Sr Staff or Principal Thermal Engineer, Server Packaging (San Diego)
$180,400 - $270,600 USD yearly
Originally posted 10 July 2026 by the employer. Relisted by the employer on 7 August 2026.
About the role
The qualified individual will develop thermal solutions for server products at package and system levels, resolving thermal management challenges related to high-performance servers. The role sits within the Qualcomm Data Center team developing server solutions for data center applications.
What you'll do
- Lead thermal architecture solutions through simulation and test while working with cross-functional stakeholders. - Perform thermal simulations utilizing CFD tools from silicon die to ambient throughout the product development phase. - Drive direction and strategy discussions, work with technical leads on tradeoffs, and conduct thermal design reviews. - Develop custom software solutions to automate thermal modeling and testing. - Conduct laboratory thermal tests to validate and characterize models, analyzing airflow and temperature measurements. - Analyze and document simulation and test results to present to stakeholders.
What you'll need
- MS in Mechanical Engineering. - 10 years of industry experience in electronics cooling related to server products. - Deep understanding of thermal management design elements including TIM, spreaders, heat sink, vapor chamber, heat pipe, and fan. - Expertise in conducting CFD simulations and proficiency in tools such as ANSYS-Icepak and Celsius EC. - Capability to design and execute thermal tests within a laboratory environment using airflow and temperature measurement equipment. - Ability to write scripts in programming languages such as Python, C/C++, or MATLAB for data analysis and tool development.
Nice to have
- PhD in Mechanical Engineering. - Industry exposure to 2.5/3D packaging. - Experience with 3D geometry CAD tools such as Solidworks or Creo. - Experience with AI/ML concepts, algorithms, and methodologies.
This role has been open 102 days — well above the 51-day median for Hardware Systems Engineering roles.
Hardware Systems Engineering · AI ML Hardware
|
Open roles in category
992
|
Median days open
51 d
|
Median salary
$154k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, and who else is hiring
| Metric | Qualcomm | All employers we track in this specialty (992 roles · 104 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 36 | 992 |
| Open roles in the wider Software, Firmware & Systems family | 719 | 6222 · 145 employers |
| Median days open | 50 d | 51 d (−1 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $154k |
Who's hiring in this category
- Intel Corporation · 76 open roles · median 33 d
- KLA Corporation · 63 open roles · median 47 d
- Teradyne · 57 open roles · median 33 d
- NVIDIA · 52 open roles · median 68 d
- Applied Materials · 51 open roles · median 69 d
- AMD · 47 open roles · median 53 d
How we counted: 992 open Hardware Systems Engineering (AI ML Hardware) roles from 104 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 21 Oct 2026. Specialty figures count only roles carrying this exact specialty label, so an employer's related work in neighbouring specialties is not included there — it is counted in the wider Software, Firmware & Systems family row. Figures refresh nightly.