Intel Corporation · 2 days ago
Principal Engineer, Thermal Engineering
US, Oregon, Hillsboro
Full-time
Hybrid
Lead/Staff
$221K/yr - $312K/yr
10+ years expIntel Corporation is a leading technology company focused on delivering exceptional products for data centers. The Principal Engineer, Thermal Engineering will lead the development of advanced thermal and mechanical solutions for Data Center CPUs, requiring deep technical expertise and strong collaboration skills.
Semiconductors
Responsibilities
Define product power and temperature limits based on system cooling capabilities
Provide thermal parameters for manufacturing teams
Conduct thermal analysis, design, prototyping, and testing of air and liquid cooling solutions
Apply expertise in conduction, convection, radiation, heat sinks, heat pipes, and vapor chambers
Perform thermal and pressure drop characterization and validate models
Optimize thermal management systems, including materials, contact pressure, and firmware policies
Simulate thermal behavior from silicon to PCB, considering materials, layout, and transient effects
Lead thermal design reviews and resolve technical issues
Collaborate cross-functionally with design, power, reliability, electrical, and mechanical teams
Drive technical readiness through research, experiments, and prototyping
Serve as a domain expert influencing technical direction across Intel and the industry
Mentor technical leaders and promote Intel values
Formulate technical strategy aligned with organizational goals and deliver leadership solutions
Drive innovation in modeling, simulation, and automation to accelerate design cycles
Analyze performance, power, and thermal characteristics to guide design trade-offs
Lead teams in detailed design, testing, and prototype fabrication
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field with 10+ years of related experience
8+ years of experience in Heat transfer fundamentals for data center or client systems
8+ years of experience in Thermal testing techniques using sensors and wind tunnels
8+ years of experience in Thermal simulation software (Flotherm, Icepak)
8+ years of experience in CFD tools and thermal modeling processes
Preferred
Advanced degree (MS/PhD) in Mechanical Engineering with focus on Heat Transfer, Fluid Dynamics, and Electronics Cooling
Proficiency in Python, MATLAB, LabVIEW, and statistical analysis
Hands-on experience with thermal metrology, DOE, instrumentation, and uncertainty analysis
Strong project leadership and cross-functional collaboration skills
Expertise in electronics cooling for systems/platforms, racks, and datacenters
Deep knowledge of TIMs, heat sinks, vapor chambers, heat pipes, fans, and liquid cooling systems
CAD proficiency (SolidWorks or Creo) and CFD experience
Experience managing ODMs/vendors and full product lifecycle from concept to production
Familiarity with acoustic testing, DFM, and high-volume manufacturing
Ability to integrate novel thermal technologies aligned with Intel's roadmap
Benefits
Competitive pay
Stock
Bonuses
Health
Retirement
Vacation
Company
Intel Corporation
Our mission is to shape the future of technology to help create a better future for the entire world, that’s the power of Intel Inside.
10001+ employees
H1B Sponsorship
Intel Corporation has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (2793)
2024 (3717)
2023 (3576)
2022 (4811)
2021 (3359)
2020 (1174)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageLeadership Team
Brea Watts, MFA
Communications Manager, CEO
Carol Bartz
CEO
Recent News
Company data provided by crunchbase