Principal Design Engineer

Job Summary

We are seeking a highly skilled PCBA Liquid Cooling Design Engineer to lead the development of innovative thermal management systems for advanced electronic assemblies. In this role, you will design direct-to-chip cold plates, custom fluid loops, and micro-channel systems that sit directly on high-density PCBAs. You will collaborate closely with hardware layout designers and manufacturing partners to build reliable, leak-free, and highly efficient cooling architectures.

• Thermal Solution Design:
  Architect and engineer board-level liquid cooling systems, including direct-to-chip cold plates, manifolds, and custom fittings.
• Simulation & Analysis:
  Perform Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) using tools like Ansys Icepak, Flo Therm, or Fluent to predict fluid dynamics, pressure drops, and thermal resistance.
• Component Integration:
  Select and specify critical loop components such as pumps, quick-disconnect valves, hoses, and leak detection sensors.
• PCBA Cross
  - Collaboration:
  
  Partner with PCB layout engineers to optimize component placement, layout thickness, and copper weight for maximum thermal dissipation.
• Prototyping & Testing:
  Set up and execute hardware-level thermal validation tests, including hydrostatic pressure, leak/decay verification, and environmental chamber cycling.
• Failure Analysis:
  Conduct root-cause analysis on structural stress, thermal throttling, galvanic corrosion, and fluid degradation.
• DFM Optimization:
  Ensure designs comply with Design for Manufacturing (DFM) requirements to guarantee scalable assembly and fluid charging processes on the production line.

• CAD Software:
  Proficiency in 3D modeling tools like Solid Works, PTC Creo, or Siemens NX for physical integration.
• CFD/FEA Tools:
  Advanced skills in thermal simulation software such as Ansys Icepak, Flo Therm, or Sim Scale.
• PCBA Familiarity:
  Practical knowledge of PCB fabrication, electronic component layouts, and standard testing tools like oscilloscopes and multimeters.
• Fluid Dynamics & Metallurgy:
  Strong grasp of single-phase/two-phase heat transfer, fluid flow behavior, and material compatibility (e.g., copper-to-coolant interactions).
• Lab Equipment:
  Experience with flow meters, thermocouples, pressure transducers, and data acquisition (DAQ) systems.

• Education:
  
  Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering, Thermal Engineering, or a highly related technical field.
• Experience:
  
  3+ years of experience specifically focused on electronic cooling, liquid loops, or data center thermal design.
• Standards:
  Familiarity with international standards governing pressure vessels and electronics cooling, such as ASME, ISO, and ASHRAE guidelines.

• Experience designing cooling for AI hardware clusters, high-performance computing (HPC) environments, or EV power electronics.
• In-depth understanding of immersion cooling or phase-change cooling mechanisms.