Senior Thermal Engineer; Sunnyvale, CA

Senior Thermal Engineer

This role has been designed as 'Hybrid' with an expectation that you will work on average 2 days per week from an HPE office.

HPE is seeking an experienced Senior Thermal Engineer to lead the design, analysis, and validation of cooling solutions for high-density electronic systems. This role combines hands-on thermal engineering with technical leadership, focusing on solving complex thermal challenges, guiding architecture decisions, and ensuring products meet stringent performance and reliability requirements.

This role will be based in our Sunnyvale, CA office on a hybrid work schedule.

• Serve as a key member of the thermal engineering team, owning end-to-end thermal design and analysis for advanced electronic products.
• Define, negotiate, and refine thermal, mechanical, and system-level requirements with cross-functional teams.
• Perform thermal feasibility studies and develop system architectures that meet performance, cost, and reliability targets.
• Conduct detailed thermal modeling and CFD simulations (FloTHERM preferred; Icepak acceptable), including airflow and pressure drop analysis.
• Design and specify thermal solutions, including heat sinks, vapor chambers, heat pipes, air movers, and thermal interface materials (TIMs), adhesives, and related components.
• Develop innovative and practical solutions to complex, high-power-density thermal challenges.
• Collaborate closely with mechanical, electrical, and system engineers to resolve issues and ensure design compliance.
• Participate in strategic engineering decisions in collaboration with business unit leadership.
• Prepare clear, well-structured technical reports and deliver concise presentations to stakeholders.

• Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering (BSME required).
• 10+ years of experience in the design of complex electronic systems.
• 7+ years of direct experience in thermal engineering, analysis, and design.
• Expert-level knowledge of air-cooled electronics design, including fan selection, airflow optimization, and high-impedance system design.
• Proficiency in CFD tools (FloTHERM preferred; Icepak required or equivalent experience).
• Working knowledge of CAD tools (Solid Works, Creo/Pro/E) for design review and model evaluation.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and system-level thinking skills.
• Hands-on experience with thermal testing and lab equipment.

• Master's Degree in Mechanical or Thermal Engineering.
• Experience with liquid cooling architectures (cold plates, direct-to-chip, or system-level cooling).
• Experience in networking, server, telecom, aerospace, or other high-reliability industries.
• Familiarity with thermal aspects of ASIC/package-level design.

Health & Wellbeing

We strive to provide our team members and their loved ones with a comprehensive suite of benefits that supports their physical, financial, and emotional wellbeing.

Personal & Professional Development

We also invest in your career because the better you are, the better we all are. We have specific programs catered to helping you reach any career goals you have — whether you want to become a knowledge expert in your field or apply your skills to another division.

Unconditional Inclusion

We are unconditionally inclusive in the way we work and celebrate individual uniqueness. We know varied backgrounds are valued and succeed here. We have the flexibility to manage our work and personal needs. We make bold moves, together, and are a force for good.