Fluid Dynamics Engineer

Mechanical Engineer Mid-level (L4 equivalent) 2-5 years

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The job description

Tech stack. CFD (ANSYS Fluent, OpenFOAM), turbulence modeling, pump and piping design, flow measurement (flow meters, pressure transducers), pressure drop calculations, cavitation analysis, test loop design

About the role

You will own fluid system performance at a company building industrial pump and filtration skids for chemical processing plants where process guarantees are contractual. Flow rates, pressure drops, and cavitation margins determine whether the skid meets its guaranteed performance or triggers penalties. You will model fluid behavior with CFD, design piping layouts and component selections, and validate performance on instrumented test stands until measured curves match your predictions within single-digit percentages. You will analyze fluid systems using CFD and experimental methods, optimizing for pressure drop, flow distribution, and heat transfer performance. Your simulations will be validated against test data, and your designs will perform in the real world, not just in the model.

What you will achieve

Deliver CFD analyses that predict system pressure drop and flow distribution within 10 percent of measured test data, with mesh independence and turbulence model justification documented.
Design pump selections and piping layouts that meet process flow and head requirements while maintaining cavitation margins (NPSHa versus NPSHr) across the full operating range including turndown.
Reduce system pressure losses by 15 percent or more through optimized manifold geometry, fitting selection, and piping routing verified by both CFD and test.
Validate designs with instrumented flow testing: calibrated test loops, pressure and flow measurements with uncertainty analysis, and clear test reports tied to acceptance criteria.
Resolve field performance shortfalls with rigorous fluid root-cause analysis and corrective designs that restore guaranteed performance without full system replacement.

What you will bring

Must-haves

2 to 5 years of fluid dynamics engineering experience with CFD applied to real products or systems.
Strong fluid mechanics fundamentals: Bernoulli with losses, boundary layers, turbulence, and multiphase flow basics.
Proficiency with a major CFD tool including meshing strategy, turbulence model selection, and solution verification.
Experience with pumps, valves, piping design, and pressure drop calculations using standard methods.
Ability to design and execute flow tests and to interpret measured data critically against predictions.
BS in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent.

Nice-to-haves

Experience with chemical process equipment, sanitary fluid systems, or high-purity applications.
Familiarity with cavitation analysis, NPSH calculations, and erosion prediction.
Background in experimental fluid mechanics techniques such as PIV or LDA.
Knowledge of slurry or viscous fluid handling and non-Newtonian behavior.