HVAC & Battery Thermal Management System Lead

Role Summary

Lead the development, integration, and validation of HVAC and Battery Thermal Management Systems (BTMS) for electric, hybrid, commercial, and off-highway vehicles. Responsible for thermal calculations, system sizing, component selection, packaging, HVAC ducting, battery cooling/heating architecture, supplier management, and vehicle-level thermal integration from concept through production.

Key Responsibilities

HVAC System Development

• Develop complete HVAC system architecture and thermal management concepts.
• Define cooling, heating, ventilation, defrost, and cabin comfort requirements.

Thermal Calculations & System Sizing

• Perform:

Cabin heat load calculations, Solar load analysis, Cooling load calculations, Heating load calculations, Airflow and pressure drop calculations, Refrigerant circuit sizing

• Size and select:

Compressors, Condensers, Evaporators, Expansion valves, HVAC blowers, Heater cores, Refrigerant lines, Cooling pumps and valves

Battery Thermal Management System (BTMS)

• Define battery thermal management architecture for EV and hybrid platforms.
• Develop liquid-cooled and air-cooled battery thermal systems.
• Perform:
• Battery heat generation calculations
• Cooling capacity calculations
• Thermal load assessments
• Coolant flow calculations
• Pressure drop calculations
• Heat exchanger sizing

• Develop battery cooling and heating strategies to meet performance, durability, charging, and safety targets.
• Define thermal requirements for:

Battery packs, Battery modules, Power electronics, On-board chargers, Electric drive units

• Support fast-charging thermal management and thermal runaway mitigation strategies.
• Integrate chiller, PTC heaters, heat pumps, cooling pumps, valves, and battery cooling circuits.

Thermal System Integration

• Integrate HVAC and battery thermal systems into a unified vehicle thermal management architecture.
• Optimize energy consumption and vehicle range through efficient thermal management.
• Coordinate interfaces between:

Battery System, Powertrain, Vehicle Controls, Electrical Architecture, Cooling System, Cabin Climate Control

Plastic & Sheet Metal Component Design

• Strong knowledge of:
• Injection moulded plastic components
• Sheet metal design
• Manufacturing processes &Tooling feasibility

Supplier Management

• Manage HVAC and BTMS suppliers through the complete development cycle.

Testing & Validation

• Develop validation plans for HVAC and thermal management systems.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Lead system integration activities from concept through SOP.

Required Technical Skills

• HVAC System Design & Development
• Battery Thermal Management Systems
• Cabin Thermal Load Calculations
• Battery Heat Load Calculations
• Thermal System Sizing
• Heat Exchanger Selection
• Chiller & Cooling Circuit Design
• Heat Pump Systems
• Cooling System Integration
• GD&T
• DFMEA / PFMEA
• DFA / DFM / DFS
• Sheet Metal & Plastic Component Design
• APQP / PPAP
• Supplier Development

Preferred Tools

• CATIA V5/V6
• Teamcenter / PLM
• GT-SUITE
• MATLAB Simulink
• MS Office

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Automobile Engineering, Thermal Engineering, Energy Engineering, or equivalent.

Key Competencies

• HVAC & Thermal Management Expertise
• EV Thermal System Integration
• Technical Leadership
• Supplier Management
• System Engineering
• Cross-functional Coordination
• Problem Solving
• Project Execution
• Cost and Quality Optimisation