Lead Thermal Validation Engineer

Position: Lead Thermal Validation Engineer
Location: Sunnyvale, CA (Onsite)
Salary: $120K-$130K
Exp: 8-15 years
No H1 Transfers

What You will Do:
Lead the planning, execution, and analysis of thermal validation activities for hardware products.

• Develop and implement comprehensive thermal test plans, methodologies, and validation strategies.
• Conduct hands-on thermal testing, including temperature measurements, heat dissipation analysis, and stress testing.
• Collaborate with hardware, mechanical, and system engineering teams to optimize thermal designs.
• Document validation processes, test results, and provide clear technical reports to stakeholders.
• Support failure analysis and troubleshooting of thermal issues in prototypes and production units.
• Lead the end-to-end thermal validation and characterization of hardware products, with a focus on user comfort and system reliability.
• Design and execute thermal experiments, including heated head and other user-simulating tests.
• Develop and maintain Python scripts for data acquisition, automation, and analysis of thermal test results.
• Establish and document component and system-level thermal requirements, including surface temperature limits.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (hardware, software, mechanical, and product) to optimize thermal design and mitigation strategies.
• Analyze test data, identify root causes of thermal issues, and drive corrective actions.
• Prepare detailed reports and present findings to stakeholders.
• Stay current with industry trends and best practices in thermal management and validation.

What You Will Bring:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Thermal Engineering, or a related field.
• 8+ years of experience in thermal validation, testing, or thermal design for electronic products.
• Strong understanding of heat transfer principles, thermal simulation tools, and measurement techniques.
• Strong hands-on experience with thermal test equipment and methodologies, including heated head testing.
• Proficiency in Python for test automation and data analysis
• Hands-on experience with thermal test equipment (e.g., IR cameras, thermocouples, data loggers).
• Experience with root cause analysis and problem-solving in thermal domains.
• Excellent communication and technical documentation skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with consumer electronics, wearables, or high-density electronic systems.
• Familiarity with regulatory and safety standards for thermal performance.
• Proficiency in thermal simulation software (e.g., ANSYS, FloTHERM, COMSOL).
• Experience with automation and scripting for data collection and analysis (e.g., Python, MATLAB).
• Knowledge of materials science as it relates to thermal management.