Lead R&D Engineer/Scientist - Thermal Management

Solstice Advanced Materials; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 163,000 - 205,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance

401(k) match

Educational Assistance

Parental Leave

Paid Time Off

12 Paid Holidays

Job summary

Solstice Advanced Materials in Sunnyvale seeks a Lead R&D Engineer/Scientist for Thermal Management to drive development from concept to commercialization.

You will lead cross-functional teams, partner with customers, and apply advanced materials and simulation to solve chip and package heat challenges.

This role reports to the Senior Manager R&D (Applications Development) and offers an incentive plan and comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• Master's degree or higher in a related technical discipline.
• 5+ years of experience developing and commercializing new products.
• Experience in thermal management materials or semiconductor packaging.

Responsibilities

• Lead development and commercialization of advanced thermal management materials from concept to launch.
• Collaborate with customers to understand challenges and identify product opportunities.
• Design and execute material characterization, thermal testing, and performance evaluations.
• Generate data via simulation and experiments to solve chip- and package-level heat issues.
• Coordinate with R&D, manufacturing, quality, marketing to scale to production.

Skills

Communication skills

Customer engagement

Leadership

DOE analysis

Education

Master's degree in Materials Science

Tools

ANSYS

COMSOL

CFD

FEA

Job description

As a Lead R&D Engineer/Scientist for Thermal Management at Solstice, you will play a critical role in developing next-generation materials and solutions that enable advanced semiconductor packaging and high-performance computing applications. You will lead the design, development, characterization, and commercialization of innovative thermal management technologies, partnering closely with customers, cross-functional teams, and external partners to solve complex heat management challenges.

You will report directly to the Senior Manager R&D (Applications Development) and work closely with customers, marketing, manufacturing, technical services, and product development organizations. In this role, you will serve as both a technical expert and strategic partner, translating market needs into scalable product solutions that create value for customers and drive growth for Solstice.

Your expertise in thermal management, advanced materials, semiconductor packaging, and product commercialization will help accelerate innovation from concept through commercialization. You will leverage technical depth, customer insights, and collaborative leadership to develop differentiated technologies that address emerging industry challenges and position Solstice as a leader in advanced materials solutions.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the development and commercialization of advanced thermal management materials and technologies from concept through scale-up and commercial launch.
• Partner directly with customers to understand technical challenges, provide applications support, and identify opportunities for new product development.
• Develop and execute material characterization, thermal testing, and performance evaluation programs for advanced packaging and semiconductor applications.
• Generate applications data through simulation, modeling, and experimental testing to solve chip-level and package-level thermal management challenges.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including R&D, manufacturing, quality, marketing, and technical services to transition new technologies into commercial production.
• Establish material specifications and qualification requirements to support manufacturing readiness and customer adoption.
• Drive failure analysis, root cause investigations, and reliability assessments to improve product performance and manufacturability.
• Apply statistical analysis, Design of Experiments (DOE), and engineering methodologies to optimize product performance and process capability.
• Partner with external suppliers, research organizations, and industry partners to support technology development and roadmap alignment.
• Communicate technical findings, business recommendations, and strategic opportunities to senior leadership, customers, and external stakeholders.

YOU MUST HAVE

• Master's degree in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Polymer Science, Chemistry, or a related technical discipline.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience developing and commercializing new products from concept through launch.
• Experience in thermal management materials, semiconductor packaging, electronics materials, or closely related technologies.
• Strong understanding of heat transfer principles, material selection, thermal characterization, and product performance testing.
• Demonstrated experience engaging directly with customers and serving as a technical liaison between market needs and product development activities.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to influence technical and business stakeholders.
• Travel requirements: up to 15% both domestic and international

WE VALUE

• Ph.D. in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Polymer Science, Chemistry, or a related field.
• Experience with computational modeling tools such as ANSYS, COMSOL, CFD, or FEA platforms.
• Hands-on experience with material characterization and failure analysis techniques.
• Strong project leadership skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and drive execution across cross-functional teams.
• Strategic mindset with a proven ability to transform customer needs into commercially viable solutions.
• Continuous improvement mindset and passion for innovation.
• Ability to build strong relationships and credibility with customers, leadership teams, and external partners.

PAY RANGE

The annual base salary range for this position is $163,437 - 204,590. Please note that this salary information serves as a general guideline. Solstice considers various factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate's work experience, education and training, key skills, as well as market and business considerations.

This position is incentive plan eligible.

BENEFITS OF WORKING FOR SOLSTICE ADVANCED MATERIALS

In addition to a competitive salary, leading-edge work, and developing solutions side-by-side with dedicated experts in their fields, Solstice Advanced Materials employees are eligible for a comprehensive benefits package. This package includes employer-subsidized Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance; Short-Term and Long-Term Disability; 401(k) match, Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Savings Accounts, EAP, and Educational Assistance; Parental Leave, Paid Time Off (for vacation, personal business, sick time, and parental leave), and 12 Paid Holidays.

Solstice Advanced Materials is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to age, race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, nationality, sex, religion, or veteran status.