Thermodynamics Engineer

Drogue is building the world's first offshore floating data centers. We're a small team tackling a massive, first-of-its-kind engineering challenge. If you thrive in ambiguity, love hard problems, and want to build something that's never been built before — keep reading. We're not putting servers on a barge. We're engineering a new class of ocean-deployed infrastructure that generates its own power, recovers its own waste heat, stays on station in severe weather, and runs autonomously. This requires a mix of first principles engineering and existing technology from other industries. This is the role that makes our economics work. As our Founding Thermodynamics Engineer you'll design the thermal architecture of the entire platform — from ocean thermal to waste heat recovery to turn rejected compute heat back into usable power. The ocean is both our heat sink and our energy source, and you'll figure out exactly how to optimize that. Responsibilities: Design and optimize ocean thermal energy systems that leverage seawater temperature differentials for power generation Architect waste heat recovery systems — capturing thermal output from high-density compute and recovering it via ORC Own working fluid selection, thermodynamic cycle optimization, turbine performance, and heat exchanger design Build and validate thermal models from first principles through empirical testing; own the instrumentation strategy that makes those models trustworthy Qualifications: B.S./M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or closely related field with a strong thermodynamics focus Direct experience designing, building, and testing thermal energy systems — heat pumps, ORC, waste heat recovery, enhanced geothermal, ocean thermal, or similar Ability to work across disciplines and think at the full-system level, not just the component level This role is based in Washington, D.C. and will include some time at sea. We offer generous relocation assistance for candidates across the US. We pay our employees competitive salaries based on level of experience and offer meaningful equity in a fast growing company. Apply below, or reach out at [email protected] with questions.