Engineering Physicist

Company OverviewWe are reinventing cooling for the next generation. Heating, cooling, and refrigeration technologies are critical to modern life but use nearly 40% of all energy generated today, release potent greenhouse gas refrigerants to the atmosphere, and are too expensive to be adopted worldwide. This has to change, and fast, so Pascal’s working to better refrigeration (and air conditioning and heat pumps) through materials science. We’re a group of materials scientists, physicists, and engineers, based in Cambridge, MA, looking to upend the 150 year old HVACR industry and lead a transition to solid refrigerants. These new materials can unlock a massive efficiency boost over conventional systems, saving our customers money while reducing electrical load and eliminating refrigerant emissions. But getting there requires us to fundamentally redesign the air conditioner and we need your help. If you want to geek out about refrigeration with us, make a dent in the climate crisis, or take on an entrenched multibillion dollar industry please apply. Sometimes, we even go get ice cream. Even if you don’t check every single box in the job description, we want your talents, your perspective, and your willingness to tackle hard problems on our team. For more information, visit https://www.pascaltechnology.com.Role DescriptionPascal is seeking an experienced engineering physicist to work at the intersection of materials science, applied physics, and thermal engineering. This role will be primarily responsible for advancing our systems development pipeline, expanding our testing capabilities, and ensuring we learn what we want to know. Pascal has translated its core solid refrigerant technology into a commercial-scale refrigerator prototype. Fully realizing its potential now requires coordinated optimization across the technology stack—from materials and components to system architecture and controls. This role will be central to this effort.We are looking to add a talented problem solver who can creatively tackle open-ended thermodynamic and chemical process-flow problems with a disciplined engineering mindset. The ideal candidate will join a small team in a young startup and take on whatever roles are needed to advance the technology along its maturation path. While the primary focus will be running investigative experiments and engineering validation tests in the laboratory, working within a small team naturally creates opportunities—and expectations—to contribute to product and prototype design, chemical synthesis, systems engineering, controls, and occasional corporate development tasks.Applicants should have 5+ years of experience in physics, chemical engineering, or thermal engineering, with prior experience in developing and validating experimental systems for energy, thermal, or refrigeration applications. Hands-on experience with prototype hardware is essential. Familiarity with phase-change phenomena, heat transfer, and fluid mechanics is strongly preferred.What You’ll DoDesign, build, and execute experiments to characterize thermodynamic, transport, and kinetic behavior in novel solid refrigerant systemsDevelop and utilize Pascal’s test rigs and prototype subsystems to evaluate the thermal and mass transport properties of solid refrigerant composites, and to validate system-level assumptions under a range of operating conditions Analyze experimental data to extract physically meaningful parameters and translate these results into actionable design constraints for materials, components, and systemsCollaborate with Pascal’s engineers to design experimental equipment and develop robust test proceduresDevelop and execute long-term test campaigns on solid refrigerant systems to assess performance and reliability, and to identify key failure modes of critical system componentsContribute to building and nurturing the company’s culture and values Mentor interns and co-op students on R&D-related projectsWhat You'll Bring5+ years of experience in technology development for novel physical and/or chemical processesHands-on experience building and testing prototype machines or systemsAn engineering or science degree with a strong grounding in fundamental or applied physicsDemonstrated knowledge in phase-change phenomena, fluid mechanics, and heat transferA self-starter who can seamlessly transition between independent work, contributing as a team member, and leading when neededA strong experimental mindset with a clear understanding of the relationship between creative ideation and disciplined test design (formal QA processes, statistical methods, structured knowledge gathering, and exploratory experimentation)An affinity for pragmatic outcomes, with a focus on producing results that directly enable the next step in technology developmentCompensation and BenefitsThe salary range for this role is $110,000-$130,000 or commensurate with experience. We are committed to equitable compensation across our company, and we offer a generous benefits package to make sure you have the support you need. We cover 60% of the medical insurance premiums for our employees and their dependents on our base plans, and 100% of dental, and vision insurance premiums. We offer an unlimited Paid Time Off policy and encourage people to take regular vacation. We provide an employee-contribution 401(k) plan in addition to many other benefits. Every employee, regardless of gender identity or expression, is also eligible for 12 weeks of paid parental bonding leave after their 1-year anniversary at the company.Only applications sent through the Polymer portal below will be reviewed: https://jobs.polymer.co/pascal/38563