Ventilation Engineer at The Boring Company – Nashville, Tennessee

The Boring Company was founded to solve the problem of soul-destroying traffic by creating an underground network of tunnels. Today, we are creating the technology to increase tunneling speed and decrease costs by a factor of 10 or more, with the ultimate goal of making Hyperloop adoption viable and enabling rapid transit across densely populated regions.
Position Overview We are seeking a highly motivated Ventilation Engineer to lead the design, implementation, and maintenance of tunnel ventilation systems that are critical to operational safety, energy efficiency, and regulatory compliance. This role requires a strong foundation in fluid dynamics, environmental systems, and tunnel infrastructure, along with a hands-on, solutions-oriented mindset.
Responsibilities

• Design and model tunnel ventilation systems, including fresh air supply, exhaust, smoke extraction, and emergency airflow strategies.
• Conduct computational simulations (CFD) to optimize system performance under both standard operating and emergency scenarios.
• Collaborate closely with tunnel design, fire protection, electrical, and mechanical teams to ensure fully integrated and compliant ventilation systems.
• Specify and select mechanical equipment such as fans, dampers, ducts, sensors, and associated control systems.
• Support the construction and field operations teams during installation, testing, commissioning, and performance validation of ventilation systems.
• Ensure all ventilation designs comply with applicable safety and building codes (NFPA, OSHA, ASHRAE, etc.).
• Perform risk assessments and failure mode evaluations related to ventilation and air quality management.
• Contribute to the development of real-time monitoring and control systems, including digital twin models for tunnel environments.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, HVAC, or a related discipline.
• Minimum of 3 years of hands-on experience in the design and analysis of ventilation systems, preferably in tunnels or other underground environments.
• Proficiency with simulation and modeling tools such as ANSYS Fluent, FDS, TunnelCAD, or equivalent CFD platforms.
• Solid understanding of fire/life safety principles and ventilation standards in confined spaces.
• Strong problem-solving abilities, attention to detail, and ability to work independently or within multidisciplinary teams.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills in a fast-paced, engineering-driven environment.