Senior Thermal Design Engineer

Acceler8 Talent; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Acceler8Talent is partnering with a well-funded AI/networking hardware startup in the SF Bay Area to hire a Senior Thermal Engineer who will shape the next generation of high-performance systems.

You will design heatsinks, cold plates, and liquid cooling solutions, perform thermal modeling, and lead testing to ensure performance and reliability across hardware and system teams. Strong collaboration with suppliers will be essential.

Qualifications

• Minimum B.S. in Mechanical Engineering; M.S. preferred with focus on heat transfer.
• 5–10 years of thermal design experience for datacenter network systems.
• Proficiency in thermal simulation tools: Flotherm, Flotherm-XT, IcePak.
• Strong knowledge of air cooling methods and rack-level constraints.
• Liquid cooling experience is a plus.
• 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

Datacenter networks

Thermal modeling

Air cooling

Liquid cooling

Heat transfer knowledge

Education

B.S. Mechanical Engineering; M.S. 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