Principal Thermal Product Engineer

Acceler8 Talent; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Acceler8 Talent in the SF Bay Area is partnering with a well-funded AI networking hardware startup to drive the development and manufacturing scale-up of liquid cooling solutions for high-performance AI systems.

The Hardware Product Engineer – Thermal will own productization, collaborate across teams, lead qualification, and support NPI and factory deployments to ensure smooth transfer to volume production.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in hardware product engineering or thermal systems
• Experience on manufacturing floor during NPI or mass production
• Strong liquid cooling design and qualification expertise
• Proven performance and environmental testing experience
• Collaborates with suppliers and contract manufacturers
• Bridges design intent and manufacturing execution

Responsibilities

• Own productization and manufacturing readiness of thermal solutions
• Partner with design, reliability, and supplier teams for mass production transfer
• Lead thermal qualification activities and reliability assessments
• Support NPI builds, ramps, and factory deployments
• Define manufacturing processes, test methods, and quality standards
• Work with suppliers to drive process improvements and product quality
• Evaluate new thermal technologies for future AI infrastructure

Skills

Thermal engineering

NPI

Manufacturing engineering

Liquid cooling

Reliability testing

Supplier collaboration

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering

Master's in Thermal Engineering

Tools

Six Sigma

CPK/PPK

Fat/SAT planning

Job description

Acceler8 Talent is proud to partner with a well-funded, VC-backed AI networking hardware startup in the SF Bay Area that’s redefining infrastructure for the world’s largest hyperscalers. Operating under a Joint Development Model (JDM), this company co-develops highly customized networking hardware, software, and optics solutions tailored to the evolving needs of large-scale AI workloads.

With over $610M in funding and rapid expansion underway, they are seeking a Hardware Product Engineer – Thermal to drive the development, qualification, and manufacturing scale-up of next-generation liquid cooling solutions for high-performance AI networking systems.

Responsibilities

• Own the productization and manufacturing readiness of advanced thermal solutions, including cold plates, liquid cooling assemblies, and rack-level cooling infrastructure.
• Partner with design, reliability, manufacturing, and supplier teams to ensure thermal solutions are successfully transitioned from development into volume production.
• Lead thermal qualification activities, including performance validation, leak testing, burst testing, and long‑term reliability assessments.
• Provide hands‑on support during NPI builds, manufacturing ramps, and factory deployments to resolve technical issues and improve production readiness.
• Define thermal manufacturing processes, test methodologies, and quality standards for cooling‑related hardware.
• Work closely with suppliers and contract manufacturers to drive technical problem‑solving, process improvements, and product quality.
• Evaluate new thermal technologies and manufacturing approaches to support future high‑density AI infrastructure.

Requirements

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Thermal Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related discipline.
• 7+ years of experience in hardware product engineering, NPI, manufacturing engineering, or thermal systems engineering.
• Proven experience supporting hardware builds on the manufacturing floor during NPI or mass production environments.
• Strong expertise in liquid cooling technologies, including cold plate design, manufacturing, qualification, and reliability testing.
• Deep understanding of thermal validation methodologies, including performance testing, leak testing, burst testing, and environmental qualification.
• Experience collaborating with suppliers, contract manufacturers, and cross‑functional engineering teams to deliver products into production.
• Strong problem‑solving skills with the ability to bridge design intent and manufacturing execution.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience auditing suppliers and manufacturing partners.
• Knowledge of supplier quality systems, Six Sigma methodologies, CPK/PPK metrics, and process capability analysis.
• Experience leading factory acceptance testing (FAT) and site acceptance testing (SAT) activities.
• Familiarity with thermal component manufacturing processes such as brazing, CNC machining, forging, and metal fabrication.