Professor Aydın is a faculty member at Karadeniz Technical University, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Thermodynamics, and was appointed as a professor in 2007. He has supervised 9 Ph.D. and 11 M.S. theses. He has worked as a manager, researcher and consultant in national and international funded projects, especially TÜBİTAK.

Professor Aydın worked as a post-doctoral researcher and guest lecturer at the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) between 1999–2001 and 2003–2004.

Professor Aydın has published more than 140 articles in more than 140 internationally reputed journals, one book chapter published by an internationally reputed publisher and many national and international papers. His h-index is 41/49 (Web of Science/Google Scholar) and these papers have been cited around 4700/7500 times (Web of Science/Google Scholar).

Professor Aydın has received national and international awards for his work: METU M.N. Parlar Foundation Research Incentive Award in 2007, TUBA Outstanding Young Scientist Award in 2008, TÜBİTAK Science Incentive Award in 2008 and TWAS Associate Membership Award in 2009. He was elected as a full member of the Turkish Academy of Sciences (TÜBA) in 2021.

Professor Aydın's research interests are in the areas of thermodynamics, heat and mass transfer, fluid mechanics, flow physics in micro-electro-mechanical systems, flow boiling, flow and heat transfer in biological systems, electronic cooling and energy storage.

Professor Dr. Orhan Aydın has served as a member of the Higher Education Council Supervisory Board (2016-2018), Higher Education Council Institutional Advisor (2012-2016), TÜBİTAK TEYDEB Technology Centres Committee Member (2013-2016; 2020-2023), TÜBİTAK ULAKBİM Board Member (2022-), Turkish Patent and Trademark Office Advisory Board Member, and Turkey Qualifications Framework Board Member. He served as the Rector of Tarsus University between September 2018 and September 2024.

Professor Dr. Orhan Aydın has been appointed as the President of TÜBİTAK from 14 September 2024.