Senior Thermal Architect

Position: Senior Thermal Architect - Intel Contract Employee
** Job Details:*
* *
* Job Description:

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* ** The Role and Impact*
* Join Intel in driving innovation at the forefront of thermal systems technology. As a Senior Thermal Architect Exempt Tech Contract Employee, you will play a pivotal role in advancing Intel's technological excellence by contributing to diverse and impactful technical projects. This is an opportunity to be part of a dynamic and collaborative team, solving complex thermal challenges and enabling cutting-edge system and component thermal solutions that shape the future of the industry.

You will collaborate closely with mechanical, electrical, silicon, and product teams to drive thermal innovation at both the component and system level. Your expertise and contributions will be instrumental in delivering meaningful results and supporting Intel's mission to create world-changing technology.

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* Key Responsibilities:

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* + Define and own the thermal architecture for complex electronic systems (e.g., servers, consumer devices, AI/HPC platforms, EV systems - adjust to your domain).

+ Develop thermal budgets, airflow strategies, and cooling solutions (air, liquid, two-phase, immersion, TECs, vapor chambers, heat pipes, etc.).

+ Lead CFD and FEA thermal simulations using tools such as Ansys Icepak, FloTHERM, 6

Sigma

ET, or COMSOL.

+ Drive trade-off analyses between thermal performance, acoustics, cost, weight, and form factor.

+ Partner with silicon and power teams to influence chip floor plans, package selection, and power delivery for thermal optimization.

+ Specify and qualify thermal interface materials (TIMs), heatsinks, fans, pumps, cold plates, and related components.

+ Lead thermal characterization, bring-up, and validation in the lab; correlate models to measured data.

+ Mentor junior thermal engineers and establish best practices, design guidelines, and review processes.

+ Engage with suppliers and ODM/OEM partners on thermal design reviews and DFx activities.

+ Represent thermal engineering in cross-functional architecture reviews and executive readouts.

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* Qualifications:

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* ** Minimum Qualifications*
* + BS in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field;

+ 9+ years of hands-on thermal design experience for electronic systems.

+ Deep expertise in heat transfer, fluid dynamics, and thermodynamics fundamentals.

+ Proven track record shipping products with non-trivial thermal challenges.

+ Proficiency with industry-standard CFD tools (Icepak, FloTHERM, 6

Sigma

ET, or equivalent).

+ Strong experience with lab instrumentation: thermocouples, IR cameras, anemometers, wind tunnels, and power measurement.

+ Excellent ability to communicate complex technical trade-offs to both engineers and executives.

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* Preferred Qualifications:

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* +

Experience with liquid cooling, two-phase cooling, or immersion cooling at rack or system scale.

+ Familiarity with high-power AI/GPU/CPU thermal design (High TDP components).

+ Knowledge of acoustic design and fan curve optimization.

+ Scripting experience (Python, MATLAB) for simulation automation and data analysis.

+ Published papers, patents, or conference presentations (SEMI-THERM, ITHERM, Inter

PACK).

+ Experience leading thermal teams or technical programs.

This position is not eligible for Intel immigration sponsorship.

Join Intel today to be part of a company that values your expertise and is committed to helping you grow professionally while driving industry-leading innovation.

** Job Type:*
* Intel Contract Employee

** Shift:*
* Shift 1 (United States of America)

** Primary

Location:

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* Virtual US

** Additional Locations:*
* ** Business group:*
* At the Data Center Group (DCG), we're committed to delivering exceptional products and delighting our customers. We offer both broad-market Xeon-based solutions and custom x86-based products, ensuring tailored innovation for diverse needs across general-purpose compute, web services, HPC, and AI-accelerated systems. Our charter encompasses defining business strategy and roadmaps, product management, developing ecosystems and business opportunities, delivering strong financial performance, and reinvigorating x86 leadership.

Join us as we transform the data center segment…