Principal Engineer - Thermal Management and Systems - GE Aerospace Research

Job Description Summary
Located in Niskayuna, New York, central to the New York Capital District, GE Aerospace Research builds on GE's 125+ years of industrial research heritage, tackling the most challenging engineering problems through multi-disciplinary teams to deliver innovative technologies. Together, we create and sustain differentiated solutions to maintain competitive advantages for GE Aerospace and our customers.
As a Principal Engineer in The Thermal Management and Systems Laboratory, you are a recognized technical expert and leader who guides multi-disciplinary research teams through the shaping, development, and delivery of innovative solutions to our customer's thermal management, propulsion, and integrated power challenges. You will serve as a key member of the Thermal Management and Systems team, working closely with the Technology Manager to identify technological trends and develop roadmaps, oversee technical execution across project portfolios, and develop our world class technical talent.
To be successful in the role, you will collaborate with cross-functional technology and business teams to drive advanced technology strategy and roadmaps, lead major technology programs, and drive technical execution across multiple projects and stakeholder groups. You will work closely with U.S. Government Agencies to shape, develop & execute on advanced technology programs that will serve the interests of the government and shape the future of GE Aerospace business products.

Job Description

At GE Aerospace Research, we invent the future of flight, lift people up and bring them home safely. The Thermal Management and Systems Laboratory at GE Aerospace Research develops innovative solutions that move and convert energy between mechanical, fluid-thermal, and electrical domains.

The Thermal Management and Systems Team is multi-disciplinary, bringing together system level thinkers, component and technology subject matter experts, and specialists in project execution and testing to demonstrate innovative power and thermal management systems tailored for our customers' needs.

Essential Responsibilities

In this role, you will be responsible for one or more of the following:

• Be a technical pillar in a multidisciplinary team, shaping technical visions and leading organizational strategy on integrated thermal management, power, and propulsion systems.
• Foster and grow relationships with colleagues across GE Aerospace Research with a wide variety of technical expertise and business responsibilities.
• Collaborate with Chief and consulting engineers, product managers in GE Aerospace businesses to identify short- and long-term problems and technical challenges, and growth opportunities
• Shape the analysis, design, and demonstration of innovative solutions to control thermal loads in complex aerospace systems such as gas turbine primary and secondary systems, power distribution and other electrical systems, and avionics.
• Lead multidisciplinary team of GE Aerospace product engineers, GE Aerospace Research team members, and external partners to invent and mature the next generation of power and thermal management technology.
• Develop the next generation of technical talent through effective coaching of project teams and mentoring individual team members.
• Own the development and maintenance of technology roadmaps and demonstrate accountability for a pipeline of funded projects.
• Lead and grow external and commercial opportunities, proposing solutions to some of the world's toughest challenges and leading proposals as principal investigator for government grant considerations.
• Work closely with the technology manager in shaping the team competencies and technical leadership; be a coach and mentor for developing technologists to strive for technical excellence.
• Be a thought leader, drive, and lead IP strategy development through the invention disclosure process.
• Deliver effective and productive presentations, reports, and publications to GE Aerospace Research and business leadership team, government agencies, professional societies, conferences, and symposium, and/or peer-reviewed journals.

Required Qualifications

• Doctorate or Master's degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, or related discipline with a minimum of 10+ years of professional experience.
• Demonstrated deep domain knowledge in the areas of thermal management systems, propulsion and power systems, and/or systems engineering.
• Demonstrated ability to model complex systems with an appropriate level of fidelity to explore systems performance, execute trade-off analyses, and define requirements for subsystems and components.
• Experience solving complex energy systems and/or thermal management problems for aerospace systems and/or energy systems.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams to mature complex engineering systems from concept thru validation.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively respond to business-critical and time-sensitive requests from customers and stakeholders.
• Demonstrated systems-level thinker capable of effectively communicating and influencing at all levels of the organization.
• Due to the nature of the duties of this position, this role requires the individual to have the ability to obtain and maintain US Government Security Clearance; prerequisite for a security clearance is U.S. citizenship.
• Must be willing to work out of an office located in Niskayuna, NY.
• Must be 18 years or older.
• You must submit your application for employment on the careers page at careers.geaerospace.com to be considered.

Desired Characteristics

• 10+ years of work experience in an industrial or laboratory setting.
  
  • Direct knowledge of propulsions applications, hybrid-electric systems, electronics cooling, space power, or high-speed flight vehicles.
  • Experience developing technical ideas with external customers and a track record of converting ideas to programs.
  • Excellent communication skills and ability to interface with senior leaders and customers with clarity and confidence
• In-depth knowledge of system modeling and/or systems-of-systems modeling.
  
  • Experience implementing system models in NPSS, MATLAB Simscape, MATLAB Simulink, Modelica, PROOSIS, GT-Suite, or similar tools.
  • Familiarity with System Engineering Principles and requirements management.
  • Knowledge of AI/ML methods as applied to system optimization, data reduction and reduced order modeling, and predictive methods.
  • Knowledge of model verification and validation, model calibration, and uncertainty quantification.
• In-depth knowledge of component analysis and design
  
  • Familiarity with the application of computational fluid mechanics tools such as Fluent, CFX, OpenFOAM, etc.
  • Familiarity with the application of mechanical and thermal stress analysis tools such as ANSYS, COMSOL, etc.
  • Experience developing custom engineering models in languages such as EES, MATLAB, Python, Fortran, C++, etc.
• Experience testing components and/or fluid-thermal systems.
  
  • Familiarity with component level design, fabricating, and testing.
  • Familiarity with the design, fabrication, commissioning, and operation of fluid-thermal systems and their associated test enabling sub-systems.
  • Experience with data acquisition hardware and software, such as NI LabVIEW, DEWESoft, Cyres, and process PLCs.
  • Experience specifying, installing, calibrating, and troubleshooting common instrumentation for mechanical, fluid, and electrical systems.
  • Experience with data reduction and visualization using commercial packages or custom scripts in MATLAB, Python, Fortran, C++, etc.

The base pay range for this position is $130,000 - $240,000 USD Annually. The specific pay offered may be influenced by a variety of factors, including the candidate's experience, education, and skill set. This position is also eligible for an annual discretionary bonus based on a percentage of your base salary based on the plan. This posting is expected to close on September 30th, 2025.

Healthcare benefits include medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug coverage; access to a Health Coach, a 24/7 nurse-based resource; and access to the Employee Assistance Program, providing 24/7 confidential assessment, counseling and referral services. Retirement benefits include the GE Retirement Savings Plan, a tax-advantaged 401(k) savings opportunity with company matching contributions and company retirement contributions, as well as access to Fidelity resources and planning consultants.

Other benefits include tuition assistance, adoption assistance, paid parental leave, disability insurance, life insurance, and paid time-off for vacation or illness. General Electric Company, Ropcor, Inc., their successors, and in some cases their affiliates, each sponsor certain employee benefit plans or programs (i.e., is a "Sponsor"). Each Sponsor reserves the right to terminate, amend, suspend, replace, or modify its benefit plans and programs at any time and for any reason, in its sole discretion. No individual has a vested right to any benefit under a Sponsor's welfare benefit plan or program. This document does not create a contract of employment with any individual.

This role requires access to U.S. export-controlled information. Therefore, for applicants who are not asylees, refugees, lawful permanent residents or U.S. Citizens (i.e., not a protected individual under the Immigration and Naturalization Act, 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), otherwise known as a U.S. Person), final offers will be contingent on the ability to obtain authorization for access to U.S. export-controlled information from the U.S. Government.

Additional Information

GE Aerospace offers a great work environment, professional development, challenging careers, and competitive compensation. GE Aerospace is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.

GE Aerospace will only employ those who are legally authorized to work in the United States for this opening. Any offer of employment is conditioned upon the successful completion of a drug screen (as applicable).

Relocation Assistance Provided: Yes