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Cfd Simulation Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Cspeed

Thermal Simulation Engineer

Palo Alto, CA · On-site

... Engineering, Physics, or equivalent practical background. * 6+ years of thermal simulation for ... Expert proficiency in a commercial thermal or CFD tool for electronics: Ansys Icepak or Fluent ...

Inversion

Staff Aerothermal CFD Engineer

Vista, CA · On-site

$161K - $221K/yr

Successful candidates will have a background in DSMC simulation or familiarity with multi-physics ... Engineering, or an equivalent field. * Experience modifying CFD solvers or coupling them for multi ...

Cspeed

Thermal Simulation Engineer

Palo Alto, CA · On-site

... Engineering, Physics, or equivalent practical background. * 6+ years of thermal simulation for ... Expert proficiency in a commercial thermal or CFD tool for electronics: Ansys Icepak or Fluent ...

NextDeavor Inc.

Electromechanical Engineer II

Irvine, CA · On-site

$43.99 - $54.99/hr

Electromechanical Engineer II Full-time Irvine, CA Exclusive confidential search -- details shared ... Perform electromagnetic, thermal, and mechanical analysis using FEA/CFD simulation tools * Create ...

Inversion

Staff Aerothermal CFD Methods Engineer

Vista, CA · On-site

$161K - $221K/yr

As the Staff Aerothermal CFD Methods Engineer, you will build and extend the computational tools ... Experience with plasma simulation for weakly ionized flows and / or experience with electromagnetic ...

Tribonet

Computational Fluid Dynamics Engineer

Fremont, CA · On-site

$61 - $102/hr

Perform CFD and multiphysics simulations involving fluid/gas flow, heat transfer, mass transfer, species transport, chemical reactions, stress, and material response. * Develop and validate physics ...

Radiant Industries

Senior Thermal Engineer

El Segundo, CA · On-site

$100 - $135/hr

Senior Thermal Engineer Radiant is seeking a driven Senior Thermal Engineer with expertise in CFD ... Identify and implement CFD simulation best practices. * Build automated workflows to expand ...

Inversion

Staff Aerothermal CFD Engineer

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$161K - $221K/yr

Successful candidates will have a background in DSMC simulation or familiarity with multi-physics ... Engineering, or an equivalent field. * Experience modifying CFD solvers or coupling them for multi ...

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All JobsCfd Simulation Engineer JobsCfd Simulation Engineer Jobs in California

Cfd Simulation Engineer information

See California salary details

$10.9K

$91.8K

$130.3K

How much do cfd simulation engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 4, 2026, the average yearly pay for cfd simulation engineer in California is $91,796.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $84,400.00 and $108,600.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a CFD simulation engineer?

CFD Simulation Engineers are specialists who use Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software to analyze and predict fluid flow, heat transfer, and related phenomena in various engineering systems. They create digital models to simulate how gases and liquids move and interact with surfaces, helping to optimize designs in industries like automotive, aerospace, energy, and manufacturing. Their work supports product development, troubleshooting, and performance improvement by providing insights that would be difficult or costly to obtain through physical testing alone.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a CFD simulation engineer?

To thrive as a CFD Simulation Engineer, you need a solid background in fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, and numerical methods, usually supported by an engineering degree. Proficiency in CFD software such as ANSYS Fluent, OpenFOAM, or STAR-CCM+, along with experience in programming languages like Python or MATLAB, is typically required. Strong analytical thinking, problem-solving ability, and effective communication skills help you interpret results and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams. These skills are vital for accurately modeling complex flows, optimizing designs, and delivering reliable engineering solutions.

What are some common challenges faced by CFD simulation engineers during project workflows?

CFD Simulation Engineers often encounter challenges such as managing complex geometries and ensuring mesh quality, which are crucial for accurate results. Balancing simulation accuracy with computational resources and run times can also be demanding, especially when deadlines are tight. Collaboration with design, testing, and manufacturing teams is essential to validate simulation results and integrate feedback, requiring strong communication and problem-solving skills. Staying updated with the latest software and modeling techniques is also important to optimize project outcomes.

What is the difference between Cfd Simulation Engineer vs Mechanical Design Engineer?

AspectCfd Simulation EngineerMechanical Design Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's or Master's in Mechanical, Aerospace, or related engineering; proficiency in CFD softwareBachelor's or Master's in Mechanical or Industrial Engineering; CAD software skills
Work EnvironmentResearch labs, engineering firms, aerospace, automotive industriesProduct development, manufacturing, automotive, aerospace industries
Employer & Industry UsageDesigning fluid flow systems, optimizing aerodynamics, thermal analysisCreating mechanical components, assemblies, and product prototypes

The main difference is that a Cfd Simulation Engineer specializes in computational fluid dynamics to analyze fluid flow and heat transfer, while a Mechanical Design Engineer focuses on designing mechanical components and systems. Both roles require strong engineering fundamentals, but their focus areas and software tools differ.

What are the most commonly searched types of Cfd Simulation Engineer jobs in California?

The most popular types of Cfd Simulation Engineer jobs in California are:

What are popular job titles related to Cfd Simulation Engineer jobs in California?

For Cfd Simulation Engineer jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Cfd Simulation Engineer jobs in California look for?

The top searched job categories for Cfd Simulation Engineer jobs in California are:

What cities in California are hiring for Cfd Simulation Engineer jobs?

Cities in California with the most Cfd Simulation Engineer job openings:

Cfd Simulation Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Cfd Simulation Engineer job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 91% Full Time, 6% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 86% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $91,796 per year, or $44.1 per hour.

Forward Deployed Engineer, Physics & Simulation

Periodic Labs

Menlo Park, CA • On-site

$200K - $275K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 3 days ago

Job description

About Periodic Labs
We're an AI and physical sciences company building state-of-the-art models to accelerate breakthroughs across materials, energy, and beyond. Backed by world-class investors and growing rapidly, we operate at the pace the frontier requires. Our team brings deep expertise, genuine ownership, and an insatiable drive to push the boundaries of what's scientifically possible.
About the Role
We're using AI-driven simulation to solve hard physical process optimization problems in advanced manufacturing. As a forward deployed engineer focused on physics and simulation, you will be the technical backbone of our most demanding customer engagements - spending significant time on-site, embedding directly with customer teams, and owning simulation workflows end-to-end.
You'll work with our modeling and ML teams to build and calibrate physics-based simulations, turn customer process knowledge into computational models, and drive recipe optimization with direct feedback loops to production. This is a hands-on, high-ownership role at the frontier of AI for physical science.
This role requires travel to and extended time on-site in Taiwan.
What You'll Do
  • Own the simulation workflow end-to-end for customer engagements, from model setup and calibration through optimization and results interpretation
  • Run, debug and modify physics-based simulations of complex physical processes in diverse domains, such as microfluidics, charge transport and structural deformation
  • Work on-site with customer engineering teams on-site to understand process constraints, interpret simulation results into real process improvements
  • Write tools, skills and agents to reliably drive end-to-end LLM-based simulation workflows, including experimental validation, parameter fitting and recipe optimization
  • Build and extend simulation tooling in Python - job submission, parameter sweeps, output parsing, integration
  • Feed domain insights back to the research and product teams, shaping the next version our platform
You Will Thrive in This Role If You Have
  • A strong foundation in numerical simulation of continuum systems - fluid dynamics, heat transfer, structural mechanics, electromagnetics, or similar - gained through graduate research, industry, or both
  • Hands-on experience solving partial differential equations numerically, including mesh generation, solver tuning, and debugging numerical instabilities
  • Solid Python skills for scripting and scientific computing (NumPy, SciPy, or similar)
  • A process engineer's instinct: you treat simulations as tools for answering real process questions, not just jobs to run
  • Strong communication skills and genuine comfort working directly with customer engineers
  • Willingness to spend extended periods on-site in Taiwan
  • A self-starter mindset: you can take a technical problem from definition to deployed result without much hand-holding
Especially Strong Candidates May Also Have
  • CFD background, including tools like OpenFOAM, ANSYS Fluent, Star-CCM+, or custom solvers
  • Grad-level research experience building simulation software in domains like mechanical or chemical engineering, weather modeling, astrophysics, or materials processing
  • Familiar with semiconductor manufacturing processes
  • Familiarity with physics-informed ML, surrogate modeling, or neural operators applied to simulation acceleration
  • Experience integrating simulation tools into larger software platforms or automated optimization pipelines
  • Mandarin proficiency for on-site collaboration in Taiwan
  • Lab or experimental background, with an appreciation for how simulation connects to physical data
Mechanics
Minimum education: Bachelor's degree or similar experience
Location: Menlo Park, CA (Soon: San Francisco, too) + frequent travel to Taiwan
Compensation: $200,000-$275,000 + equity
Visa sponsorship: Yes, we sponsor visas.

Apply