AAR · 12 hours ago
Sr Engineer - Refrigerant / HVAC
Cadillac, MI
Full-time
Onsite
Mid, Senior Level
3+ years expAAR is a company specializing in engineering solutions, and they are seeking a Senior Engineer specializing in Refrigerant and HVAC systems. The role involves designing air conditioning systems, electrical control systems, and ensuring environmental durability while optimizing performance for military applications.
AerospaceCommercialGovernmentNational Security
Responsibilities
System Design and Component Selection: Proficiency in designing complete air conditioning systems, including heat exchanger design, compressor selection, refrigerant selection (with emphasis on low-GWP options compliant with DoD regulations), air flow design, static pressure calculations, and fan selection. Experience optimizing system COP (Coefficient of Performance) using specialized air conditioner design software. Experience with Excel and macros a plus
Electrical and Control Systems: Expertise in electrical control design, including safety timers and switch selection, and controller programming in ladder logic and structured text. Skilled in electrical power design, such as wire size and type selection, with a focus on minimizing inrush currents to accommodate generator-based power budgets
Mechanical and Structural Design: Strong experience with SolidWorks/Creo (or equivalent 3D CAD software) for part and assembly design, generating bills of materials (BOMs), assembly drawings, and part drawings, particularly for sheet metal components. Familiarity with AutoCAD for electrical and plumbing schematic design. Limited use of CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) for airflow simulations
Environmental and Durability Engineering: Knowledge of designing systems to withstand shock, vibration, extreme temperatures, blowing sand/dust, and blowing rain tests. Basic familiarity with MIL-STD-810 for environmental testing and MIL-STD-461 for EMI/EMC compliance. Expertise in material selection for corrosion resistance, lightweight construction, and overall robustness to ensure fault-tolerant operation under poor maintenance and harsh conditions
Integration and Optimization: Awareness of system integration challenges, including power budgeting for military platforms. Ability to balance compact sizing with low noise levels, efficiency, and lightweight design while meeting air flow requirements and maintaining operational redundancy for mission-critical reliability
Prototyping, Testing, and Validation: Hands-on experience building and validating prototypes, including thermal performance testing at non-standard conditions. Skills in noise reduction (including special considerations for stringent requirements), and occasional Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA). Ensuring cooling capacity meets or exceeds ratings under military-specific demands
Qualification
Required
Proficiency in designing complete air conditioning systems, including heat exchanger design, compressor selection, refrigerant selection (with emphasis on low-GWP options compliant with DoD regulations), air flow design, static pressure calculations, and fan selection
Experience optimizing system COP (Coefficient of Performance) using specialized air conditioner design software
Experience with Excel and macros a plus
Expertise in electrical control design, including safety timers and switch selection, and controller programming in ladder logic and structured text
Skilled in electrical power design, such as wire size and type selection, with a focus on minimizing inrush currents to accommodate generator-based power budgets
Strong experience with SolidWorks/Creo (or equivalent 3D CAD software) for part and assembly design, generating bills of materials (BOMs), assembly drawings, and part drawings, particularly for sheet metal components
Familiarity with AutoCAD for electrical and plumbing schematic design
Limited use of CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) for airflow simulations
Knowledge of designing systems to withstand shock, vibration, extreme temperatures, blowing sand/dust, and blowing rain tests
Basic familiarity with MIL-STD-810 for environmental testing and MIL-STD-461 for EMI/EMC compliance
Expertise in material selection for corrosion resistance, lightweight construction, and overall robustness to ensure fault-tolerant operation under poor maintenance and harsh conditions
Awareness of system integration challenges, including power budgeting for military platforms
Ability to balance compact sizing with low noise levels, efficiency, and lightweight design while meeting air flow requirements and maintaining operational redundancy for mission-critical reliability
Hands-on experience building and validating prototypes, including thermal performance testing at non-standard conditions
Skills in noise reduction (including special considerations for stringent requirements), and occasional Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA)
Ensuring cooling capacity meets or exceeds ratings under military-specific demands
BSME or Engineering Bachelors Degree from ABET accredited school or equivalent, may have a Master Degree and may be a registered professional engineer
Minimum 3-5 years of relevant work experience
Strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement tools
Benefits
Competitive salary and bonus package
Comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision coverage.
401(k) retirement plan with company match
Generous paid time off program
Professional development and career advancement opportunities
Company
AAR
AAR is an aerospace and defense aftermarket solutions company providing aircraft parts, maintenance (MRO), and engineering solutions.
5001-10000 employees
H1B Sponsorship
AAR has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2023 (1)
2020 (2)
Funding
Current Stage
Public CompanyTotal Funding
$1.56B2025-09-30Post Ipo Equity· $239M
2025-08-11Post Ipo Debt· $150M
2024-02-14Post Ipo Debt· $550M
Leadership Team
David P. Storch
Chairman and CEO
John Holmes
Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer
Recent News
2026-01-07
Company data provided by crunchbase