Principal Thermal Systems Engineer (CFD)

Job Title: Principal Thermal Systems Engineer (CFD)

Location: San Jose, CA - Onsite

6-12 months Temp-to-Perm/Full-time

Target Start Date: ASAP

Job Description:

We are seeking a Principal Thermal Systems Engineer (CFD) to lead advanced thermal analysis and simulation efforts supporting the development of complex industrial and energy-related products. This role will play a critical part in optimizing system performance, improving reliability, and guiding engineering decisions through analytical and simulation-based methods.

The successful candidate will work across multiple engineering disciplines to evaluate thermal behavior, airflow characteristics, cooling strategies, and overall system performance throughout the product development lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead thermal analysis and simulation activities for complex mechanical and electromechanical systems.
• Develop predictive models to evaluate heat transfer, airflow distribution, temperature management, and overall system performance.
• Provide engineering recommendations that influence product architecture, design decisions, and performance optimization efforts.
• Support development programs from concept through validation and production readiness.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to assess technical feasibility and identify opportunities for design improvement.
• Present findings and recommendations to engineering leadership and project stakeholders.
• Support testing, validation, and correlation activities to ensure analytical models accurately represent real-world performance.
• Improve simulation methodologies, modeling approaches, and engineering processes to enhance prediction accuracy and efficiency.
• Contribute to technical problem-solving efforts related to performance, reliability, and thermal management challenges.

Requirements:

• REQUIRED - Master's or PhD degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Thermal Sciences, or a related discipline.
• 8+ years of industry experience utilizing CFD in Thermal management, in Electronics System/Data center cooling.
• Highly skilled in one of the CFD tools: Ansys Icepak/Cadence/Fluent (Icepak or Cadence Preferred and can give in-depth examples of when/where they've utilized this)
• Strong foundation in heat transfer, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and numerical analysis methods.
• Experience utilizing commercial engineering simulation software for thermal and flow analysis.
• Ability to develop simplified engineering calculations alongside detailed simulation models to support design decisions.
• Experience supporting complex product development programs in industrial, energy, transportation, electronics, or related industries.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple technical priorities while maintaining high-quality deliverables.
• Experience mentoring engineers and providing technical leadership on challenging engineering problems.
• Strong analytical thinking, troubleshooting abilities, and engineering judgment.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to convey complex technical concepts to diverse audiences.

Preferred Experience:

• Experience with cooling system design, airflow management, thermal optimization, or environmental performance analysis.
• Familiarity with validation testing and model correlation techniques.
• Exposure to highly integrated mechanical, electrical, or industrial equipment systems.