Robotics Thermal Validation Engineer, Thermal Engineering, Optimus

What to Expect

We are looking for a hands-on validation engineer to explore, prototype, and de-risk next-generation thermal management solutions for a general-purpose humanoid robot. In this role, you will identify promising cooling technologies, build and test prototypes, and generate the data needed to determine whether those technologies are viable for future platform generations. You will work across subsystems — actuators, compute, battery, fans, and full-system thermal architecture — and your work will directly influence the thermal direction of next-generation hardware.

What You’ll Do

• Identify and evaluate emerging thermal management technologies and suppliers relevant to humanoid robotics
• Develop experimental setups and custom test rigs to characterize prototype performance under realistic operating conditions
• Work with design engineers to understand their hardest thermal challenges and translate them into structured validation and de-risking programs
• Collaborate with external vendors to source and evaluate new thermal solutions
• Own the experimental process, from defining test plans and running controlled experiments to analyzing data
• Produce clear technical reports and presentations that translate experimental results into actionable design guidance for engineering teams
• Support design engineers by de-risking complex thermal problems through targeted, first-principles analysis and experimentation

What You’ll Bring

• Degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field, or equivalent experience
• 4+ years of experience in thermal engineering with a strong emphasis on hardware development, prototyping, and validation
• Strong fundamentals in heat transfer — conduction, convection, radiation, and phase change — applied to real systems
• Demonstrated experience building and testing thermal prototypes in a lab environment, including custom test rig development and instrumented hardware characterization
• Strong experimental skills — ability to define test plans, run controlled experiments, and draw meaningful conclusions from data
• Comfortable working in ambiguous, early-stage problem spaces with limited prior art
• Clear cross-functional communication skills — able to translate experimental findings into recommendations that design teams can act on