Sr. Principle Systems​/Rack Thermal Engineer

Senior Principal Thermal Engineer

Location:

Research Triangle Park (RTP), North Carolina

Department:
Hardware Engineering / System Architecture

Employment Type:

Full-Time

We are seeking a Senior Principal Thermal Engineer to lead thermal architecture across next-generation AI systems, networking platforms, optical interconnects, and rack-scale infrastructure.

This is a highly visible technical leadership role responsible for defining thermal strategy across:

• PCIe Scale-Up Fabrics
• UALink Scale-Up Networks
• Ethernet Scale-Out Fabrics
• ESUN Network Architectures
• Advanced Fiber Connectivity Solutions
• GPU Compute Platforms
• Rack-Scale AI Systems
• Near Package Optics (NPO)
• Co-Packaged Optics (CPO)
• Air-Cooled and Liquid-Cooled Open Rack Platforms

You will work closely with System Architects, Mechanical Architects, Power Architects, Silicon Engineering Teams, Software Architects, and ODM partners such as Accton, Hyve, Quanta, Wistron, and Gigabyte.

• Develop thermal architecture from silicon devices through complete rack-scale AI systems.
• Define thermal budgets, cooling requirements, and performance objectives.
• Drive architecture decisions balancing performance, reliability, power, density, and cost.
• Establish multi-generation thermal roadmaps supporting future AI infrastructure.

Provide thermal leadership for:

• GPU Compute Platforms
• PCIe Scale-Up Switch Platforms
• UALink Switch Systems
• Ethernet Scale-Out Platforms
• Rack Controllers
• AI Accelerators
• Optical Interconnect Systems

Develop system-level cooling strategies supporting next-generation high-density AI deployments.

• Architect airflow solutions for high-performance computing systems.
• Define direct liquid cooling and cold plate solutions.
• Support advanced rack cooling technologies.
• Develop thermal strategies for future 100kW+ AI racks.
• Optimize thermal performance while reducing infrastructure cooling cost.

Develop thermal solutions for:

• Near Package Optics (NPO)
• Co-Packaged Optics (CPO)
• Optical Engines
• Silicon Photonics Platforms
• Fiber Connectivity Infrastructure
• Optical Transceivers and Modules

Address thermal interactions between:

• Optical engines
• High-speed Ser Des
• Switch ASICs
• GPU interconnects
• Rack cooling systems

• Lead CFD simulation activities.
• Perform system-level airflow analysis.
• Develop thermal design guidelines.
• Correlate thermal simulations with lab measurements.
• Establish validation procedures and thermal KPIs.

Work directly with ODM and JDM partners to:

• Define thermal requirements
• Review rack and platform thermal designs
• Resolve thermal bottlenecks
• Support qualification and manufacturing readiness
• Ensure compliance with Open Rack design objectives

Collaborate closely with:

• System Architecture
• Mechanical Engineering
• Power Architecture
• Electrical Engineering
• Silicon Design
• Reliability Engineering
• Manufacturing Operations

to deliver industry-leading AI infrastructure solutions.

• BS, MS, or PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Thermal Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Physics, or a related discipline.
• 15+ years of thermal engineering experience.
• Proven track record leading thermal architecture for AI infrastructure, networking platforms, servers, storage, or hyperscale systems.
• Deep expertise in:
• Heat Transfer
• Conduction and Convection
• Airflow Optimization
• Thermal Characterization
• Cooling System Design
• Rack-Level Thermal Architecture
• Hands-on experience using:
• ANSYS Icepak
• FloTHERM
• 6
  
  SigmaET
• CFD tools and methodologies
• Strong experience with thermal validation and correlation techniques.

• Experience supporting NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel-based AI platforms.
• Experience with Open Rack and OCP architectures.
• Expertise in liquid cooling technologies.
• Familiarity with PCIe Scale-Up and UALink systems.
• Experience with Ethernet scale-out networking.
• Experience supporting optical technologies including:
• NPO
• CPO
• Optical Engines
• Silicon Photonics
• Fiber Connectivity Systems
• Experience supporting rack power densities exceeding 50kW and scaling toward future…