Thermal Engineer, Vehicle Design Engineering (m/w/d)

Role Overview

Join the Vehicle Engineering team in Berlin and contribute to the development of the next wave of advanced automotive products. This role supports Tesla’s mission to speed up the shift to sustainable energy by helping create innovative vehicle technologies for European and other expanding markets.

You will be part of a thermal systems engineering group that works in a highly collaborative, fast-moving environment with a flat structure and strong individual technical ownership. The role is suited to someone who enjoys solving challenging engineering problems, working across disciplines, and contributing directly to real vehicle programs.

In this position, you will collaborate with experienced engineers to design, validate, and deliver thermal management and HVAC solutions for next-generation vehicles.

Key Work Areas

• Build and refine the fluid-dynamics foundation of powertrain thermal management and HVAC systems.
• Own high-level system packaging and performance sizing activities.
• Create and analyze aerodynamic designs for flow distribution, pump impellers, fan blades, particulate and gas filtration, water handling, heat exchangers, and related components.
• Develop physics-based and analytical models for thermal management and HVAC performance.
• Handle mechanical design and packaging of HVAC parts so they satisfy vehicle and system targets while balancing efficiency, cost, mass, manufacturability, and serviceability.
• Translate vehicle-level objectives and customer expectations into component- and system-level requirements.
• Prepare component specifications, DFMEAs, and other engineering design documentation.
• Define and run design verification plans and test methods to confirm compliance with requirements.
• Ensure vehicle HVAC systems meet all applicable motor vehicle safety standards.

Candidate Profile

The ideal applicant has an academic background in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related discipline.

You should bring a strong grasp of fluid mechanics, including turbulent and laminar flow, attached and separated flow, vortex behavior, and related phenomena. The role also requires solid engineering fundamentals and the ability to use hand calculations to make fast decisions or check simulation and test outcomes.

Experience with advanced surfacing tools for creating high-quality aerodynamic CAD geometry is expected, with CATIA being preferred. You should also have hands-on knowledge of CFD methods such as RANS, LES, VOF, DEM, and CHT, along with their variants.

A good understanding of numerical modeling is important, especially around solution accuracy, solver stability, and robustness. Strong programming ability is needed to develop and support physics-based 1D models over time, with Python being a plus.

The role calls for someone who is motivated by difficult, unfamiliar engineering challenges and can work effectively under tight deadlines. Prior experience with many released component designs is beneficial.

Working knowledge of automotive HVAC systems, including compressors, HVAC assemblies, fluid transfer parts, and vehicle performance testing, is required. Familiarity with high-volume manufacturing processes such as injection molding, stamping, and casting is also important.

Work Environment

This is an onsite position based in Berlin, Germany.

Additional Information

Opportunity to work with globally recognized engineers on advanced automotive programs in a high-energy, entrepreneurial setting.