PURPOSE OF THE JOB
The Senior Thermal & Fluids Engineer will be a hands-on technical leader within Advanced Modeling & Simulation, applying thermal and CFD modeling to challenging research, product, process, and manufacturing problems across Owens Corning.
The role is centered on fluid and thermal sciences, particularly high-temperature heat transfer with radiation and combustion, complex fluid flow and transport phenomena. The engineer will build and apply models to understand the physics, evaluate design and operating changes, troubleshoot problems, and help project teams make better technical decisions. The role also provides opportunities to work on broader CFD and multiphysics problems as project needs evolve.
The successful candidate will bring strong industrial modeling experience and sound engineering judgment, and will work closely with scientists, engineers, and business partners to connect simulation results with experimental and operating data and translate findings into practical recommendations.
PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Live the Owens Corning Safety Stand
- Demonstrate a strong commitment to safe work practices and incorporate safety considerations into modeling, simulation, and engineering recommendations.
Apply Thermal & Fluids Modeling to Solve Technical Problems
- Lead thermal and CFD modeling for complex engineering problems involving high-temperature heat transfer, combustion, fluid flow, and transport phenomena.
- Use simulation to understand system behavior, troubleshoot problems, evaluate design and operating changes, and identify opportunities to improve performance.
- Develop and validate models using experimental and operating data, applying sound engineering judgment to model fidelity, assumptions, boundary conditions, and limitations.
- Use parametric studies, design of experiments (DOE), optimization, reduced-order models (ROMs), and surrogate models when they provide a faster or more useful way to explore design and operating conditions
- Use Python, workflow automation, and AI/ML methods where practical to reduce repetitive simulation work, accelerate model setup and post-processing and improve prediction or analysis.
- Work with engineers and scientists across disciplines to connect simulation results to the underlying physics and translate findings into practical recommendations.
Deliver Technical Results and Business Impact
- Lead modeling work from problem definition through technical recommendation, selecting an appropriate level of model fidelity and balancing technical rigor with project timing and business needs.
- Partner with research, product, process, manufacturing, and engineering teams to solve difficult technical problems and identify where modeling can reduce experimentation, risk, or development time.
- Clearly communicate modeling approach, major assumptions, results, limitations, and recommendations to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Build Modeling Capability and Technical Knowledge
- Provide technical guidance and mentoring to other engineers and contribute to peer reviews of models and results.
- Stay current with advances in thermal sciences, CFD, ROMs, simulation automation, and data-driven modeling methods, and introduce new approaches when there is a practical benefit.
JOB REQUIREMENTS
Minimum Qualifications
- Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related engineering or applied-science discipline.
- Minimum 5 years of industry experience applying thermal and CFD modeling to complex engineering, process, product, or manufacturing problems, with demonstrated experience in high-temperature thermal-fluid systems. Academic or postdoctoral research may complement but does not replace the required industry experience.
- Demonstrated experience taking complex thermal/CFD models from initial problem definition through validation and application to an industrial engineering decision.
- Demonstrated modeling experience in several of the following: radiation heat transfer, combustion, conjugate heat transfer, turbulent flow, species transport, multiphase flow, particle tracking, and transient CFD.
- Experience validating simulations against experimental, test, pilot, or operating data and recognizing the practical limitations of a model.
- Strong problem-solving and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with engineers, scientists, and project teams.
Preferred Qualifications
- Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
- Experience modeling glass and/or other high-temperature industrial processes involving radiation, combustion, heat transfer, and fluid flow is strongly preferred.
- Hands-on experience with GFM, ANSYS Fluent, STAR-CCM+, COMSOL Multiphysics, or comparable CFD/multiphysics software.
- Experience using Python, MATLAB, or similar tools for simulation automation, data analysis, optimization, or post-processing.
- Experience applying DOE, optimization, ROMs, surrogate models, machine learning, or other data-driven methods alongside physics-based simulation.
- Exposure to coupled multiphysics modeling and collaboration with structural, materials, controls, or data-science teams is a plus.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES
- Depth in thermal sciences with enough CFD breadth to work across a range of fluid-flow and transport problems.
- Ability to choose the right modeling approach and level of fidelity for an ambiguous engineering problem rather than defaulting to the most complex model.
- Ability to connect computational results to physical behavior, test data, and practical engineering decisions.
- Ability to recognize model limitations and uncertainty and communicate them clearly.
- Ability to work independently on difficult technical problems while collaborating effectively with multidisciplinary teams.
- Interest in improving simulation practices through automation, efficient modeling methods, and new computational approaches.
DIMENSIONS
- Individual contributor role with responsibility for leading significant thermal and CFD modeling activities.
- Works across research, engineering, product, process, and manufacturing teams.
- Balances hands-on technical work with project leadership, technical communication, mentoring, and improvement of modeling practices.
- Travel may be required based on project and business needs. About Owens Corning
Owens Corning is a branded building products leader with three complementary market-leading businesses providing roofing, insulation, and doors primarily for residential markets in North America and Europe. The company operates with an integrated go-to-market strategy and a unique set of OC Advantages™ – including its iconic brand, unparalleled commercial strength, leading technology, and winning cost position – to help customers win and grow in the market. Owens Corning is committed to helping build better and achieve more through winning partnerships, leading performance, and engaging people. Founded in 1938 and headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, Owens Corning is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: OC). For more information, visit www.owenscorning.com.
Owens Corning is an equal opportunity employer. Except in limited circumstances such as formal apprenticeship programs, Owens Corning does not employ anyone under the age of 18.