Senior/Lead Thermal CFD Simulation Engineer (GR 31)

PACCAR is a Fortune 500 company established in 1905 and a global technology leader in the design, manufacture, and customer support of high-quality light-, medium-, and heavy-duty trucks under the Kenworth, Peterbilt, and DAF nameplates. PACCAR also designs advanced diesel engines and provides customized financial services, information technology, and truck parts.

About the role

The PACCAR Technical Center is seeking an experienced Thermal and CFD Engineer for aftertreatment, exhaust, and underbody thermal management to drive innovation in heavy-duty truck development. In this role, you'll partner directly with Kenworth and Peterbilt engineering teams to predict design viability, validate concepts through simulation-to-test correlation, and translate complex technical findings into actionable recommendations.

Responsibilities

• Perform 3D thermal and CFD analysis for exhaust and aftertreatment systems
• Predict heat loss, pressure drop, underhood and underbody temperatures under various load cases
• Evaluate DEF system thermal behavior, including doser, hoses, tank interfaces, and filling-related CFD needs
• Develop design recommendations on:
  • insulation strategy
  • heat shields
  • component clearances
  • exhaust routing geometry
  • bracket/structure thermal protection
  • thermal zone definition
• Support concept-phase architecture studies, DFMEA inputs, and comparative A/B trade studies
• Conduct quick-turn sensitivity studies and simulation reruns to support design reviews
• Correlate simulation with test/validation data and help build a reusable simulation-to-validation knowledge base
• Develop simulation methodologies for underhood and underbody simulations
• Create engineering guidelines and best practices for clearance, shielding, and thermal protection
• Work cross-functionally with packaging, reliability, validation, plant support, and warranty teams

Requirements

• 7+ years of engineering experience
• 5+ years of CFD & Thermal Analysis experience
• Experience in industries such as automotive, aerospace, electronics cooling, HVAC, battery thermal management, or other relevant industries
• Comprehension of heat transfer, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and numerical methods
• Expertise in CFD modeling, including meshing, solver setup, boundary conditions, and post-processing
• Skilled in CFD/thermal tools such as STAR-CCM+, Fluent, TAITherm
• Experience with CAD tools such as Creo, SolidWorks, CATIA, or similar
• Excellent problem-solving, analytical, and technical reporting skills
• Effective communication and teamwork skills for working with design, testing, and manufacturing teams

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field, MS or PhD preferred

Benefits

• Competitive salary and 401k with up to a 5% company match
• Fully funded pension plan that provides monthly benefits after retirement
• Comprehensive paid time off – minimum of 10 paid vacation days, 12 paid holidays, and sick leave
• Tuition reimbursement for continued education
• Medical, dental, and vision plans for you and your family
• Flexible spending accounts (FSA) and health savings account (HSA)
• Paid short- and long-term disability program
• Life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance
• EAP services including wellness plans, estate planning, financial counseling, and more
• Global Fortune 500 company with a wide array of growth and development opportunities
• Work alongside experienced, goal-oriented colleagues recognized as experts in their field

Pay

The salary range for Senior/Lead CFD Simulation Engineer is $104,100–$162,900 annually. This role is also eligible for a holiday gift.