Sr. Thermal Engineer, Liquid Cooling Systems

The Consensus; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision

Housing subsidy

Relocation support

Wellness benefits

Daily meals in office

Unlimited compute budget

Job summary

Etched is seeking a Senior Thermal Engineer, Liquid Cooling Systems to lead advanced thermal management for high-performance data center products. You will design water cooling systems, conduct simulations, and collaborate across mechanical, electrical, and vendor teams to ensure optimal reliability and performance.

Ideal candidates have 10+ years in thermal engineering with expertise in direct-to-processor cooling, TIMs, heat exchangers, and phase-change concepts, and hold a relevant bachelor’s

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Thermal Engineering; advanced degrees/desirable certifications.
• Minimum 10 years in thermal engineering focusing on water cooling.
• Experience with internal manifolds, quick disconnects, CDUs and heat exchangers.
• Direct-to-processor cooling design experience.
• Proficiency in thermal simulation tools to predict performance.
• Knowledge of TIMs and heat sink designs.
• Experience with phase-change cooling and other advanced concepts.

Responsibilities

• Lead design/optimization of thermal management for high-performance data center products.
• Develop water cooling solutions including manifolds, CDUs, and heat exchangers.
• Design and manage direct-to-processor cooling systems.
• Conduct detailed thermal simulations to guide design.
• Evaluate TIMs for heat sinks; optimize thermal conductivity.
• Explore advanced cooling concepts (phase change, liquid cooling).
• Oversee testing/validation and ensure performance and reliability.
• Document designs, simulations, and Test Reports.
• Collaborate with mechanical, electrical engineers and vendors.

Skills

Water cooling

Thermal simulations

Direct-to-processor cooling

TIMs

Heat exchangers

Thermal design

Phase change cooling

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering

Advanced degree or certifications in thermal management

Tools

Thermal simulation software

Job description

About Etched

Etched is building hardware for frontier intelligence. We co-design chips, racks, software, and manufacturing to deliver best-in-class throughput and latency across both prefill and decode workloads. Our first products are heavily focused on inference. Backed by hundreds of millions from top-tier investors and staffed by leading engineers, Etched is redefining the infrastructure layer for the fastest growing industry in history.

Job Summary

We are seeking a highly experienced Senior Thermal Engineer, Liquid Cooling Systems to join our team and lead our efforts in optimizing thermal management for high-performance systems. As a Senior Thermal Engineer, Liquid Cooling Systems at Etched, you will play a crucial role in developing and implementing advanced thermal management solutions for our high-performance data center products. Your expertise in water cooling, thermal simulations, and cooling system design will be essential in ensuring optimal thermal performance and reliability. You will work with various water cooling components, including internal manifolds, quick disconnects, CDU (Coolant Distribution Units), heat exchangers, and advanced thermal interface materials.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the design and optimization of thermal management systems for high-performance data center products, focusing on water cooling solutions and advanced cooling concepts.
• Develop and implement water cooling solutions, including internal manifolds, quick disconnects, CDUs (Coolant Distribution Units), and heat exchangers. Ensure effective cooling and thermal management for high-power processors and other critical components.
• Design and manage direct-to-processor water cooling systems to efficiently dissipate heat and maintain optimal operating temperatures.
• Conduct detailed thermal simulations to predict and analyze thermal performance. Use simulation results to guide the design and optimization of cooling systems.
• Evaluate and select thermal interface materials (TIMs) for various heat sinks and cooling solutions. Optimize TIM performance to enhance thermal conductivity and heat dissipation.
• Explore and implement advanced thermal cooling concepts, including phase change cooling, liquid cooling, and other cutting-edge technologies.
• Oversee the testing and validation of thermal management systems to ensure they meet performance, reliability, and efficiency standards. Address any issues related to thermal performance and provide solutions.
• Create and maintain comprehensive documentation for thermal management designs, including design specifications, simulation results, and testing reports. Report on performance and any issues identified during testing.
• Work closely with cross-functional teams, including mechanical engineers, electrical systems engineers, and vendors, to ensure seamless integration and operation of thermal management solutions.

You maybe a good fit if you have

• A Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or Thermal Engineering, or a related field. Advanced degrees or certifications in thermal management or related areas are highly desirable.
• A Minimum of 10 years of experience in thermal engineering with a strong focus on water cooling systems and advanced thermal management solutions. Proven expertise in designing and managing direct-to-processor cooling systems and thermal simulations.
• Extensive experience with water cooling systems, including internal manifolds, quick disconnects, CDUs, and heat exchangers
• Expertise in direct-to-processor cooling solutions and thermal management for high-power components
• Proficiency in thermal simulation tools and techniques to predict and analyze thermal performance
• Knowledge of various thermal interface materials (TIMs) and heat sink designs
• Experience with advanced thermal cooling concepts and technologies.

We encourage you to apply even if you do not believe you meet every single qualification.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision packages with generous premium coverage
  • $500 per month credit for waiving medical benefits
• Housing subsidy of $2k per month for those living within walking distance of the office
• Relocation support for those moving to San Jose (Santana Row)
• Various wellness benefits covering fitness, mental health, and more
• Daily lunch + dinner in our office
• Unlimited compute budget subject to ROI justification

How we’re different

Etched believes in the Bitter Lesson. We are the first inference-focused frontier AI system, betting early on transformer and transformer-like architectures and on increasing model sizes. Our addressable market is the entirety of inference, unlike many of our competitors.

We are a fully in-person team in San Jose (Santana Row), and greatly value engineering skills. We do not have boundaries between engineering and research, and we expect all of our technical staff to contribute to both as needed.