Senior Thermal Design Engineer

Acceler8; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Acceler8Talent partners with a well-funded AI/networking hardware startup in the SF Bay Area to redefine infrastructure for hyperscale workloads. The Senior Thermal Engineer will lead design and validation of advanced cooling solutions for high-performance systems.

Responsibilities include thermal modeling, testing, and collaboration with hardware teams and suppliers to ensure reliability. A strong emphasis is on heat transfer, air and liquid cooling, and staying ahead of industry trends.

Qualifications

• B.S. in Mechanical Engineering (M.S. preferred) with focus on heat transfer.
• 5–10 years in thermal design for datacenter network systems preferred.
• Proficient in thermal simulation tools (Flotherm, Flotherm-XT, IcePak).
• Strong understanding of air cooling techniques: vapor chambers, heat pipes, heat sinks, fans, TIMs, and rack-level constraints.
• Experience with liquid cooling (preferred, not required).
• Deep knowledge of heat transfer and real-world thermal system design.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop thermal solutions including heatsinks, cold plates, and liquid cooling systems.
• Perform thermal modeling and simulations using industry-standard tools.
• Lead thermal testing and validation to ensure performance and reliability.
• Collaborate with hardware and system teams to integrate thermal designs.
• Work with suppliers to deliver high-quality thermal components.
• Troubleshoot thermal issues and maintain system reliability.
• Stay current on industry trends and emerging cooling technologies.

Skills

Heat transfer

Thermal design

Thermal simulation tools

Air cooling

Liquid cooling

Heat sink design

Vendor liaison

Education

B.S. Mechanical Engineering

M.S. Mechanical Engineering (preferred)

Tools

Flotherm

Flotherm-XT

IcePak

Job description

Acceler8Talent 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 $600M in VC funding and rapid expansion underway, they're now looking to hire a Senior Thermal Engineer to help shape the next generation of high-performance systems.

What You’ll Do:

• Design and develop thermal solutions including heatsinks, cold plates, and liquid cooling systems
• Perform thermal modeling and simulations using industry-standard tools
• Lead thermal testing and validation to ensure performance and reliability
• Collaborate with hardware and system teams to integrate thermal designs
• Work with suppliers to deliver high-quality thermal components
• Troubleshoot thermal issues and maintain system reliability
• Stay current on industry trends and emerging cooling technologies

What You Bring:

• B.S. in Mechanical Engineering (M.S. preferred), with focus on heat transfer
• 5-10 years in thermal design with datacenter network systems preferred
• Proficient in thermal simulation tools (Flotherm, Flotherm-XT, IcePak)
• Strong understanding of air cooling techniques: vapor chambers, heat pipes, heat sinks, fans, TIMs, and rack-level constraints
• Experience with liquid cooling (preferred, not required)
• Deep knowledge of heat transfer and real-world thermal system design