[Hiring] Senior Research Engineer @Phaidra

Role Description

Phaidra is looking for a curious and pragmatic Research Engineer with a passion for physics and a knack for writing robust code. You will work within our research team to develop advanced physics-based simulators, with a particular focus on thermodynamics and fluid mechanics. These simulators are key to enabling intelligent control systems that optimize performance in industrial environments.

You thrive at the intersection of science and engineering—able to translate complex physical systems into computational models and build tools that power cutting-edge AI systems.

We are seeking teammates who are based in Spain, Portugal, or the UK.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement physics-based simulation models for thermodynamic and fluid systems.
• Translate governing equations and first-principles models into performant numerical code.
• Collaborate with AI researchers to integrate simulators with reinforcement learning agents and optimization pipelines.
• Validate simulators against real-world data and iterate to improve fidelity and stability.
• Be a power user and contributor to Phaidra's simulation and AI platform, enabling scalable, reusable experimentation.
• Document and communicate technical ideas clearly across teams.

Qualifications

• 3-4 years of experience in research or applied engineering.
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Applied Physics, or related field.
• Strong understanding of thermodynamics and fluid mechanics and HVAC systems.
• Experience building simulation tools using numerical methods (e.g., finite difference, ODE/PDE solvers).
• Proficiency in Python and scientific computing libraries (e.g., NumPy, SciPy, SymPy, pandas).
• Familiarity with simulation or modeling frameworks (e.g., Modelica, OpenFOAM, COMSOL, EnergyPlus, or custom-built tools).
• Comfortable reading academic papers and implementing physics models from scratch.
• Share our company values: Agency, Velocity, Craft, Truth.

Preferred Skills & Experience

• Knowledge of controls and optimization techniques (e.g., PID, MPC, or RL).
• Experience with Modelica environments (e.g., OpenModelica, MapleSim, Dymola, Amesim, Modelon).
• Experience integrating simulation tools with machine learning workflows.
• Experience working with large-scale systems or infrastructure in energy, HVAC, or industrial automation. Familiarity with power systems is a plus.
• Familiarity with modern software engineering practices (Docker, Git, CI/CD).

Our Stack

• Python, NumPy, SciPy, pandas, SymPy
• PyTorch, Ray, scikit-learn
• Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform
• GCP

Onboarding

• In your first 30 days, you'll onboard into Phaidra's product and research ecosystem, study current modeling work, simulation tools, and customer use cases, and set up your environment to begin replicating existing physics models in code.
• By your first 60 days, you'll begin contributing to one or more simulator development projects, work closely with researchers to define simulation specs and performance metrics, and review field data to inform model accuracy and validation criteria.
• By your first 90 days, you'll be actively developing, validating, and improving simulation modules, have results from early experiments, and contribute code to core libraries.

General Interview Process

• All interviews are held via Google Meet, and an active camera connection is required.
• Meeting with People Operations team member (30 minutes)
• Meeting with Hiring Manager (30 minutes)
• Modeling and Simulation Interview (90 minutes)
• HVAC Interview (45 minutes)
• Culture fit interview with Phaidra’s co-founders (30 minutes)

Base Salary

• UK Residents:
• Tier 1 (London): 101,014 GBP - 168,356 GBP
• Tier 2 (Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Bristol): 95,072 GBP - 158,453 GBP
• Tier 3 (Smaller cities / rural areas): 89,130 GBP - 148,550 GBP
• Spain Residents:
• Tier 1 (Madrid, Barcelona): €89,957 - €149,929
• Tier 2 (Valencia, Seville, Bilbao): €83,037 - €138,396
• Tier 3 (Smaller cities/ rural areas): €76,118 - €126,863
• Portugal Residents:
• Tier 1 (Lisbon, Porto): €94,109 - €156,848
• Tier 2 (Coimbra, Braga, Aveiro): €89,957 - €149,929
• Tier 3 (Smaller cities/ rural areas): €83,037- €138,396
• In addition to base salary, this position is eligible for equity. Final salary will be determined based on several factors, including a candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies, experience, expertise, education, and location.

Benefits

• Fast-paced, team-oriented environment where your work directly shapes the company’s direction.
• We are a 100% remote company.
• Competitive compensation & meaningful equity.
• Outsized responsibilities & professional development.
• Training is foundational; functional, customer immersion, and development training.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance (exact benefits vary by region).
• Unlimited paid time off, with a required minimum of 20 days per year.
• Paid parental leave (exact benefits vary by region).
• Flexible stipends to support your workspace, well-being, and continued professional development.
• Company MacBook.

Equal Opportunity Employment

Phaidra is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Phaidra is governed on the basis of merit, competence, and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status. We welcome diversity and strive to maintain an inclusive environment for all employees.