Thermal Research Engineer

Join us at Gradient, where our purpose is to revolutionize home comfort while championing environmental sustainability. Our mission is to combat the escalating challenge of climate change by redefining how homes are heated and cooled. Today, the environmental impact of heating and cooling systems surpasses that of the entire transportation sector, and without intervention, this trend is set to escalate drastically. At Gradient, we believe that ensuring comfortable living spaces shouldn’t come at the cost of our planet. We envision a future where every individual can enjoy the luxury of a comfortable home without contributing to carbon emissions. Our high-efficiency, low-carbon heat pump is just the beginning of our journey toward fully decarbonizing buildings. By joining Gradient, you’ll be at the forefront of a movement to make sustainable living accessible to all, ensuring healthier communities and a brighter, greener future.

As a Thermal Engineer, you will select thermal components, develop algorithms for thermal comfort, and help prove the robustness of those components and algorithms. You will be expected to understand the effects of component-level design decisions on system-level performance and user thermal comfort through experiments and modeling. You will collaborate with other teams to integrate these components, algorithms and subsystems into heat pump products.

Responsibilities:

• Develop thermal systems for heat pumps with novel form factors to cut carbon emissions and expand access to healthy, comfortable buildings
• Design and optimize heat pumps by guiding the choice of components and operating parameters
• Develop algorithms to guide heat pump behavior in real-world applications
• Use modeling tools to understand thermodynamic, flow, and heat transfer processes
• Design and run experiments, process and understand results, and identify paths forward
• Collaborate with designers and engineers to incorporate designs into products

Desired Qualifications:

• BS in Engineering or Physics and 3 years of experience in thermal engineering
• Fundamental understanding of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer
• Experience with analyzing data from physical sensors to draw conclusions about larger systems
• Experience with building/assembling/troubleshooting mechanical and/or thermal systems
• Experience with instrumentation and data collection (LabVIEW, Arduino, etc.)
• Proficient with creating physics-based models using Matlab, Python/SciPy, or similar to gain system insight and drive product enhancements 
• Ability to communicate complex technical concepts to cross-functional audiences 

Bonus Qualifications:

• MS or PhD in Engineering or Physics with a focus on thermal engineering
• Heat pump, AC, HVAC design experience
• Software development experience

Benefits 

• Equity
• Medical/vision/dental/life/disability insurance
• 401k
• Paid parental leave
• Commuter benefits
• Unlimited PTO
• Relocation package ( out of state applicants only )

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive company. We seek to create a culture where everyone can belong because we believe that people do their best work when they can show up every day as their authentic selves. We welcome people of different backgrounds, experiences, abilities, and perspectives.

Gradient is an equal opportunity employer. We do not make hiring or employment decisions on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or genetic information, in compliance with applicable federal, state and local law.