Airflow Modeler – Data Center Design

Arcadis is the world's leading company delivering sustainable design, engineering, and consultancy solutions for natural and built assets.

We are more than 34,000 people, in over 30 countries, dedicated to improving quality of life. Everyone has an important role to play. With the power of many curious minds, together we can solve the world’s most complex challenges and deliver more impact together.

Role Description:

This role sits within our global business area of Resilience. Around the world, we are feeling the effects of climate change, rapid urbanization, and loss of biodiversity. The rate at which we are seeing large-scale, unforeseen events such as floods and wildfires, is becoming more frequent. We are here to steward and safeguard our natural environment and water resources while supporting and powering our world for the benefit of current and future generations.

Key Responsibilities:

In this role, you will leverage advanced computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools to model and analyze airflow patterns, thermal performance, and environmental conditions within data center facilities and across the surrounding site. Additional responsibilities include:

• Internal CFD Modeling: Develop, run, and analyze internal CFD simulations for data center white-space and equipment-room environments. Model airflow distribution and thermal performance around server racks, containment systems, raised-floor or overhead air distribution, and cooling systems including CRAC/CRAH units, direct-to-chip cooling, liquid-cooling support systems, and free-cooling arrangements. Evaluate supply and return airflow, rack inlet temperatures, hot-air recirculation, bypass airflow, pressure distribution, hot spots, and cooling-system effectiveness, and recommend improvements to equipment layout, airflow management, and cooling performance.
• External CFD Modeling: Develop, run, and analyze site-scale CFD simulations for data center campuses and other mission-critical facilities. Evaluate atmospheric wind flow around buildings, equipment-yard airflow, cooling-tower or dry-cooler heat rejection and recirculation, generator and other equipment exhaust dispersion, outdoor-air intake exposure, and the effects of adjacent buildings, terrain, screening, louvers, and site obstructions. Assess adverse wind directions and operating conditions, identify recirculation or plume-interaction risks, and recommend improvements to equipment placement, intake and discharge separation, screening, and site configuration. Conduct a climate analysis and perform a Probability Risk Assessment study.
• Design Optimization: Provide actionable insights and recommendations to optimize airflow distribution, reduce hot spots, and enhance energy efficiency. Collaborate closely with architects and engineers to seamlessly integrate optimized designs into both construction projects and operational workflows.
• Collaboration and Support: Partner with cross-functional teams, including mechanical, electrical, and HVAC engineers, to ensure designs align with performance and regulatory standards. Additionally, assist in troubleshooting operational airflow and thermal management issues in existing facilities to maintain optimal system performance.
• Documentation and Reporting: Create detailed reports, visualizations, and presentations to effectively communicate simulation findings and proposed solutions to stakeholders. Additionally, maintain accurate records of modeling assumptions, methods, and outcomes to ensure transparency and consistency in the documentation process.
• Research and Development: Stay up to date with the latest advancements in CFD modeling techniques, software, and data center cooling technologies. Continuously identify opportunities to integrate emerging tools and methods that can enhance modeling accuracy and improve overall efficiency.

Required Qualifications:

• MS degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Thermal Sciences, or a related field
• 2 or more years of post-graduate experience in CFD modeling, thermal analysis, or HVAC design, preferably for data centers, mission-critical facilities, or high-performance buildings, including practical experience with internal and external CFD studies

Key Skills & Attributes:

To succeed in this role, you must have a solid understanding of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, turbulence, and atmospheric or environmental flow principles, together with knowledge of data center cooling technologies and industry best practices. Experience with both internal CFD for data hall airflow and thermal management and external CFD for site wind, heat rejection, and exhaust dispersion is strongly preferred. Proficiency in one or more primary CFD platforms, including ANSYS Fluent, Cadence Reality DC Design Pro (Formerly known as 6SigmaDCX), HELYX, STAR-CCM+, SimScale, OpenFOAM, and FLOW-3D., is required. Experience should include geometry preparation, meshing, boundary-condition development, turbulence modeling, solution monitoring, verification, sensitivity analysis, and interpretation of results. Familiarity with FLOW-3D is considered a plus but is not required. Proficiency in Python or MATLAB for data analysis and automation is highly desirable. Strong analytical, problem-solving, communication, collaboration, and project-management skills are essential. Mut be proficient in ANSYS Fluent, Cadence Reality DC Design Pro (Formerly known as 6SigmaDCX), STAR-CCM+, HELYX, SimScale, OpenFOAM, and FLOW-3D. Experience developing 3D geometry from engineering and architectural drawings and simplifying models in Rhino for CFD analysis.

Preferred Qualifications:

• PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Thermal Sciences, or a related field
• Professional Engineer (PE) license or equivalent certifications
• Demonstrated experience evaluating building aerodynamics, thermal or exhaust recirculation, plume dispersion, outdoor-air intake exposure, and equipment-yard performance for data center or mission-critical sites.

Why Arcadis?

We can only achieve our goals when everyone is empowered to be their best. We believe everyone's contribution matters. It’s why we are pioneering a skills-based approach, where you can harness your unique experience and expertise to carve your career path and maximize the impact we can make together.

You’ll do meaningful work, and no matter what role, you’ll be helping to deliver sustainable solutions for a more prosperous planet. Make your mark, on your career, your colleagues, your clients, your life and the world around you.

Together, we can create a lasting legacy.

Join Arcadis. Create a Legacy.

Our Commitment to Equality, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging

We want you to be able to bring your best self to work every day. Our ambition is to be an employer of choice and provide a great place to work for all our people. We are an equal opportunity employer. We are dedicated to a policy of non-discrimination in employment on any basis including race, creed, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship status, disability, veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by law.

Arcadis offers benefits for full time and part time positions. These benefits include medical, dental, and vision, EAP, 401K, STD, LTD, AD&D, life insurance, paid parental leave, reward & recognition program and optional benefits including wellbeing benefits, adoption assistance and tuition reimbursement. We offer nine paid holidays and 15 days PTO that accrue per year. The salary range for this position is $110,000 - $150,000. Actual salaries will vary and are based on several factors, such as experience, education, budget, internal equity, project and location.

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