CFD Engineer, Data Centers

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Virginia.

📋 Description

• Manage the complete lifecycle of CFD studies, from formulating the design question to generating technical reports.

• Conduct internal airflow and thermal analyses within data halls, focusing on rack temperatures, airflow distribution, containment, bypass, recirculation, cooling-unit placement, rack density, failure modes, and capacity expansion.

• Execute external studies related to cooling towers, chillers, dry coolers, generator and boiler exhaust, mechanical yards, relief air, outdoor-air intakes, heat rejection, plume behavior, short-circuiting, and thermal re-entrainment.

• Carry out steady-state and transient analyses for cooling-system outages, equipment failures, load variations, control sequences, and thermal ride-through conditions.

• Formulate and document modeling assumptions based on design documents, equipment specifications, control narratives, weather data, commissioning information, and field measurements.

• Implement verification and validation protocols, which include mesh sensitivity checks, mass and energy balance assessments, convergence evaluations, hand calculations, and correlation with measured data.

• Assess outcomes against project-specific standards, ASHRAE TC 9.9 guidance, and relevant client, code, and industry requirements.

• Convert findings into practical recommendations for equipment selection, airflow management, containment strategies, intake/exhaust separation, control systems, phasing, redundancy, and operational resilience.

• Create client-ready reports and visual representations that communicate methodology, assumptions, scenarios, results, risks, limitations, and forthcoming steps.

• Present findings and collaborate with multidisciplinary project teams and clients.

• Contribute to the development of standardized templates, modeling procedures, quality-control checklists, libraries, and lessons learned.

• Facilitate technical knowledge sharing and mentor less-experienced staff.

⛳️ Requirements

• A Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related engineering field.

• Over 6 years of practical CFD experience, particularly in data centers, mission-critical facilities, or other complex thermal management settings.

• Proficiency in at least one data center or general-purpose CFD software, such as Cadence 6SigmaDCX, Ansys Fluent, Ansys CFX, or OpenFOAM.

• Strong foundational knowledge in fluid mechanics, heat transfer, thermodynamics, turbulence modeling, and HVAC system operations.

• Experience modeling both internal environments, like IT spaces and containment systems, and external environments, including mechanical yards, cooling equipment, intakes, and exhaust discharges.

• Familiarity with data center cooling architectures, HVAC systems, redundancy principles, controls and failure scenarios, and common thermal performance metrics.

• Proven ability to independently conduct CFD studies from initial scoping to final reporting.

• Experience with geometry preparation, meshing, solver configuration, convergence assessment, post-processing, and engineering interpretation.

• Capability to establish appropriate boundary conditions based on design information and equipment performance data.

• Excellent technical writing, visualization, and presentation abilities.

• Sponsorship for U.S. employment authorization is not currently available and will not be in the future.

• Willingness to attend in-person onboarding on Day 1 at an AECOM office location.

🏝️ Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance.

• Life, AD&D, and disability insurance coverage.

• Paid time off for vacations and personal days.

• Leave of absence options.

• Availability of voluntary benefits and perks.

• Flexible work arrangements.

• Resources for well-being.

• Employee assistance programs.

• Business travel insurance coverage.

• Recognition awards for service.

• Retirement savings plan.

• Employee stock purchase plan.

• Access to award-winning training and development programs.

• Opportunities for career growth and mobility.