Thermal Fluids Section Manager Verified today
About the Role
The Thermal Fluids Section Manager provides functional leadership for the Thermal Fluids Analysis organization, including Thermal Analysis and Computational Fluid Dynamics. You will be accountable for workforce development, resource planning, technical governance, and consistent delivery of high-quality analysis products that meet customer, quality, and configuration-management requirements.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead personnel assignments and priorities across multiple programs and technical disciplines within Thermal Analysis and Computational Fluid Dynamics
- Develop and execute section staffing strategies, including workforce planning, hiring, onboarding, retention, succession planning, and employee development
- Maintain labor forecasts, staffing plans, budget inputs, and resource estimates to ensure adequate thermal fluid analysis support
- Partner with program managers, chief engineers, and functional leaders to balance priorities and resolve resource conflicts
- Serve as escalation point for technical issues, staffing conflicts, quality concerns, and cross-disciplinary coordination
- Track and communicate section performance against budget, schedule, quality metrics, and customer commitments
- Establish and enforce section workflows, review gates, standards, templates, analysis checklists, and configuration-control practices
- Establish and monitor metrics for quality, productivity, staffing utilization, review effectiveness, and drive continuous improvement
- Conduct audits, support customer reviews, design reviews, and define corrective actions for thermal fluids analysis
- Develop and maintain section technical capabilities, software tools, automation solutions, and knowledge management practices
- Conduct employee one-on-ones, performance evaluations, career development discussions, and mentoring for thermal and CFD engineers
- Review and approve employee timecards, overtime, travel, and training requests
Required Qualifications
- BS in Mechanical, Aerospace, Chemical, or related engineering discipline
- 8+ years of engineering experience including significant experience in thermal analysis, fluid systems, heat transfer, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and thermal verification and testing
- 3+ years of experience leading engineering teams, technical organizations, or functional groups, including personnel development, resource planning, and multi-disciplinary coordination
- Experience with industry-standard thermal and fluid analysis tools including Thermal Desktop, SINDA/FLUINT, Star-CCM+, OpenFOAM, MATLAB, Python, or equivalent
- Demonstrated ability to manage staffing plans, labor forecasts, budgets, schedules, and multi-program resource demands
- Demonstrated ability to communicate technical issues and recommendations to engineering leadership, program management, customers, and cross-functional stakeholders
- Experience developing or enforcing engineering workflows, quality procedures, technical standards, review gates, and deliverable expectations
- Strong communication, organization, mentoring, customer interface, and leadership skills
Preferred Qualifications
- MS degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Chemical Engineering or related discipline
- PMP certification
- Experience supporting human spaceflight programs and familiarity with NASA standards and requirements
- Experience leading multidisciplinary thermal analysis and fluid systems organizations
- Experience with thermal vacuum testing, fluid systems testing, model correlation, and verification activities
- Experience with configuration management and engineering quality systems
- Familiarity with spacecraft thermal control systems, environmental control and life support systems (ECLSS), propulsion fluid systems, cryogenic systems, or other aerospace thermal-fluid applications
Work Environment
Generally office-based, but may involve inside or outside work depending on task. Work may involve sitting or standing for extended periods (90% of the time). May require lifting and carrying up to 25 lbs. (5% of the time). Must be willing to work evenings and weekends as needed to meet critical project milestones.
Export Control
This position may require access to export controlled technical data or technology subject to NASA regulations, International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), or Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Final candidates may be required to undergo additional export control screening to determine eligibility for access. Meeting these requirements is a condition of employment.