentoring junior engineers and establishing standardized thermal design rules.

Qualifications
● Experience: 8+ years of experience in thermal design and simulation for high-performance electromechanical systems (Robotics EV Aerospace or High-End Computing).
● Simulation Mastery: Expert-level proficiency in CFD software and a deep understanding of conduction convection (natural and forced) and radiation in complex assemblies.
● Hardware Depth: Proven track record of designing and shipping hardware with challenging thermal constraints; experience with embedded compute thermal management or high-flux motor cooling is a significant plus.
● Analytical Skills: Ability to perform "back-of-the-envelope" thermal calculations to guide design decisions before full CFD results are available.
● Education: BS/MS in Mechanical Engineering (PhD preferred) with a focus on Heat Transfer or Fluid Dynamics.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
● Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer
● Must be able to lift 15 pounds at times
● Vision to read printed materials and a computer screen
● Hearing and speech to communicate

What We Do

Apptronik is building robots for the real world to improve human quality of life and to help solve the ever-increasing labor shortage problem. Our team has been building some of the most advanced robots on the planet for years dating back to the DARPA Robotics Challenge. We apply our expertise across the full robotics stack to some of the most important and impactful problems our society faces and expect our products and technology to change the world for the better. We value passion creativity and collaboration to help us overcome existing technological barriers in the industry to create truly innovative products.

Why Work With Us

At Apptronik we don't see a future where man competes against machine. Instead we envision a harmonious world where man and machine coexist. Our mission statement "It is not Man vs. Machine but Man + Machine" encapsulates our belief that the synergy between humans and robots will pave the way for a brighter more advanced future.

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