Principal Engineer

Job Description

Principal Engineer - Thermal & Powertrain Integration

Location

Detroit, MI (Hybrid) | Travel to OEM and supplier locations as required

JOB SUMMARY:

Tata Technologies is seeking an experienced Principal Engineer - Thermal & Powertrain Integration to lead thermal system development, cooling architecture, powertrain thermal integration, and validation activities for commercial vehicle programs. The role will be responsible for defining and delivering complete cooling system solutions including radiator systems, charge air cooling, transmission cooling, engine thermal management, thermal DFMEA, system validation, and supplier coordination from concept through production launch.

The candidate will serve as the thermal subject matter expert and work directly with OEM engineering teams, suppliers, CAE teams, and vehicle integration teams.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Thermal System Architecture

• Lead design and development of complete vehicle cooling systems.
• Define radiator, condenser, transmission oil cooler, charge air cooler, power steeringcooler, and auxiliary cooling requirements.
• Develop cooling package layouts and packaging strategies.
• Support vehicle front-end module and underhood thermal integration.

Thermal Analysis & Simulation

• Lead 1D thermal analysis using GT-SUITE, KULI, Amesim, or equivalent tools.
• Perform heat rejection analysis for engine, transmission, charge air, and auxiliary systems.
• Develop cooling circuit models and validate thermal assumptions.

Analyze:

• Engine cooling performance
• Transmission cooling
• CAC performance
• Fan system performance
• Thermal balance assessments

Powertrain Integration

• Interface with engine suppliers and OEM powertrain teams.

Review:

• Heat rejection data
• Cooling flow requirements
• Thermostat strategies
• Exhaust manifold cooling
• EGR cooling
• Transmission thermal requirements
• Support engine installation and thermal packaging studies.

System Engineering & DFMEA

• Lead thermal system DFMEA development.
• Create system boundary diagrams and interface definitions.
• Manage thermal requirements traceability.
• Support DVP&R creation and test planning.
• Drive issue resolution using root cause analysis methodologies.

Validation & Testing

• Support laboratory and vehicle testing.
• Develop validation plans for: Hot weather testing, Gradeability testing, Towing/load tests, Cooling performance testing, Wind tunnel and thermal chamber evaluations
• Correlate test results with simulation models.

Supplier & Program Support

• Coordinate with suppliers such as radiator, cooling module, fan, shroud, and thermal component suppliers.
• Support sourcing and technical supplier reviews.
• Evaluate carryover, modified, and new component strategies.
• Support BOM maturity and long-lead item reviews.

Program Leadership

• Lead thermal matched-pair reviews and engineering discussions.
• Support weekly customer status reviews.
• Track deliverables through program management tools.
• Mentor junior thermal engineers and analysts.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

Required Qualifications

Education

• BS or MS in Mechanical Engineering, Automotive Engineering, or related field.

Experience

• 12+ years of automotive or commercial vehicle thermal engineering experience.
• 5+ years leading complete vehicle thermal systems.
• Experience with medium-duty, heavy-duty truck, bus, construction, agricultural, or off-highway vehicles preferred.

Technical Expertise

• Engine cooling systems
• Charge air cooling systems
• Transmission cooling systems
• Thermal management architecture
• Heat rejection analysis
• DFMEA
• DVP&R
• Cooling module packaging
• Vehicle integration
• Software Tools

Must have experience with:

• CATIA V6
• Teamcenter / ENOVIA
• MATLAB
• Microsoft Excel

Preferred:

• Star-CCM+
• Fluent
• GT Suite

Key Competencies

• Thermal systems leadership
• Powertrain integration expertise
• OEM customer interaction
• Technical problem solving
• Supplier management
• Cross-functional collaboration
• Program execution
• Risk identification and mitigation