Senior Principal Thermal Engineer

Hewlett Packard Enterprise; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 181,000 - 367,000; Full time

Job summary

Hewlett Packard Enterprise in Sunnyvale, CA, seeks a Senior Principal Thermal Engineer with deep expertise in liquid cooling and high‑performance hardware. You will lead architecture, validation, and cross‑functional programs to improve performance, reliability, and cost.

Responsibilities include defining thermal architectures, CFD modeling, collaborating across mechanical, electrical, and manufacturing teams, mentoring engineers, and influencing executive decisions as you drive cutting‑edge

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Thermal Sciences, or a closely related engineering discipline; an advanced degree is preferred.
• 15+ years of relevant engineering experience for the Senior Principal level, with extensive hands‑on experience leading electronics thermal design and liquid‑cooling development.

Responsibilities

• Establish and define organization-wide thermal architectures, design methodologies, specifications, and validation practices for liquid-cooled hardware across multiple platforms and organizations; contribute to long-range technology roadmaps.
• Serve as the go-to technical leader for direct liquid cooling, including cold plates, manifolds, quick disconnects, hoses and piping, pumps, heat exchangers, coolant distribution units, facility-water interfaces, immersion systems, hybrid cooling, and emerging two-phase solutions.
• Lead system-level thermal architecture, analysis, and design from concept and feasibility through qualification, NPI, manufacturing ramp, and sustaining engineering for high‑power ASICs, optics, power components, and densely packed electronic modules.
• Perform and direct thermal‑fluid CFD modeling using FloTHERM, FloEFD, Macroflow, or equivalent tools; correlate models with test data and translate results into clear design decisions and margin improvements.
• Define fluid, thermal, mechanical, reliability, serviceability, manufacturability, safety, and regulatory requirements, including flow and pressure budgets, pressure drop, temperature uniformity, material and coolant compatibility, corrosion control, leak prevention and detection, contamination control, and failure‑response strategies.
• Develop and oversee validation plans and empirical testing for component, subsystem, chassis, rack, and facility interfaces; guide engineers and technicians in instrumentation, test execution, data analysis, and root‑cause investigations.
• Review designs and project activities for compliance with technology, quality, reliability, and development standards; drive valuable recommendations and innovations into platform architectures.

Skills

Liquid cooling

Thermal design

System-level design

CFD modelling

Materials & sealing

Project leadership

Communication

Mentoring

Education

Bachelors or Masters in Mechanical Engineering or Thermal Sciences

Tools

SolidWorks

FloTHERM

FloEFD

Macroflow

Job description

This role has been designed as ‘’Onsite’ with an expectation that you will primarily work from an HPE office.

Who We Are

Hewlett Packard Enterprise is the global edge-to-cloud company advancing the way people live and work. We help companies connect, protect, analyze, and act on their data and applications wherever they live, from edge to cloud, so they can turn insights into outcomes at the speed required to thrive in today’s complex world. Our culture thrives on finding new and better ways to accelerate what’s next. 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. If you are looking to stretch and grow your career our culture will embrace you. Open up opportunities with HPE.

Job Description

HPE is seeking a Senior Principal Thermal Engineer who is a recognized authority in advanced liquid cooling for high-performance networking, compute, and data-center hardware. This role will define organization-wide thermal architectures, methodologies, and technology roadmaps for direct-to-chip cold-plate, manifold, coolant-distribution, immersion, hybrid air-liquid, and emerging two-phase cooling solutions. The engineer will lead complex thermal programs from concept through production, solve critical business and customer challenges, and deliver substantial, long-lasting impact through improved performance, reliability, time to market, cost, quality, and product differentiation. The successful candidate will influence executive and cross-functional decisions, guide development partners and suppliers, contribute to industry standards, mentor engineers, and strengthen HPE’s technical community.

Responsibilities

• Establish and define organization-wide thermal architectures, design methodologies, specifications, and validation practices for liquid-cooled hardware across multiple platforms and organizations; contribute to long-range technology roadmaps.
• Serve as the go-to technical leader for direct liquid cooling, including cold plates, manifolds, quick disconnects, hoses and piping, pumps, heat exchangers, coolant distribution units, facility-water interfaces, immersion systems, hybrid cooling, and emerging two-phase solutions.
• Lead system-level thermal architecture, analysis, and design from concept and feasibility through qualification, NPI, manufacturing ramp, and sustaining engineering for high‑power ASICs, optics, power components, and densely packed electronic modules.
• Perform and direct thermal‑fluid CFD modeling using FloTHERM, FloEFD, Macroflow, or equivalent tools; correlate models with test data and translate results into clear design decisions and margin improvements.
• Define fluid, thermal, mechanical, reliability, serviceability, manufacturability, safety, and regulatory requirements, including flow and pressure budgets, pressure drop, temperature uniformity, material and coolant compatibility, corrosion control, leak prevention and detection, contamination control, and failure‑response strategies.
• Develop and oversee validation plans and empirical testing for component, subsystem, chassis, rack, and facility interfaces; guide engineers and technicians in instrumentation, test execution, data analysis, and root‑cause investigations.
• Review designs and project activities for compliance with technology, quality, reliability, and development standards; drive valuable recommendations and innovations into platform architectures.
• Evaluate and select technologies, suppliers, outsourced development partners, and manufacturing processes; oversee technical deliverables and resolve complex cross‑organizational issues.
• Partner with mechanical, electrical, PCB, silicon, optics, firmware, systems, reliability, manufacturing, operations, service, sourcing, and data‑center infrastructure teams to optimize total system performance and lifecycle cost.
• Develop schedules, critical deliverables, resource plans, risk assessments, and support requirements for major programs; communicate progress, trade‑offs, escalations, and issue analysis to senior and executive stakeholders.
• Influence business leadership, customers, partners, suppliers, and industry standards groups through recognized domain expertise, business acumen, and clear technical communication.
• Drive invention, intellectual property, reusable design practices, and knowledge sharing; mentor less‑experienced engineers and actively contribute to the HPE technical community.

Education And Experience Required

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Thermal Sciences, or a closely related engineering discipline; an advanced degree is preferred.
• Typically 15+ years of relevant engineering experience for the Senior Principal level, with extensive hands‑on experience leading electronics thermal design and liquid‑cooling development for complex products.
• Demonstrated technical impact on significant products, programs, or strategic architecture, including successful delivery across multiple NPI cycles.

Knowledge And Skills

• Deep expertise in single‑phase liquid cooling and strong knowledge of immersion, dielectric fluids, refrigerant‑based or two-phase technologies, and air‑liquid hybrid architectures.
• Expert understanding of heat transfer, fluid mechanics, thermal resistance, boiling and dry‑out limits, flow distribution, pressure drop, pump and heat‑exchanger performance, and system controls.
• Strong knowledge of cold‑plate and manifold design, materials, joining and sealing methods, leak and proof‑pressure testing, cleanliness, corrosion, coolant chemistry, reliability, and field service considerations.
• Advanced capability with CFD and thermal‑network tools and proficiency with CAD tools such as SolidWorks or equivalent; able to define modeling, calibration, correlation, and validation methods used across an organization.
• Experience designing for cost, manufacturability, reliability, safety, serviceability, energy efficiency, and sustainability.
• Strong analytical and creative problem‑solving skills, sound engineering judgment, and the ability to make decisions with incomplete or conflicting data.
• Demonstrated business acumen and program leadership, including prioritization, risk management, resource planning, supplier engagement, and negotiation.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills, with the ability to explain nuanced concepts and influence audiences from working teams to business‑unit and executive leadership.
• Evidence of innovation through patents, publications, standards contributions, or deployment of differentiated cooling technologies is highly desirable.

Accessibility

HPE is committed to creating an inclusive and accessible workplace and encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including those with disabilities. If you believe you require accommodation during any stage of the application or interview process, please submit your request by completing our secure form linked here. Note: This option is reserved for applicants needing assistance/reasonable accommodation related to a disability.

What We Can Offer You

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.

Let's Stay Connected

Follow @HPECareers on Instagram to see the latest on people, culture and tech at HPE.

Job

Engineering

Job Level

TCP_06

"The expected salary/wage range for this position is provided below. Actual offer may vary from this range based upon geographic location, work experience, education/training, and/or skill level. – United States of America: Annual Salary USD 181,000 - 367,000 in California The listed salary range reflects base salary. Variable incentives may also be offered."

Information about employee benefits offered in the US can be found at https://myhperewards.com/main/new-hire-enrollment.html

HPE is an Equal Employment Opportunity/ Veterans/Disabled/LGBT employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, or any other protected category, and all decisions we make are made on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need. Our goal is to be one global team that is representative of our customers, in an inclusive environment where we can continue to innovate and grow together. Please click here: Equal Employment Opportunity.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise is EEO Protected Veteran/ Individual with Disabilities.

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