Thermal Systems Fellow

What You Will Do Johnson Controls’ Data Center Product Architecture team is seeking a Data Center Thermal Systems Fellow for the Advanced Technology & Innovation group. You will be an acknowledged global technical and business leader for thermal technology at Johnson Controls. This role sets technical direction for thermal technology strategy across the organization, leads cross-divisional thermal platform alignment, and develops technical strategies for reconciling and assimilating thermal system and product platforms across divisions, the corporation, and with external partners. The Fellow operates with wide latitude for un-reviewed decisions and serves as a corporate technical advisor for strategic planning. This position is based onsite, minimum 3 days per week, at our Advanced Technology and Innovation Center located in New Freedom, PA. Candidates must be commuting distance to the facility or able to relocate.

How You Will Do It Drive long-range planning of enterprise thermal system strategies globally; lead system-level planning on corporate collaborative initiatives

Define corporate thermal integration strategy; lead cross-divisional thermal platform alignment

Define corporate thermal system architecture strategy; develop technical strategies for platform reconciliation across divisions and partners

Set technical direction for thermal technology across the organization with wide latitude for decision-making

Focus on state of the industry and strategic business objectives; industry thought leader

Technical advisor for corporate strategic planning; mentor Sr Staff and Lead Staff Engineers globally

Required What you will need Master’s degree required preferably in Mechanical Engineering

18+ years experience recognized across the industry

Corporate thermal technology expert with advanced understanding of thermal technology interactions across product platforms and market applications

Acknowledged global technical/business leader with corporate influence on inter-divisional initiatives

Data center cooling architecture industry knowledge and experience(direct liquid cooling, rear-door heat exchangers, CDUs)

Enterprise thermal systems expert

Expert in multiple technical domains (thermal, controls, electrical, mechanical)

Microsoft 365/Excel (including basic macros/VBA for data analysis and reporting)

CAD proficiency (SolidWorks, Creo, or equivalent)

Engineering calculations and documentation (MathCAD, EES, or equivalent)

Heat transfer analysis (conduction, convection, two-phase)

Strong cross-domain knowledge across thermal, controls, electrical systems—generalists with 80% mastery across domains highly valued

Thermodynamic cycle analysis

Fluid mechanics and hydraulic system design

Thermal system component sizing and selection

Prototype fabrication and hands-on testing

Cross-functional project execution

Preferred Ph.D.

Software/Simulation experience

Python scripting and environment management (package installation, virtual environments, basic automation)

CFD (ANSYS Fluent, Star-CCM+, OpenFOAM, or equivalent)

FEA (ANSYS Mechanical, Abaqus, or equivalent)

MATLAB/Simulink for system modeling and controls

Controls fundamentals (feedback loops, PID tuning, system response)

Electrical systems basics (motor sizing, VFDs, power distribution)

Refrigeration system design and refrigerant properties

Data center cooling architectures (direct liquid cooling, rear-door heat exchangers, CDUs)

Expert in one or more thermal domains (CDU, chiller, dry cooler, cold plate systems)