Thermal Engineer

OpenAI's Hardware organization develops silicon and system-level solutions for advanced AI workloads.

We are looking for an experienced Thermal Engineer with 7+ years of experience in thermal management of IT hardware from chip/package to system levels.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and optimize thermal solutions for data center hardware, including chips, power modules, and system-level cooling architectures.
• Evaluate thermal performance at the chip, package, and board levels, addressing challenges related to power density, heat dissipation, and thermal interface materials.
• Perform thermal modeling and simulation to predict temperature profiles and identify thermal bottlenecks.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate thermal management strategies into hardware design, from concept to mass production.
• Support lab testing and validation, including the setup of thermal experiments, data acquisition, and troubleshooting of thermal performance issues.
• Design and select thermal components, such as cold plates, heat sinks, fans, vapor chambers, and thermal interface materials (TIMs).
• Work with firmware and electrical engineers to define and implement thermal control algorithms for dynamic power and cooling management.
• Conduct feasibility studies and trade-off analyses to evaluate cooling technologies and improve system thermal efficiency.
• Partner with suppliers and manufacturers to support the development of custom thermal components and ensure quality in production.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Thermal Engineering, or a related field (Master’s preferred).
• 7+ years of industry experience in thermal design, simulation, and validation for IT hardware.
• Proficiency in thermal simulation software and CAD tools.
• Strong understanding of heat transfer principles, thermodynamics, and fluid mechanics, with an emphasis on electronics cooling.
• Hands-on experience with thermal testing equipment, including thermocouples, infrared cameras, wind tunnels, and P-Q characterization setups.
• Experience in chip/package-level thermal analysis, including die-level heat spreading, and package thermal modeling.
• Ability to analyze experimental data, identify root causes of thermal issues, and implement corrective actions.
• Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to perform first-principles calculations to support design decisions.
• Self-driven, detail-oriented, and able to work independently or collaboratively in cross-functional engineering environments.

Preferred Skills

• 10+ years of industry experience in thermal design, simulation, and validation for IT hardware.
• Extensive experience with data center hardware or high-performance computing systems at scale.
• Practical experience in developing advanced cooling technologies.
• Familiarity with thermal control algorithms and dynamic thermal management techniques.
• Understanding of reliability testing, failure analysis, and thermal stress testing for electronic components.
• Experience working with suppliers and manufacturing partners to support thermal solution development and production ramp-up.