Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Engineer

Become a Computational Fluid Dynamics Engineer at Rondo Energy in Alameda, California. Focus on developing and optimizing CFD models for industrial heat applications. Enjoy a competitive salary of $110,000 to $135,000 and excellent benefits, including equity options. This role requires on-site presence 4-5 times a week. Join Rondo Energy as a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Engineer in Alameda, California, and help advance thermal modeling for industrial heat applications. You will develop and optimize large-scale CFD models, ensuring accuracy even with poor-quality CAD data. Enjoy a competitive salary range of $110,000 to $135,000, excellent benefits, and the opportunity to contribute to reducing global CO₂ emissions. This role requires on-site work 4-5 times a week.

Rondo Energy Alameda, California, United States On-site Full Time USD 110k–135k yearly UTC-08:00

Rondo Energy

Company Overview

Name

Rondo Energy

Headquarters

Alameda, California, United States

Founded

2020

Size

Employee count is not publicly specified, and as a private company, no revenue figures are disclosed; total funding raised is $82 million (source: cbinsights.com).

What They Do

Rondo Energy focuses on electrified thermal energy storage, specifically through its innovative Rondo Heat Battery (RHB) technology. This technology converts intermittent renewable electricity from sources such as wind and solar into high-temperature heat, which is stored in refractory bricks heated to temperatures between 1100-1500°C. The stored energy can then be dispatched as superheated air, process heat, steam, or power with an impressive efficiency of over 98% for extended periods, making it a viable solution for industries that require continuous high-temperature heat (source: rondo.com). Rondo's products are particularly targeted at sectors like steel, cement, chemicals, food processing, biofuels, textiles, and mining, where high-temperature heat is essential for operations. The company offers scalable systems ranging from pilot-scale deployments to larger commercial applications, catering to a diverse range of industrial needs (source: cbinsights.com). By providing a cost-effective alternative to lithium-ion batteries, Rondo differentiates itself in the market, focusing on thermal storage solutions that do not rely on rare materials, thus enhancing sustainability and accessibility for heavy industries globally (source: weforum.org).

Projects & Track Record

Rondo Energy has made significant strides in the deployment of its Heat Battery technology, with its first pilot-scale 2 MWh Heat Battery operational since 2023 at a California ethanol production facility. This deployment marks a pivotal moment for the company as it represents its initial major project in the field (source: canarymedia.com). The company has announced a total of 11 commercial developments, including 8 RHB deployments that collectively exceed 200 MWh. Notably, Rondo is working on a Heat-as-a-Service solution for HEINEKEN, which is powered by on-site solar and grid renewables, with support from major partners like EDP and the European Investment Bank (source: rondo.com). Rondo's partnerships span various industries, including food and beverage, cement production, mining, and textiles, with a total of 3 GWh in committed capacity across four major partnerships (source: rondo.com). The company's geographic presence is primarily in the United States, with its headquarters in Alameda and ongoing projects in California, while also expanding into Europe through its collaboration with HEINEKEN (source: cbinsights.com).

Recent Developments

In the past two years, Rondo Energy has successfully secured a Series B - II funding round, building on a previous $22 million Series A funding closed in February 2022. This funding was led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Energy Impact Partners, aimed at enhancing manufacturing capabilities and facilitating customer deliveries (source: rondo.com). The company has made headlines with its HEINEKEN Heat-as-a-Service contract, which was announced as a significant milestone in 2025, alongside the deployment of over 200 MWh across 11 commercial projects (source: rondo.com). Additionally, Rondo was granted a U.S. patent on February 25, 2025, for a thermal energy storage system that integrates with steam cracking systems, showcasing its commitment to innovation in energy storage and conversion technologies (source: cbinsights.com). While no acquisitions or mergers have been reported, Rondo continues to achieve operational milestones and gain recognition from investors for its efforts in addressing industrial heat challenges (source: canarymedia.com).

Working There

Rondo Energy's LinkedIn page indicates that the company is actively hiring for various roles primarily in engineering, manufacturing, project development, and operations. The departments include research and development focused on Heat Battery technology, sales teams targeting industrial clients, deployment teams for project execution, and support functions such as finance, reflecting the company's growth phase (source: linkedin.com). Most hiring efforts are concentrated at the Alameda headquarters, although there may be remote or project-based opportunities associated with U.S. pilots and European expansions like the HEINEKEN project (source: cbinsights.com). The company culture is characterized by a mission-driven approach to decarbonization, emphasizing collaboration with top investors and a commitment to scaling operations for profitability, as highlighted by CEO John O’Donnell in recent funding announcements (source: rondo.com). While specific employee benefits are not detailed in public sources, the venture-backed nature of Rondo suggests competitive compensation packages typical for Series B clean-tech firms in California, including potential equity options (source: linkedin.com).

Contact

Website · Careers · LinkedIn

Last updated on 2025-12-26 | Report an issue

Rondo Energy's mission is to eliminate 15% of global CO2 emissions in 15 years.

To accomplish this mission, Rondo is deploying low-cost, zero-carbon Rondo Heat Batteries to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy and to significantly decarbonize industrial processes that are commonly thought of as "difficult-to-decarbonize". Our Heat Batteries charge from intermittent renewables to provide high temperature, continuous heat for customers safely, reliably, at an unprecedented 98% efficiency - and at a cost point that is lower than any other method.

We are seeking a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Engineer to join our team and contribute to advancing our thermal and heat transfer modeling capabilities for industrial heat applications. This role will be responsible for building, optimizing, and troubleshooting large-scale CFD models, which will significantly impact the success of Rondo's Heat Batteries and our mission to reduce carbon emissions.

Join our team, and together we can reduce global CO₂ emissions by 1% in 10 years, and by 15% in 15 years!

What You Will Do (key responsibilities for this role include but are not limited to)

Develop CFD models covering a wide range of length scales, enabling accurate analysis of complex thermal and fluid flow systems.
Work with poor-quality CAD models, ensuring model integrity and accuracy for simulations despite challenges in geometry.
Apply expertise in conjugate heat transfer modeling to simulate interactions between fluid flow and solid structures in thermal systems.
Analyze and interpret simulation results, providing insights and recommendations to optimize design and performance of heat transfer components.
Generate clear documentation and communicate simulation findings to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Help define tests and test plans to create validation datasets
Use data to validate your models

What You Will Bring

Bachelor's or higher degree in Mechanical Engineering, Fluid Dynamics, or a related field.
Experience in CFD modeling using commercial codes for real industrial applications.
Strong fundamentals in conjugated heat transfer, fluid dynamics, and numerical methods.
Experience with a range of CFD software and tools for pre-processing, meshing, and post-processing.
Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with strong attention to detail in modeling and data interpretation.
A love for CFD modeling!

Bonus Points!

Master's degree or PhD
Experience handling complex geometries and poor-quality CAD models to build effective simulation setups.
Experience with radiation modeling in thermal simulations.

This role necessitates being on-site at our Alameda HQ 4-5x per week. The estimated annual salary range for this role is $110,000 to $135,000 and it would be eligible for Rondo's excellent benefits listed above plus additional compensation in the form of equity. Please note that some pay bands may have wide ranges of compensation to accommodate candidates' diverse sets of skill levels and experience.

Rondo Energy is an equal opportunity employer. We strive to create a supportive and inclusive workplace where contributions are valued and celebrated, and our employees thrive by being themselves and are inspired to do their best work. We seek applicants of all backgrounds and identities, across race, color, ethnicity, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy or parental status, or disability. Applicants will not be discriminated against based on these or other protected categories or social identities.

Rondo is committed to the full inclusion of all applicants. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the interview process, please let our recruiting team know.

We proactively work to design hiring processes that promote equity and inclusion while mitigating bias.

Note to Recruitment Agencies: Rondo does not accept unsolicited agency resumes. Furthermore, Rondo Energy does not pay placement fees for candidates submitted by any agency other than its approved partners.