What to Expect

The Aerothermal Team is responsible for the delivery of all Aerodynamic, Thermal Management, Powertrain Cooling and HVAC attributes across McLaren road cars. From concept and research through to design, simulation, development, calibration and vehicle validation, the team serves as the centre of excellence for vehicle fluid flow, heat transfer and thermal comfort.

As a Senior Aerothermal HVAC Engineer, you will lead the HVAC and climate systems attribute across McLaren's vehicle programmes. Working at the forefront of thermal comfort engineering, you will utilise a combination of 1D system simulation, CFD, rig testing and vehicle development activities to define requirements, develop systems and control strategies, deliver system calibration and validate performance against demanding customer and vehicle targets.

The role requires close collaboration with a broad range of stakeholders, including Design, Vehicle Engineering, Controls, Vehicle Development, Programme Management, Product Strategy and Sales & Marketing, ensuring HVAC system performance is fully integrated into the overall vehicle experience.

You will also play a key role in driving continuous improvement within the Aerothermal Team, advancing simulation methodologies, testing techniques and tool correlation to enable efficient and concurrent development of McLaren's highly integrated, high-performance vehicles.

What You'll Do

• Lead the HVAC attribute and system development for vehicle programmes, taking ownership of target setting, functional specification, development, attribute delivery and programme sign-off while meeting attribute, timing and investment targets.
• Develop HVAC and climate systems using a combination of 1D simulation, CFD analysis, rig testing and vehicle evaluation to deliver passenger thermal comfort, demist/defrost and cooling performance targets.
• Lead cross-functional engineering activities within a matrix organisation, ensuring robust system integration and validation across HVAC hardware, software and its wider vehicle dependencies.
• Present technical progress, risks and mitigation plans to programme leadership and Chief Engineers, leading HVAC-focused attribute, styling and design reviews throughout the vehicle development process.
• Define and manage HVAC Design Verification Plan (DVP) activities, working closely with Vehicle Development to ensure successful delivery of testing and sign-off requirements.
• Define and develop HVAC control strategies and conduct calibration and validation activities to deliver optimised climate control performance and regulatory compliance.
• Act as McLaren's subject matter expert in passenger thermal comfort, providing technical leadership across HVAC system design and control strategies (i.e. thermal comfort models, metabolic rate, solar loading, humidity, air distribution and velocity, refrigerant circuits).
• Support the continuous improvement of Aerothermal development processes, including CFD, 1D modelling, rig testing and vehicle testing methodologies, improving prediction accuracy, correlation and development efficiency.
• Mentor and support junior engineers, sharing technical expertise and promoting engineering excellence across the department.