Hardware Thermal Simulation Engineering Intern at UIUC Research Park

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies is a joint venture between two industry leaders with a clear vision for automotive’s next chapter. From operating systems to zonal controllers to cloud and connectivity solutions, we’re addressing the challenges of electric vehicles through technology that will set the standards for software-defined vehicles around the world.

The road to the future is uncharted. By combining our expertise across connectivity, AI, security and more, we’ll map a new way forward. Working together, we’ll create a future that’s more connected, more intelligent, more sustainable for everyone.

Candidates should be available from January 11, 2027 to August 13, 2027.

As a Thermal Simulation Intern on the Hardware Thermal & Structural team, you'll work on a real project that supports the cooling and packaging of electronics in next‑generation vehicles. You'll be paired with an experienced engineer and gain hands‑on exposure to how thermal simulation drives hardware design decisions in automotive electronics.

• Build and run thermal simulations (CFD and conduction models) to evaluate cooling performance of vehicle electronic hardware.
• Support the development of electronics cooling and packaging concepts, such as heat sinks, thermal interface materials, and enclosure layouts.
• Explore design trade‑offs that reduce mass, cost, and material usage while meeting thermal targets.
• Help analyze thermal stack‑ups and material choices, and summarize findings as clear recommendations for design engineers.
• Support thermal reliability assessments by working with mission profile data and IC package temperature limits.
• Automate repetitive analysis and post‑processing tasks using scripting..
• Collaborate with engineers across mechanical, electrical, and reliability teams..
• Document your methods, results, and learnings, and present them to the team at the end of the internship

Minimum Qualifications:

• Currently pursuing a Bachelor's, Master's, or Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Thermal Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
• Coursework or project experience in heat transfer and fluid mechanics.
• Familiarity with numerical simulation softwares.
• Ability to use AI tools such as Claude/Gemini to write and debug scripts, automate analysis and post‑processing, and speed up learning, with the judgment to verify AI‑generated output against engineering fundamentals.
• Must be located in Champaign, IL and able to work out of our office in the Research Park.

Preferred Qualifications

• Hands‑on experience with a CFD or thermal simulation tool such as Flotherm, Ansys Icepak, Star-CCM+, Fluent, or similar (coursework, research, or student team projects count).
• Exposure to electronics cooling concepts, such as heat sinks, fans, thermal interface materials, or IC package thermal behavior..
• Experience with lab measurement techniques (thermocouples, IR imaging, flow measurement) from coursework or research.
• Interest in reliability, failure analysis, or validation methods.
• Research, publications, or thesis work in thermal management, heat transfer, or a related area

We build the exceptional — and we believe the people doing that work should be rewarded accordingly. In addition to a competitive base salary, full‑time positions may be eligible to participate in our annual company performance bonus program.

Payments are discretionary and not guaranteed; actual amounts depend on company results and the terms of the plan in effect, and require active employment at the time of payout. This role is also eligible for equity in the form of Restricted Stock Units (RSUs), subject to board approval and the terms of our equity incentive plans, including applicable vesting…