Senior Staff Engineer, Thermal - AI Compute
QualcommJob Title
Senior Staff Engineer, Thermal - AI Compute
Role Summary
Senior Staff Thermal Engineer responsible for thermal architecture, simulation, validation, and optimization for Qualcomm AI compute platforms. Works across silicon, packaging, hardware, and system engineering teams to enable performance, efficiency, and reliability from component to data center.
Experience Level
Senior - expected experienced engineer. Typical experience guidance: approximately 6+ years (varies by degree), with deeper industry experience preferred for high-performance computing and AI/data-center thermal design.
Responsibilities
Provide technical leadership on thermal solutions across product development phases.
- Lead thermal architecture and system-level thermal design across silicon-to-data-center environments.
- Perform CFD simulations using industry tools and validate models throughout the development lifecycle.
- Design and execute thermal validation tests; collect, analyze, and correlate empirical data to simulation models.
- Drive cross-functional tradeoff discussions and present technical findings to stakeholders.
- Document simulation and test results and recommend design or process changes to improve thermal performance.
Requirements
Core technical skills and demonstrated experience required. Preferred items listed separately.
- Must-have: Hands-on expertise in CFD analysis and thermal simulation (e.g., ANSYS Icepak, Flotherm, Celsius EC, or similar).
- Must-have: Proven experience designing and executing thermal validation experiments, including use of instrumentation and data acquisition.
- Must-have: Experience developing thermal solutions for high-power processors, GPUs, or AI accelerators using air, liquid, or hybrid cooling.
- Must-have: Ability to correlate simulation models with empirical test data and improve model accuracy.
- Must-have: Proficiency in scripting/programming for analysis and automation (Python, C/C++, MATLAB, or equivalent).
- Must-have: Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration skills; able to present technical results to technical and non-technical audiences.
- Nice-to-have: Experience with advanced packaging (2.5D/3D) and AI accelerator packaging; familiarity with AI/ML workloads and associated thermal challenges.
Education Requirements
Degree plus experience required: Bachelor's in Chemical, Electrical, Mechanical Engineering or related field with 6+ years of relevant System/Package Design/Technology Engineering experience; OR Master's in those fields with 5+ years; OR PhD in those fields with 4+ years. Equivalent practical experience is considered where specified in the posting.
About the Company
Company: Qualcomm
Headquarters: San Diego, California, United States
Qualcomm is a global leader in semiconductor and telecommunications equipment, specializing in mobile technologies and innovations. Known for its Adreno GPUs, the company provides solutions enabling advancements in mobile gaming, AI, VR/AR, and autonomous driving. Qualcomm's cutting-edge technology and commitment to high-performance, power-efficient designs drive the evolution of mobile graphics and connectivity worldwide.
