Thermal Optimization & Control Engineer

Weheat is re-engineering heat pumps because we believe this product plays a key role in the energy transition and deserves radical innovation. We redesign everything starting at the circuit board level to make heating affordable and simple. Our software is just as critical: Weheat Intelligence takes over the complexity, so homeowners don’t have to—and can maximize savings on costs and CO₂.

From our factory in Eindhoven, we develop and build our heat pumps. In our new hub in the center of Utrecht, everything the outside world sees comes together: commercial growth, our digital products, and support for installers and consumers. Eindhoven is the high-tech engine; Utrecht is the customer-focused heart.

Your Mission

Weheat is moving beyond standard hysteresis loops. We are building a physics-based control architecture that optimizes thermal comfort, efficiency (COP), and cost in real-time. We are looking for an engineer who can translate thermodynamic principles into robust production code.

As our Thermal Optimization & Control Engineer, you are responsible for the logic within the "Weheat Intelligence" layer. You will move us from reactive control to predictive, constraint-based optimization. You ensure our algorithms respect the physical limits of the hardware while navigating the stochastic nature of user behavior and weather.

The Challenge

• Model-Based Control: You design and implement control strategies (e.g., MPC, adaptive control) that utilize external signals (tariffs, PV forecast) to optimize the heat pump’s operation schedule.
• System Identification: You develop grey-box models that characterize the thermal inertia and insulation properties of individual homes based on operational data.
• Multi-Objective Optimization: You formulate logic that balances conflicting objectives: minimizing operational cost vs. maintaining thermal comfort vs. maximizing component lifespan.
• Validation & Safety: You define the operational envelope. You ensure that advanced control strategies remain stable and safe under all boundary conditions.

About Weheat

Weheat is re-engineering the heat pump from the printed circuit board up. Based in our Smart Factory in Eindhoven and our Commercial & Digital Hub in Utrecht, we combine high-tech hardware with intelligent software to accelerate the energy transition. We operate with a flat structure and a focus on scientific first principles: we value data over opinion and rigorous engineering over quick fixes.

What we offer

• The opportunity to work on complex, physical problems with direct societal impact (CO2 reduction/Grid Stability).
• A collaborative environment with a high density of technical talent (MSc/PhD level).
• Autonomy to define the technical roadmap within your domain.
• Competitive compensation and the opportunity to grow with a future European market leader.