STAFF Thermal Engineer

As a Staff Mechanical Product Development Engineer in the Mechanical Center of Excellence, you will lead advanced mechanical research, design, and validation efforts for cutting-edge interconnect systems used in AI data centers, high-performance computing, and next-generation communication infrastructure.

Your role involves developing novel mechanical structures, executing thermomechanical simulations, validating materials, and collaborating cross-functionally to enhance product performance, reliability, and manufacturability. You will operate with a high degree of autonomy and technical depth to define and drive innovation across mechanical platforms—from early-stage PoCs through NPI handoff.

This role is highly cross-functional, requiring collaboration with electrical, signal integrity, system architecture, manufacturing, and supplier development teams.

Responsibilities:

• Drive development of advanced mechanical platforms for interconnect systems, including housings, latches, thermal solutions, and structural supports.
• Lead thermomechanical simulation (FEA/CFD) activities to optimize mechanical performance, thermal management, and structural integrity.
• Translate real-world mechanical challenges into FEA models, using both implicit and explicit analysis methods to evaluate component behavior under different physical conditions (e.g., structural, thermal, vibration, shock).
• Utilize advanced simulation tools such as Ansys Workbench, LS-DYNA, HyperMesh, Simufact, and Digimat to perform both linear and non-linear analyses and evaluate material and structural responses under diverse loading scenarios.
• Conduct root cause analysis and develop mitigation plans for mechanical challenges related to warpage, fatigue, insertion force, material failures, etc.
• Champion material and process innovation by evaluating composites, thermal interface materials (TIMs), and micro-structured mechanical designs.
• Create standardized mechanical modules for reuse across product families, aligned with design-for-manufacture and platforming strategies.
• Partner with manufacturing and tooling teams to ensure early DFM/DFA integration and fast prototyping of mechanical solutions.
• Develop and validate test plans for thermal cycling, vibration, shock, and environmental reliability.
• Generate and maintain design standards, mechanical guidelines, and mechanical review frameworks across TE D&D.
• Mentor junior engineers and support global mechanical design communities through technical forums, training, and documentation.
• Collaborate with CTO, AMP, and BU engineering teams to align on mechanical technology roadmaps and influence long-term innovation direction.

Required Skills/Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or Physics with 8+ years of experience, or a Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering or Physics, or equivalent amount of experience in mechanical product development in connector, electronics, or high-reliability hardware industries.
• Hands-on experience with mechanical design and modeling using tools such as Creo, SolidWorks, or NX.
• Expertise in simulation tools such as ANSYS, Abaqus, or FloTHERM for thermal/structural analysis.
• Proven experience in DFM, DFA, and transition of mechanical designs to high-volume manufacturing.
• Deep understanding of materials science, including polymers, metals, and thermal materials.
• Experience conducting reliability testing: thermal cycling, vibration, drop/shock, and HALT/HASS.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills with a focus on root cause analysis and continuous improvement.
• Excellent communication skills to engage with global engineering, operations, and customer teams.

Nice to have Skills/Experience:

• Experience with micro-mechanics, co-packaged optics, or liquid cooling solutions.
• Familiarity with data analytics, Six Sigma methodologies, or AI-driven simulation optimization.
• Experience working on system-level hardware such as AI servers, switches, or RF modules.
• Patent filings or published research in mechanical design, thermal management, or materials.
• Experience managing cross-functional or global engineering projects.