Interior Comfort Thermal CAE/CFD Engineer

Description

At General Motors, our product teams are redefining mobility. Through a human-centered design process, we create vehicles and experiences that are designed not just to be seen, but to be felt. We're turning today's impossible into tomorrow's standard -from breakthrough hardware and battery systems to intuitive design, intelligent software, and next-generation safety and entertainment features.

Every day, our products move millions of people as we aim to make driving safer, smarter, and more connected, shaping the future of transportation on a global scale.

Hybrid: This role is categorized as hybrid. This means the successful candidate is expected to report to Warren, MI three (3) times per week, at minimum.

The Role
The Interior Comfort Thermal CAE/CFD Engineer serves as a senior technical leader responsible for building, executing, and interpreting advanced thermal and airflow simulations, from component-level models to highly complex full-vehicle systems. This role requires deep automotive experience and strong software proficiency to drive data-driven decisions across vehicle development.

You will collaborate within a multi-disciplinary team that delivers airflow and thermal simulations to influence vehicle design, with a strong focus on cabin comfort and passenger-compartment thermal management.

What You'll Do

Cabin Comfort Simulation & Analysis

• Evaluate interior vehicle designs for passenger comfort using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD).
• Conduct full-vehicle CFD simulations to optimize cabin thermal management.
• Assess cabin performance using 1D and 3D simulation tools, including EHT (Equivalent Homogeneous Temperature) analysis.

• Develop and maintain 1D cabin models integrated into full-vehicle thermal plant simulations.
• Build predictive simulation models for new vehicle programs aligned with content, functional objectives, and program milestones.

• Partner with Calibration teams to advance virtual calibration workflows.
• Execute CFD-based analyses that improve and accelerate virtual calibration processes.

• Post-process complex simulation datasets to identify performance gaps and improvement opportunities.
• Clearly communicate technical findings and recommendations to cross-functional engineering teams.

• Regularly use commercial CFD and 1D solvers across Windows, Linux/UNIX, and HPC environments.
• Tools include ANSA, STAR-CCM+, GT-Power, MATLAB/Simulink, and GM proprietary codes.
• Apply strong software skills in modeling, scripting, automation, or data processing to enhance simulation workflows and reproducibility.

• Own virtual performance delivery in partnership with the broader Thermal Integration and VDDV teams.
• Demonstrate L7-level leadership through mentorship, cross-team collaboration, and technical influence.

• Independently identify opportunities to modernize and streamline simulation processes.
• Propose and implement innovative analytical methods to solve complex, non-standard engineering problems.

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related field, with coursework in Thermodynamics, Heat Transfer, and Fluid Mechanics.
• 7+ years of automotive industry experience with direct responsibility for thermal systems, cabin comfort, or vehicle-level thermal performance.
• Demonstrated software proficiency -including modeling, simulation, scripting, or automation tools used in advanced CAE workflows.
• 5+ years of hands-on experience using commercial CFD solvers such as STAR-CCM+ or equivalent.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to work independently and deliver technical solutions with minimal oversight.
• Solid foundation in CFD, heat transfer, and thermal-fluids methodologies.
• Familiarity with Climatic Wind Tunnel testing, associated instrumentation, and data acquisition.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite for communicating complex technical information effectively.

• Master's or Ph.D. in Engineering, Physics, or a related technical discipline.
• 8+ years of automotive experience focused on cabin comfort, thermal management, or related CAE disciplines.
• 6+ years of experience using commercial CFD tools such as STAR-CCM+.
• Ability to provide strategic technical perspective and influence program-level decisions.
• Proficiency with 3D CAD tools such as Teamcenter, VisMockup, or Unigraphics/NX.
• Experience with scripting languages or workflow automation (e.g., Python, MATLAB).
• Demonstrated success integrating Machine Learning (ML) or AI into engineering analysis or simulation processes.
• Expertise in modeling, simulation, and validation of open- or closed-loop systems in desktop and HIL environments.
• Hands-on experience with 1D solvers such as MATLAB/Simulink, GT-Power, or TAI-Therm.
• Ability to adapt system models for MiL/SiL real-time execution.
• Background in the design and release of automotive thermal systems.
• DFSS training with Green Belt or Black Belt certification.