Thermal Simulation Lead for Robotics Systems

OpenAI; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Job summary

OpenAI in San Francisco, CA seeks a lead thermal simulation engineer to drive design validation for next-gen robotic systems. You will model heat generation, cooling, interfaces, and system-wide thermal performance while partnering with mechanical, electrical, and controls engineers to shape early architecture decisions.

You will build and validate simulation workflows across actuators, mechanisms, structures, and integrated assemblies, correlating with physical tests to improve accuracy.

Qualifications

• Experience in thermal simulation of electromechanical systems.
• Ability to develop and validate simulation workflows.
• Proficiency with CAE tools such as Simcenter 3D, Abaqus, Ansys, Nastran, LS-DYNA, COMSOL, or equivalents.
• Experience correlating simulation with physical test data for high-volume products.
• Familiarity with robotic systems, actuators, power electronics, or integrated hardware.

Responsibilities

• Perform thermal simulations to assess heat generation, cooling strategies, interfaces, and system performance.
• Collaborate with mechanical, electrical, and controls engineers to influence early design decisions.
• Build simulation models for actuators, transmissions, mechanisms, structures, and assemblies.
• Correlate simulation with physical tests and improve model accuracy.
• Support architecture trade studies by evaluating design concepts before hardware is built.
• Develop simulation workflows, standards, and best practices across the robotics org.
• Identify risks and recommend design changes to improve performance, reliability, and manufacturability.
• Support root-cause investigations by integrating test data, failure analysis, and simulations.
• Contribute to long-term simulation capabilities including multiphysics modeling and digital twins.

Skills

Thermal simulation

Multiphysics

CAEs tools

Test-data correlation

Automation workflows

Tools

Simcenter 3D

Abaqus

Ansys

LS-DYNA

Job description

OpenAI in San Francisco, CA seeks a lead thermal simulation engineer to drive design validation for next-gen robotic systems. You will model heat generation, cooling, interfaces, and system-wide thermal performance while partnering with mechanical, electrical, and controls engineers to shape early architecture decisions.

You will build and validate simulation workflows across actuators, mechanisms, structures, and integrated assemblies, correlating with physical tests to improve accuracy.