Thermal Engineer

Thermal Engineer

About MIMiC

At MIMiC, we leverage solid-state technology to reduce carbon emissions, enhance comfort, and minimize maintenance in next-generation heating and cooling systems. By utilizing advanced thermoelectric materials, we are building refrigerant-free heat pumps with no moving parts; systems that deliver precise performance, reduced maintenance needs, and a clear path toward scalable heating and cooling.

Role Summary

We’re looking for a Thermal Engineer who thrives at the intersection of heat transfer, hands-on experimentation, and mechanical design. You will play a critical role in conceiving, prototyping, and validating heat exchanger architectures, thermal interfaces, and system-level heat flow concepts for solid-state heat pump systems. This is a highly hands-on role for an engineer who enjoys building, testing, instrumenting, and iterating physical hardware, not just simulating it. MIMiC is headquartered in New York City, with a laboratory space downtown in Newark, NJ. This role will require proximity to these locations and the ability to be on-site often. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Design, prototype, and test heat exchangers and thermal architectures for solid-state heat pump systems (air-to-air, air-to-water, hydronic, or hybrid).
• Ideate and evaluate novel heat transfer concepts, including compact heat exchangers, enhanced surfaces, microchannel concepts, and thermal interfaces tailored for thermoelectric devices.
• Build and instrument experimental setups for steady-state and transient thermal testing, including temperature, heat flux, flow rate, and pressure measurements.
• Perform hands-on assembly of thermal and mechanical subassemblies (heat exchangers, cold plates, manifolds, ducts, housings).
• Develop and execute test plans and experimental protocols to characterize thermal performance, efficiency, and losses.
• Analyze experimental data to extract thermal resistances, effectiveness, and the impact on system-level performance. 
• Collaborate closely with electrical, mechanical, and materials engineers to ensure tight integration between thermoelectric modules, heat exchangers, and mechanical structures.
• Support system-level optimization, balancing thermal performance, manufacturability, cost, and scalability.
• Contribute to CAD layouts, mechanical interfaces, and BOM documentation for prototype and production systems.
• Maintain clear documentation of designs, experiments, results, and lessons learned.

Qualifications:

• Master’s or PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Thermal Sciences, Energy Systems, Applied Physics, or a related field.
• 2–6+ years of hands-on experience in heat transfer, thermal engineering, or heat exchanger development (academic, industry, or mixed).
• Strong foundation in heat transfer, thermodynamics, and fluid mechanics, with the ability to translate theory into physical designs.
• Experience with CFD or thermal modeling tools (ANSYS, STAR-CCM, OpenFOAM, or similar) is essential, but hands-on ability is a strong plus.
• Demonstrated experience with experimental thermal testing, including instrumentation, data acquisition, and analysis.
• Knowledge of heat exchanger types (finned, microchannel, cold plates, heat pipes, impingement, hydronic coils, etc.).
• Working knowledge of mechanical design and fabrication, including tolerance awareness and assembly considerations.
• Experience with CAD tools (SolidWorks, Fusion 360, or similar) is a plus.
• Comfort working in a lab environment: assembling hardware, modifying prototypes, and troubleshooting unexpected behavior.
• Familiarity with electronics cooling or HVAC systems is a strong plus.
• Self-starter mindset, comfortable in a fast-paced startup environment with evolving designs and priorities.

Logistics & Compensation

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience. Expected range: $70,000–$105,000/year.
• Company stock option grant so you can participate in the company’s growth.
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, with Company contribution toward premiums.
• Flexible Paid-Time-Off policy plus paid holidays.
• Access to hands-on prototyping facilities, rapid iteration cycles, and close collaboration with leadership and research partners.
• Opportunity to shape core engineering decisions in an early-stage hardware company.

Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States (visa sponsorship may be considered for exceptional candidates).

Be part of a mission-driven startup redefining heating and cooling through solid-state, refrigerant-free technology. Gain deep exposure to heat transfer, thermoelectrics, mechanical design, and system integration, and grow alongside the company as we move from prototypes to commercialization.

Application instructions:

If you are excited about this opportunity, please send your resume, work samples, and a short statement to hello@mimic.systems. Please include your availability.