Thermal-Mechanical R&D Engineer

Advantest America; Lake Forest (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Advantest America is seeking a Thermal-Mechanical R&D Engineer to join our Global Thermal R&D Team. This role contributes to development, evaluation, and integration of advanced thermal technologies for semiconductor test applications.

The ideal candidate is a self-driven, hands-on engineer with strong thermal fundamentals who can move from problem definition through modeling, experimentation, and recommendations with limited day-to-day direction. 5+ years of experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop and evaluate advanced thermal solutions for high-power semiconductor test applications.
• Investigate emerging thermal-management technologies and assess their applicability to current and future semiconductor test requirements.
• Contribute to the development of future thermal technologies and longer-term technical roadmaps.
• Independently structure and drive technical investigations from initial problem definition through analysis, experimentation, and recommendation.
• Apply fundamentals of heat transfer, thermodynamics, and fluid mechanics, together with modeling, simulation, experimentation, and engineering judgment, to solve complex thermal problems and evaluate design trade-offs.
• Develop analytical and simulation models to understand thermal behavior, predict performance, and guide engineering decisions.
• Design and execute experiments to characterize thermal components, interfaces, cooling technologies, and system-level performance.
• Design, build, instrument, and troubleshoot prototype hardware and thermal test setups.
• Analyze experimental and simulation results, correlate models with hardware performance, and use findings to improve designs and technical solutions.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary engineering teams to integrate thermal technologies into semiconductor test systems and product architectures.
• Work with internal teams, customers, suppliers, universities, and external technology partners to evaluate technologies and solve technical challenges.
• Clearly communicate technical findings, design trade-offs, risks, and recommendations to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Job description

Advantest is a global leader in semiconductor test and measurement solutions. As semiconductor devices continue to increase in power, complexity, and thermal density, advanced thermal management is becoming increasingly critical to enabling next-generation semiconductor test solutions.

We are seeking a Thermal-Mechanical R&D Engineer to join our Global Thermal R&D Team. This position will contribute to the development, evaluation, and integration of advanced thermal technologies for semiconductor test applications.

The ideal candidate is a self-driven, hands-on engineer with strong thermal fundamentals who is comfortable taking ownership of complex and sometimes open-ended technical problems. This individual should be able to move from problem definition and first-principles analysis through modeling, experimentation, prototype development, and technical recommendations with limited day-to-day direction.

Relevant industry experience is highly desirable, with 5+ years of experience preferred. However, we value demonstrated engineering capability, curiosity, judgment, and initiative over any specific number of years of experience.

Experience in semiconductor thermal management, electronics cooling, or semiconductor test is highly desirable, but candidates from adjacent industries with strong thermal engineering backgrounds are also encouraged to apply.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and evaluate advanced thermal solutions for high-power semiconductor test applications.
• Investigate emerging thermal-management technologies and assess their applicability to current and future semiconductor test requirements.
• Contribute to the development of future thermal technologies and longer-term technical roadmaps.
• Independently structure and drive technical investigations from initial problem definition through analysis, experimentation, and recommendation.
• Apply fundamentals of heat transfer, thermodynamics, and fluid mechanics, together with modeling, simulation, experimentation, and engineering judgment, to solve complex thermal problems and evaluate design trade-offs.
• Develop analytical and simulation models to understand thermal behavior, predict performance, and guide engineering decisions.
• Design and execute experiments to characterize thermal components, interfaces, cooling technologies, and system-level performance.
• Design, build, instrument, and troubleshoot prototype hardware and thermal test setups.
• Analyze experimental and simulation results, correlate models with hardware performance, and use findings to improve designs and technical solutions.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary engineering teams to integrate thermal technologies into semiconductor test systems and product architectures.
• Work with internal teams, customers, suppliers, universities, and external technology partners to evaluate technologies and solve technical challenges.
• Clearly communicate technical findings, design trade-offs, risks, and recommendations to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.