Principal Thermal Engineer

Qualcomm • San Diego, CA

14d • $210,000 - $315,000

About The Position

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.’s Hardware Systems organization is seeking a Principal Thermal Engineer to address complex thermal challenges and enable performance, efficiency, and reliability across the Qualcomm Dragonfly™ AI300 platform and future AI computing platforms. The role works on thermal architecture, simulation, validation, and optimization, helping bring AI products from concept through production in collaboration with silicon, packaging, hardware, and system engineering teams.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field and 8+ years of System/Package Design/Technology Engineering or related work experience; OR a Master's degree in one of these fields and 7+ years of related experience; OR a PhD in one of these fields and 6+ years of related experience.

Nice To Haves

• 10+ years of industry experience in electronics cooling, with a strong focus on high-performance computing, AI, or data center products.
• Experience developing thermal solutions for high-power processors, GPUs, AI accelerators, or advanced compute platforms using air, liquid, or hybrid cooling technologies.
• Deep understanding of thermal management technologies and design elements, including thermal interface materials (TIMs), heat spreaders, heat sinks, vapor chambers, heat pipes, and forced-air cooling solutions.
• Experience with advanced semiconductor packaging technologies, including 2.5D and 3D package architectures; exposure to high-power AI accelerator packaging is highly desirable.
• Proficiency in scripting and programming for data analysis, model automation, and tool development using Python, C/C++, MATLAB, or equivalent languages.
• Strong expertise in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis, with hands-on experience using industry-standard tools such as ANSYS Icepak, Celsius EC, Flotherm, or similar platforms.
• Demonstrated ability to design, execute, and analyze thermal validation experiments in a laboratory environment, including hands-on use of airflow, temperature, power, and data-acquisition instrumentation.
• Experience correlating simulation models with empirical test results and driving model accuracy improvements throughout the product development lifecycle.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and cross-functional collaboration skills, with the ability to influence technical decisions across diverse engineering teams.
• Ability to clearly communicate complex technical concepts, analyses, and recommendations to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Familiarity with AI/ML workloads, accelerator architectures, and associated thermal challenges.

Responsibilities

• Lead thermal architecture solutions through simulation and testing while working with stakeholders.
• Perform thermal simulations using CFD tools from silicon to the data center environment throughout product development.
• Drive direction and strategy discussions, work cross-functionally with technical leads on tradeoffs, and conduct thermal design reviews and presentations.
• Conduct thermal tests to validate and characterize models, and present results to stakeholders.
• Analyze and document simulation and test results.

Benefits

• Competitive annual discretionary bonus program.
• Opportunity for annual RSU grants; employees on sales-incentive plans are not eligible for the annual bonus.
• Competitive benefits package designed to support employees at work, at home, and at play.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Principal