Senior Staff Thermal Systems Engineer

What you will do Johnson Controls’ Data Center Product Architecture team is seeking a Senior Staff Data Center Thermal Systems Engineer for the Advanced Technology & Innovation group. You will be a technical and business leader with business unit influence. You’ll drive long-range planning for business unit thermal products, champions thermal technology initiatives across Data Center Solutions, and defines integration standards ensuring modular thermal stack interoperability. You will be considered a system architect and recognized expert across thermal, controls, electrical, and mechanical domains with industry knowledge. This position is based onsite, minimum 3 days per week, at our Advanced Technology and Innovation Center located in New Freedom, PA. Candidates must be commuting distance to the facility or able to relocate.How you will do it Drive long-range planning for business unit thermal products; serve as system architect and global resource for thermal design directionDefine integration standards across product lines; ensure modular thermal stack interoperabilityDefine and coordinate product family specifications; establish business unit thermal standards and design guidelinesChampion thermal technology initiatives across Data Center Solutions; exhibit business unit influenceSupervise technical team; lead thermal system architecture effortsStrategic communicator representing organization for company-wide thermal initiatives; mentor Principal and Staff Engineers globallyWhat you will needRequired Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related discipline14+ years experience with multiple released thermal products/systems and recognized throughout division and/or industryChiller industry experience, or large industrial HVAC industry experienceSystem architect for data center thermal solutionsRecognized expert across thermal, controls, electrical, and mechanical domainsExpert in multiple technical domains (thermal, controls, electrical, mechanical)Microsoft 365/Excel (including basic macros/VBA for data analysis and reporting)CAD proficiency (SolidWorks, Creo, or equivalent)Engineering calculations and documentation (MathCAD, EES, or equivalent)Heat transfer analysis (conduction, convection, two-phase)Strong cross-domain knowledge across thermal, controls, electrical systems—generalists with 80% mastery across domains highly valuedThermodynamic cycle analysisFluid mechanics and hydraulic system designThermal system component sizing and selectionPrototype fabrication and hands-on testingCross-functional project executionPreferredMaster’s degreeSoftware/Simulation experiencePython scripting and environment management (package installation, virtual environments, basic automation)CFD (ANSYS Fluent, Star-CCM+, OpenFOAM, or equivalent)FEA (ANSYS Mechanical, Abaqus, or equivalent)MATLAB/Simulink for system modeling and controlsControls fundamentals (feedback loops, PID tuning, system response)Electrical systems basics (motor sizing, VFDs, power distribution)Refrigeration system design and refrigerant propertiesData center cooling architectures (direct liquid cooling, rear-door heat exchangers, CDUs)Expert in one or more thermal domains (CDU, chiller, dry cooler, cold plate systems) 

Created: 2026-03-01