Principal Thermal Engineer

Qualcomm; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 210,000 - 315,000; Full time

Job summary

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. is seeking a senior thermal engineering leader to drive advanced cooling solutions in a fast-paced environment.

Based in San Diego, you will own thermal architecture from silicon to data center, coordinating with engineering groups and stakeholders across packaging, design, and validation teams. You will apply CFD tools and thermal testing to validate models, drive design decisions, and ensure performance under AI/ HPC workloads.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in relevant field with 8+ years in system/packaged design/tech engineering.
• Master's degree in relevant field with 7+ years in system/packaged design/tech engineering.
• PhD in relevant field with 6+ years in system/packaged design/tech engineering.

Responsibilities

• Lead thermal architecture solutions through simulation and test with stakeholders.
• Perform CFD-based thermal simulations from silicon to data center.
• Drive direction and strategy discussions; conduct thermal design reviews.
• Conduct thermal tests to validate/characterize models and present results.
• Analyze and document simulation and test results.

Skills

Thermal design

CFD analysis

Python/C/ MATLAB

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field

Master's degree in Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field

PhD in Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field

Tools

ANSYS Icepak

Celsius EC

Flotherm

Job description

Company:

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

Job Area:

Engineering Group, Engineering Group > Packaging Engineering

General Summary:

Qualcomm is driving the next generation of AI computing, delivering breakthrough technologies that power intelligent experiences from edge devices to the data center.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead thermal architecture solutions through simulation and test while working with various stakeholders.
• Perform thermal simulations utilizing CFD tools from silicon to data center environment throughout product development phase.
• Drive direction and strategy discussions, work cross-functionally with technical leads on tradeoffs, conduct thermal design reviews and presentations.
• Conduct thermal tests to validate/characterize models and present results to stakeholders.
• Analyze and document simulation and test results.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field and 8+ years of System/Package Design/Technology Engineering or related work experience.
• Master's degree in Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field and 7+ years of System/Package Design/Technology Engineering or related work experience.
• PhD in Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field and 6+ year of System/Package Design/Technology Engineering or related work experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 10+ years of industry experience in electronics cooling, with a strong focus on high-performance computing, AI, or data center products.
• Experience developing thermal solutions for high-power processors, GPUs, AI accelerators, or advanced compute platforms utilizing air, liquid, or hybrid cooling technologies.
• Deep understanding of thermal management technologies and design elements, including thermal interface materials (TIMs), heat spreaders, heat sinks, vapor chambers, heat pipes, and forced‑air cooling solutions.
• Experience with advanced semiconductor packaging technologies, including 2.5D and 3D package architectures; exposure to high‑power AI accelerator packaging is highly desirable.
• Proficiency in scripting and programming for data analysis, model automation, and tool development using languages such as Python, C/C++, MATLAB, or equivalent.
• Strong expertise in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis, with hands‑on experience using industry‑standard tools such as ANSYS Icepak, Celsius EC, Flotherm, or similar platforms.
• Demonstrated ability to design, execute, and analyze thermal validation experiments in a laboratory environment, including hands‑on use of airflow, temperature, power, and data‑acquisition instrumentation.
• Experience correlating simulation models with empirical test results and driving model accuracy improvements throughout the product development lifecycle.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and cross‑functional collaboration skills, with the ability to influence technical decisions across diverse engineering teams.
• Ability to clearly communicate complex technical concepts, analyses, and recommendations to both technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Familiarity with AI/ML workloads, accelerator architectures, and associated thermal challenges is a plus.

Qualcomm is an equal opportunity employer. If you are an individual with a disability and need an accommodation during the application/hiring process, rest assured that Qualcomm is committed to providing an accessible process. You may e‑mail disability‑[e-mail] or call Qualcomm's toll‑free number found here. Upon request, Qualcomm will provide reasonable accommodations to support individuals with disabilities to be able participate in the hiring process. Qualcomm is also committed to making our workplace accessible for individuals with disabilities. (Keep in mind that this email address is used to provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. We will not respond here to requests for updates on applications or resume inquiries).

EEO Employer: Qualcomm is an equal opportunity employer; all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, Veteran status, or any other protected classification.

Pay range and Other Compensation & Benefits:

$210,000.00 - $315,000.00

The above pay scale reflects the broad, minimum to maximum, pay scale for this job code for the location for which it has been posted. Even more importantly, please note that salary is only one component of total compensation at Qualcomm. We also offer a competitive annual discretionary bonus program and opportunity for annual RSU grants (employees on sales‑incentive plans are not eligible for our annual bonus). In addition, our highly competitive benefits package is designed to support your success at work, at home, and at play. Your recruiter will be happy to discuss all that Qualcomm has to offer – and you can review more details about our US benefits at this link.