Thermal Manager- Liquid Cooling Engineer

Flex; Milpitas (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Flex seeks a Thermal Manager-Liquid Cooling Engineer to lead design, analysis, testing and implementation of liquid cooling solutions for AI servers, HPC platforms, and data center infrastructure in Milpitas, CA.

You will mentor teams and collaborate across mechanical, electrical, manufacturing and suppliers to ensure performance, reliability and energy efficiency through CFD, thermal modeling and rigorous testing.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Thermal, Aerospace, Chemical Engineering or related field.
• 5+ years of experience in thermal management; ability to manage others; liquid cooling of electronics or heat transfer applications.
• 3+ years of leadership/ managerial experience.
• Expertise in thermodynamics, heat transfer, fluid mechanics, and electronics cooling.
• Proficiency with CFD tools (ANSYS Fluent, Icepak, FloTHERM, Star-CCM+).
• Experience with thermal testing, system validation, and root cause analysis.
• Knowledge of thermal and liquid cooling components and architectures for data center or high-power electronics applications.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop liquid cooling systems including cold plates, cooling loops, manifolds, pumps, heat exchangers, tubing, and CDUs.
• Perform thermal modeling, heat transfer calculations, and CFD simulations to optimize cooling performance.
• Define thermal requirements and cooling strategies for new product introductions (NPI), AI, HPC, and data center applications.
• Develop and execute thermal validation, characterization, reliability, and qualification testing.
• Collaborate with mechanical, electrical, manufacturing, quality, suppliers, and customers to implement cooling solutions.
• Prepare engineering specifications, test plans, technical reports, and design documentation.

Skills

Leadership/people management

Thermal engineering

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical/Aerospace/Chemical Engineering

Tools

ANSYS Fluent

Icepak

FloTHERM

Star-CCM+

Job description

Flex is the diversified manufacturing partner of choice that helps market-leading brands design, build and deliver innovative products that improve the world. A career at Flex offers the opportunity to make a difference and invest in your growth in a respectful, inclusive, and collaborative environment. If you are excited about a role but don't meet every bullet point, we encourage you to apply and join us to create the extraordinary.

To support our extraordinary teams who build great products and contribute to our growth, we’re looking to add a Thermal Manger-Liquid Cooling Engineer located in Milpitas, CA.

Reporting to the Quality Director, the Thermal Manager- Liquid Cooling Engineer will be Leading the design, analysis, testing, and implementation of liquid cooling and thermal management solutions for AI servers, HPC platforms, and data center infrastructure. Responsible for ensuring system thermal performance, reliability, manufacturability, and energy efficiency through simulation, testing, and cross-functional collaboration.

What a typical day looks like:

• Design and develop liquid cooling systems, including cold plates, cooling loops, manifolds, pumps, heat exchangers, tubing, and Cooling Distribution Units (CDUs).
• Perform thermal modeling, heat transfer calculations, and CFD simulations to evaluate and optimize cooling performance.
• Define thermal requirements and cooling strategies for new product introductions (NPI), AI, HPC, and data center applications.
• Develop and execute thermal validation, characterization, reliability, and qualification testing.
• Analyze thermal performance, identify improvement opportunities, and resolve thermal-related issues through root cause analysis.
• Collaborate with mechanical, electrical, manufacturing, quality, suppliers, and customers to implement effective cooling solutions.
• Support supplier selection, component qualification, and manufacturing readiness activities.
• Prepare engineering specifications, test plans, technical reports, and design documentation.
• Ensure compliance with customer, regulatory, and industry requirements.

The experience we’re looking to add to our team:

• Typically requires a bachelor’s degree in mechanical, Thermal, Aerospace, Chemical Engineering, or related field.
• 5+ years of experience in thermal management, ability to manage others, liquid cooling of electronics, or heat transfer applications.
• 3+ years of previous leadership/ managerial experience.
• Expertise in thermodynamics, heat transfer, fluid mechanics, and electronics cooling.
• Proficiency with CFD tools (ANSYS Fluent, Icepak, FloTHERM, Star-CCM+).
• Experience with thermal testing, system validation, and root cause analysis.
• Knowledge of thermal and liquid cooling components and architectures for data center or high-power electronics applications.

Flex is an Equal Opportunity Employer and employment selection decisions are based on merit, qualifications, and abilities. We do not discriminate based on: age, race, religion, color, sex, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability, pregnancy status, or any other status protected by law. We're happy to provide reasonable accommodations to those with a disability for assistance in the application process. Please email [e-mail] and we'll discuss your specific situation and next steps (NOTE: this email does not accept or consider resumes or applications. This is only for disability assistance. To be considered for a position at Flex, you must complete the application process first).