Senior Aero-Thermal Engineer

At McLaren, our mission is to set the standard for high performance in sport. And everyone, in every part of the team, has a role to play. So if you want to test your ideas with the world watching and measure your progress in milliseconds, you belong here. High performance starts with you.

Purpose of the Role: As a Senior Aero-thermal Engineer, you will work with your team to research, develop and deliver novel and class leading thermal management solutions for wheels and brake components. You will have direct influence over the design, validation, and refinement of aero-thermal manage assemblies, working alongside talented engineers to enhance the car’s overall performance on track. This role is factory-based but may involve occasional travel. It is predominantly carried out during standard working hours but will sometimes include additional hours and weekends. Extensive use of CFD, the brake dyno and the wind-tunnel will be required to develop and validate your designs.

Principal Accountabilities:

• Work with the Aero-thermal Project Leader to rapidly develop ingenious new methods to transfer heat within a complex aero-thermal-mechanical system which, ultimately, add performance to our F1 race car.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, ensuring alignment across all stages of development.
• Use extensively, from a consistently sound engineering basis, our CFD, brake dyno and wind-tunnel resources to develop and validate your designs.
• Oversee the preparation of legal, high-quality CAD models for aerodynamic surfaces and ensure compliance with Formula 1 regulations and design best practices.
• Work closely with the Race Team to drive relevant on-track testing, assess performance of the corner heat management systems, and feed insights back to your team for iterative development.
• Exhibit a high-performance mindset, encouraging innovation within the team, always demonstrating outstanding work ethics on and off track.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience:

• Proven experience and creativity in the development of aero-thermal heat management systems with a deep understanding of CFD, real-world track and laboratory testing.
• Expert knowledge of the principles of heat transfer and fluid dynamics relating to both internal (ducted) and external flows.
• In-depth understanding of car systems, how to work around packaging constraints, and their aerodynamic and thermodynamic implications.
• Track record of delivering high-performance aero-thermal solutions, meeting strict targets and timelines.
• Experience in influencing cross-departmental collaboration to achieve shared objectives.
• Strong problem-solving skills, with an analytical mindset and a keen eye for detail.
• Strong experience in working with solid parts (in CAD, in CFD, with part in hand, on the brake dyno test rig).
• Degree in Mechanical, Automotive, or Aeronautical Engineering, or equivalent industry experience.
• Proficiency in CAD software and aerodynamic modelling tools, with an emphasis on delivering legally compliant and technically refined components.

Personal Attributes:

• A strong team player with a ‘team first’ outlook who is able to collaborate synergistically, enthusiastically and positively with numerous colleagues in a multi-disciplinary, high performance, team-based environment.
• A meticulous eye for detail with a strong drive to develop best-in-class technical solutions.
• Strong spatial awareness such that you can readily switch mentally from working with flows and shapes in CAD and simulation to imagining fluid and heat flows around and through real race-car parts.
• Self-motivated and results-oriented, with the capacity to make independent decisions under pressure.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate with colleagues at all levels and across multiple departments.
• Highly organized, with exceptional planning and project management skills to deliver complex tasks within tight deadlines.
• Adaptable and open-minded, able to manage changing project requirements and respond to new challenges.
• A passion for motorsport, innovation, and continuous learning and improvement.

What McLaren can offer? We constantly strive to be better tomorrow than we are today. Our ambition is to be the most pioneering and exhilarating racing team in the world, and our collective task is to set the standards for high performance in sport. We show up every day with energy and enthusiasm, ready to play our part. We encourage and support diversity, equity and inclusion. We will actively promote a culture that values difference and eliminates discrimination in our workplace. McLaren Racing is based at the iconic McLaren Technology Centre (MTC) near Woking. Our state of the art, sustainable campus offers many facilities including a gym, restaurant and indoor and outdoor break-out areas, as well as direct access to park and common land. The MTC is connected to Woking mainline station via regular shuttle buses, from which London Waterloo is a 30 minute train ride. We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including private healthcare, car schemes, life insurance and generous pension contributions.