Thermal Systems Engineer

Company Mission

Quilt's company mission is to move humanity off of fossil fuel heating. 20% of US global warming emissions come from homes (that's more than cars!). The largest driver of home emissions is burning fossil fuels for heat. To stop climate change, over 80M US homes need to transition from combustion to efficient, electric heat pumps over the coming decades.

We believe for this to happen the world needs fantastic products that are easy and desirable to purchase. Today's heat pumps lack great design, make limited use of software, and are difficult and stressful to adopt. We are building a next generation, beautifully designed, smart home heating and cooling system that is 10x better than what is on the market today.

Role

Quilt is hiring a Thermal Systems Engineer to optimize deployed systems and support development of our next generation systems. This is an excellent opportunity for an early-career engineer to dive deep into real-world applications of a thermal system, gain testing, analysis and system design skills while contributing to products that combat climate change.

You will work closely with our thermal and cross-functional teams to conduct thermal testing, analyze system performance, develop thermal models, and support the design of next-generation HVAC products. The ideal candidate has strong thermal engineering fundamentals, is eager to learn, and is excited about applying their skills to real-world climate solutions.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field with coursework in thermodynamics, heat transfer, and fluid mechanics


• Understanding of fundamental thermal engineering principles including refrigerant cycles


• Familiarity with refrigerant system components, key process parameter, and common failure modes


• Basic familiarity with data analysis and visualization using Python, MATLAB, or similar tools


• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to work through technical challenges methodically


• Excellent communication skills and ability to document technical work clearly


• Ability to communicate with non-technical stakeholders, such as customer support representatives and HVAC technicians


• Self-motivated with eagerness to learn and take on new challenges


• Passion for electrification, energy efficiency, and home automation


• Strong mission alignment around climate and decarbonization

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience involving thermal testing, temperature measurement, or thermal system design


• Hands-on experience with thermal instrumentation (thermocouples, anemometers, manometers, infrared cameras)


• Some exposure to thermal modeling or simulation tools (ANSYS, Dymola, GT-Suite, COMSOL, or similar) through coursework or projects


• Exposure to manufacturing processes and design for manufacturing principles


• Experience with CAD software for thermal design


• Familiarity with heat pumps, or HVAC systems

Responsibilities

• Analyze system telemetry to root cause field issues and propose improvements to the product


• Work cross-functionally to develop continuous monitoring and automated alerting tools based on field data


• Perform root cause analysis on units returned from the field


• Conduct validation testing of products in development and support regulatory testing


• Support thermal analysis and modeling efforts to predict real world performance and validate system health


• Analyze test data and present findings to inform design decisions and product improvements


• Collaborate with mechanical, electrical, and manufacturing teams to ensure thermal requirements are met throughout the product development cycle

Compensation & Benefits

This is a full-time, onsite position in our Redwood City office with an expected salary range of $120,000 - $130,000, depending on experience. In addition to base salary, Quilt also offers meaningful equity and top-tier health benefits.

Relocation assistance is not available for this role.

Don't meet 100% of the requirements? That's okay, apply anyways! If you're excited about this role and think you could bring something unique to the team, we encourage you to apply—even if your experience doesn't match perfectly. We'd love to hear from you.

About Quilt

At Quilt, we're on a mission to make clean, efficient heating and cooling accessible to everyone — and we know that heat pumps can play a big role in creating healthier, more climate-resilient homes. But the reality is, climate change and outdated energy systems don't impact everyone equally. That's why we're building a diverse, inclusive team — because we believe the best solutions come from people with different lived experiences and perspectives. We welcome teammates of all races, ethnicities, genders, identities, abilities, and backgrounds, and we're committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels empowered to shape the future of climate tech.

Need accommodations during the hiring process? No problem — just let us know. We're here to support you. Email [email protected] to make your request.