Principal Design Engineer

Sanmina; Huntsville (AL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Sanmina in Huntsville, AL seeks a Principal Design Engineer for PCBA liquid cooling. You will design direct-to-chip cold plates, micro-channel systems, and custom fluid loops on high-density PCBAs.

Collaborate with hardware layout and manufacturing to ensure leak-free, reliable cooling architectures; perform CFD/FEA, select pumps and sensors, and validate designs through thermal testing.

Qualifications

• Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering, Thermal Engineering, or a closely related technical field.
• 3+ years of experience in electronic cooling, liquid loops, or data center thermal design.
• Familiarity with international standards governing pressure vessels and electronics cooling (ASME, ISO, ASHRAE).

Responsibilities

• Thermal Solution Design: Architect and engineer board-level liquid cooling systems, including direct-to-chip cold plates, manifolds, and custom fittings.
• Simulation & Analysis: Perform CFD/FEA using tools like Ansys Icepak, FloTherm, or Fluent to predict fluid dynamics, pressure drops, and thermal resistance.
• Component Integration: Select and specify pumps, quick-disconnect valves, hoses, and leak detection sensors.
• PCBA Cross-Collaboration: Partner with PCB layout engineers to optimize 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.

Skills

CAD

CFD/FEA

PCBA

Fluid Dynamics

Lab Equipment

Education

Master's in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

PTC Creo

Siemens NX

Ansys Icepak

FloTherm

SimScale

Job description

Principal Design Engineer- PCBA Liquid Cooling Design

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.

Key Responsibilities

• 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, FloTherm, 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.

Required Technical Skills

• CAD Software: Proficiency in 3D modeling tools like SolidWorks, PTC Creo, or Siemens NX for physical integration.
• CFD/FEA Tools: Advanced skills in thermal simulation software such as Ansys Icepak, FloTherm, or SimScale.
• 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.

Qualifications

• 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.

Preferred Qualifications

• 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.