Senior Mechanical Design Engineer – Fluids Analysis

Company Description SARACA is a global engineering R&D services company supporting more than 25 Fortune 500 customers across industries such as MedTech, aerospace, rail, automotive, semiconductor, defense, and farm equipment. The organization is ISO 13485 certified and has extensive experience in all classes of medical devices, including embedded software, UI/UX, mechanical systems, and product testing. SARACA offers specialized expertise in IEC 62304, EU MDR, and a wide range of clinical and performance evaluation reports and scientific writing for MedTech. With a team of over 400 engineers and management consultants, SARACA delivers solutions to complex business challenges through onsite and offsite projects worldwide. As an equal-opportunity employer, SARACA promotes a culture of innovation and learning, aiming to help customers grow faster and lead their respective industries.
Senior Mechanical Design Engineer – Fluids Analysis
Company: Form Energy
Location: Berkeley, California, United States
Job Type: Full-time
Relocation Assistance: Available
About the Role
Form Energy is seeking a Senior Mechanical Design Engineer – Fluids Analysis to support the development and commercialization of its innovative, multi-day energy storage systems.
In this role, you will lead physics-based modeling and simulation efforts across electrolyte, thermal, hydrogen, and air delivery systems within Form Energy's 100-hour iron-air battery technology. You will play a critical role in translating complex fluid dynamics and heat transfer phenomena into practical engineering solutions that improve system performance, reliability, and safety.
The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), thermal-fluid sciences, and multiphysics simulation, along with the ability to validate numerical models against experimental data and translate simulation results into system-level design decisions.
Relocation assistance is available for this opportunity.
Key Responsibilities
1. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) & Thermal Modeling
Develop and execute high-fidelity CFD simulations and transient thermal models across multiple physical scales, from microscale electrochemical cell fields to macroscale containerized energy storage systems.
Model complex fluid flow and heat transfer phenomena within electrolyte, thermal management, hydrogen, and air delivery systems.
Evaluate system-level thermal-fluid performance to support architectural decisions and detailed mechanical design.
Select appropriate simulation methodologies, numerical approaches, and modeling assumptions based on engineering requirements.
2. Thermal Management & Fluid System Optimization
Analyze fluid routing, pressure drops, flow distribution, and cooling loop efficiency.
Investigate conjugate heat transfer, multiphase flow, and closed-loop cooling system performance.
Identify thermal hot spots, flow maldistribution, and potential thermal-fluid risks.
Recommend design improvements to optimize thermal performance, fluid delivery, and overall system efficiency.
3. Simulation Validation & Experimental Correlation
Validate physics-based simulation models against experimental measurements and physical test data.
Collaborate with test and instrumentation teams to investigate discrepancies between simulated and measured performance.
Evaluate mesh quality, boundary conditions, material properties, and numerical assumptions to improve model accuracy.
Establish confidence in simulation results through verification, sensitivity analysis, and experimental correlation.
4. Simulation Automation & Engineering Tools
Develop automated simulation and optimization workflows to evaluate design alternatives efficiently.
Use Python or MATLAB to automate post-processing, data visualization, parameter studies, and analysis of large multiphysics datasets.
Identify limitations in existing modeling tools and develop customized solutions to address complex engineering challenges.
Improve simulation efficiency, reproducibility, and scalability across engineering projects.
5. Cross-Functional Engineering Collaboration
Partner with mechanical, electrochemical, and power electronics engineering teams to resolve complex thermal-fluid challenges during product integration.
Translate simulation findings into actionable engineering requirements and system-level design recommendations.
Evaluate technical trade-offs between modeling fidelity, computational cost, development timelines, and system performance.
Communicate technical findings and recommendations effectively to multidisciplinary stakeholders.
6. Technical Leadership & Modeling Standards
Establish standardized modeling methodologies, simulation workflows, and technical best practices.
Lead or contribute to peer design reviews to ensure simulation quality and engineering rigor.
Identify emerging technical risks and proactively investigate complex physical phenomena.
Exercise independent engineering judgment when selecting modeling strategies and evaluating simulation results.
Required Qualifications
Bachelor's degree with 5+ years of relevant experience, a master's degree with multiple years of relevant experience, or a PhD focused on thermal-fluid sciences with relevant industry experience.
Strong hands-on experience with commercial CFD software, such as:
Ansys Fluent
Siemens STAR-CCM+
COMSOL Multiphysics
Strong understanding of fluid dynamics, heat transfer, and computational modeling.
Practical experience with conjugate heat transfer (CHT), transient thermal analysis, multiphase flow, and closed-loop cooling systems.
Experience with mesh generation, boundary condition selection, numerical methods, and simulation model setup.
Proficiency in Python or MATLAB for simulation automation, data processing, post-processing, and visualization.
Demonstrated experience validating simulation results against experimental data or physical testing.
Ability to interpret complex simulation results and convert them into practical engineering recommendations.
Strong analytical thinking, problem-solving, and technical communication skills.
Ability to collaborate across disciplines and work effectively in technically complex, evolving engineering environments.
Preferred Experience
Candidates with experience in the following areas may be particularly relevant:
Battery systems, electrochemical systems, or long-duration energy storage.
Hydrogen delivery systems, electrolyte circulation, or air delivery systems.
Thermal management of complex electromechanical or energy systems.
Multiscale modeling, multiphysics simulation, and system-level thermal-fluid optimization.
Automated design optimization, parametric studies, and simulation workflow development.
Experimental instrumentation, thermal testing, and CFD model correlation.
Developing custom engineering tools to improve simulation workflows and technical decision-making.
What Success Looks Like
In this role, success means delivering reliable, physics-based simulation models that guide engineering decisions, identifying thermal-fluid risks before they become product integration issues, and improving the efficiency of engineering development through automated workflows and standardized modeling practices.
You will help bridge the gap between numerical simulation and real-world system performance while supporting the transition of innovative energy storage technology from research and pilot development to commercial-scale deployment.

Work arrangement
Yes