SCOPE Recruiting
Thermal Engineering Technical Leader
SCOPE Recruiting, San Jose, California, United States, 95199
$160,000 - $240,000 a year
Thermal Engineering Technical Leader
Location:
San Jose, CA (Hybrid - minimum 3 days onsite/week)
Compensation:
$168K - $241K base + bonus + potential RSUs
Employment Type:
Full-time | Direct Hire
Industry:
Hardware / Data Center / Networking Systems
Client:
Confidential Global Technology Leader
Overview
A global hardware leader is seeking a Thermal Engineering Technical Leader to drive next-generation cooling solutions for high-performance compute and networking systems. This role requires deep experience with liquid and air cooling technologies, strong technical leadership, and the ability to work across engineering, operations, and supply chain teams.
You will lead the evaluation, design, validation, and qualification of thermal solutions at the product level, including cold plates, CDUs, heat sinks, vapor chambers, and interface materials. The ideal candidate will have experience in productizing thermal systems, not just lab validation or simulation.
Responsibilities
Lead development and qualification of advanced thermal solutions for ASICs, optics, and power systems
Own thermal system architecture: modeling, simulation, prototyping, and testing
Work directly with suppliers and manufacturers on component integration, test plans, and performance validation
Define design parameters and correlate test results with simulations and models
Collaborate with hardware design, mechanical, and reliability teams to ensure system-level thermal integrity
Contribute to long-term thermal roadmap for new platforms
Required Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Chemical Engineering (Master's preferred)
8-15+ years of experience designing thermal solutions for electronic systems
Strong background in liquid cooling systems: cold plates, CDUs, manifolds, pumps
Hands-on experience with system-level thermal validation and testing
Proficient in CFD tools, thermal simulation, and design-to-test correlation
Experience with TIM materials, vapor chambers, and high-power air cooling technologies
Preferred Attributes
Experience bringing liquid cooling products to market (not just concept or R&D)
Knowledge of component packaging technologies: BGA, Flip-Chip, 2.5D/3D
Experience with qualification methods, failure analysis, and system reliability
Effective communicator with ability to present thermal findings to executive teams
Collaborative mindset; able to influence across cross-functional teams
Work Environment
Onsite Hybrid: Must be onsite in San Jose 3+ days per week
Relocation: Considered for exceptional candidates
High-visibility team with ownership of next-gen platform design
Strategic alignment with AI and high-performance computing innovations
Thermal Engineering Technical Leader
Location:
San Jose, CA (Hybrid - minimum 3 days onsite/week)
Compensation:
$168K - $241K base + bonus + potential RSUs
Employment Type:
Full-time | Direct Hire
Industry:
Hardware / Data Center / Networking Systems
Client:
Confidential Global Technology Leader
Overview
A global hardware leader is seeking a Thermal Engineering Technical Leader to drive next-generation cooling solutions for high-performance compute and networking systems. This role requires deep experience with liquid and air cooling technologies, strong technical leadership, and the ability to work across engineering, operations, and supply chain teams.
You will lead the evaluation, design, validation, and qualification of thermal solutions at the product level, including cold plates, CDUs, heat sinks, vapor chambers, and interface materials. The ideal candidate will have experience in productizing thermal systems, not just lab validation or simulation.
Responsibilities
Lead development and qualification of advanced thermal solutions for ASICs, optics, and power systems
Own thermal system architecture: modeling, simulation, prototyping, and testing
Work directly with suppliers and manufacturers on component integration, test plans, and performance validation
Define design parameters and correlate test results with simulations and models
Collaborate with hardware design, mechanical, and reliability teams to ensure system-level thermal integrity
Contribute to long-term thermal roadmap for new platforms
Required Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Chemical Engineering (Master's preferred)
8-15+ years of experience designing thermal solutions for electronic systems
Strong background in liquid cooling systems: cold plates, CDUs, manifolds, pumps
Hands-on experience with system-level thermal validation and testing
Proficient in CFD tools, thermal simulation, and design-to-test correlation
Experience with TIM materials, vapor chambers, and high-power air cooling technologies
Preferred Attributes
Experience bringing liquid cooling products to market (not just concept or R&D)
Knowledge of component packaging technologies: BGA, Flip-Chip, 2.5D/3D
Experience with qualification methods, failure analysis, and system reliability
Effective communicator with ability to present thermal findings to executive teams
Collaborative mindset; able to influence across cross-functional teams
Work Environment
Onsite Hybrid: Must be onsite in San Jose 3+ days per week
Relocation: Considered for exceptional candidates
High-visibility team with ownership of next-gen platform design
Strategic alignment with AI and high-performance computing innovations