R&D Engineer, Fluid Mechanics & Systems Modeling

Energy Recovery (NASDAQ: ERII) creates technologies that solve complex challenges for industrial fluid-flow markets worldwide. Building on our pressure exchanger technology platform, we design and manufacture solutions that make industrial processes more efficient and sustainable. What began as a game-changing invention for desalination has grown into a global business advancing the environmental sustainability of customers’ operations in multiple industries. Headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, Energy Recovery has manufacturing, research and development facilities across California and Texas with sales and on-site technical support available globally. For more information, please visit www.energyrecovery.com.

ERII is seeking a qualified candidate for a full-time job opening for the position of R&D Engineer, based in India and reporting to the Director, Product Design. The role will be a founding member of ERI’s India R&D team and will be remote until our India office is established. The person will work closely with a senior India-based engineer.

The R&D department is a dynamic, global group of engineers with a wide range of backgrounds, several of them holding PhD and Masters degrees. We are looking for a talented and energetic candidate who can thrive in a team environment, support R&D efforts in new technology/new product development as well as provide engineering support to enhance and expand current product lines for fluid machinery in desalination, wastewater, or other industrial processes.

The position requires a strong knowledge base in mechanics of fluids and fluid machinery. Hands-on CFD experience is required; experience with 1-D fluid system modeling is highly desirable. The candidate will spend the bulk of their time providing analytical and computational modeling support to various New Technology and New Product development projects as well as supporting validation testing, working closely with engineering teams in the US and India.

• Support R&D projects (New Technology and New Product) involving fluid machines such as pressure exchangers, centrifugal and reciprocating pumps, turbines, turbochargers etc.
• Develop analytical and CFD models to analyze turbomachinery and fluid machinery designs, suggest ways to optimize designs and predict performance over the full operating envelope.
• Leverage commercial CFD tools such as ANSYS CFX/Fluent and/or STAR-CCM+ to generate computational meshes, perform CFD analyses and postprocess results.
• Build 1-D steady-state and transient fluid system models using tools such as Simscape, GT-SUITE, Simcenter Flomaster or equivalent to analyze and optimize machine and system performance.
• Help develop validation test plans and work closely with testing teams to confirm and validate model predictions. Use commercial and open-source software to process test data and draw physics-based insights and inputs for models.
• Help develop validated semi-empirical performance models of ERI products for use by engineering, sales, and customers.
• Participate in the development cycle of a fluid machine including 1-D hydraulic sizing, engineering analyses, design reviews, experimental validation, RCAs & release to manufacturing.
• Collaborate with multi-national, cross-functional teams across time zones.
• Follow ERI’s structured, phase-gated development process, contributing to design reviews and documentation at each phase.
• Contribute to the development of validated design tools and design practices.
• Other duties and projects as assigned.

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering (or related discipline) with 2+ years of relevant industry experience, or a Master's degree with 1+ years of relevant industry experience, required. Concentration in mechanics of fluids highly desirable.

Strong background in fluid mechanics and fluid machinery required.

Hands-on experience in commercial CFD solvers such as ANSYS CFX/Fluent or STAR-CCM+ required.

Experience with 1-D fluid flow / system modeling tools such as Simscape, GT-SUITE or equivalent is highly desirable.

Experience modeling turbomachinery such as pumps, turbines, compressors or fans required.

Experience with product development of fluid machines a plus.

Familiarity with CAD packages such as SolidWorks/Onshape/Creo/NX/CATIA and programming/scripting (Python, MATLAB) desirable.

Proficiency in using AI tools to accelerate engineering work (e.g. research, scripting/automation, data analysis, documentation), with sound engineering judgment to verify AI-generated results, is a plus.

Graduate-level coursework in fluid mechanics, CFD and turbomachinery highly desirable.

Must possess a demonstrated ability to work in a team environment, manage multiple tasks, and be goal oriented.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Must be willing to work from ERI's India office once it is established; the role will be remote until then.

Regular overlap with US Pacific time, typically 2-4 hours in the IST evening, in-office workday adjusted accordingly.

Position may require up to 5% travel, including international travel.