Senior Thermal Architect - Intel Contract Employee

Job Details: Job Description: The Role and Impact Join Intel in driving innovation at the forefront of thermal systems technology. As a Senior Thermal Architect Exempt Tech Contract Employee, you will play a pivotal role in advancing Intel's technological excellence by contributing to diverse and impactful technical projects. This is an opportunity to be part of a dynamic and collaborative team, solving complex thermal challenges and enabling cutting-edge system and component thermal solutions that shape the future of the industry. You will collaborate closely with mechanical, electrical, silicon, and product teams to drive thermal innovation at both the component and system level. Your expertise and contributions will be instrumental in delivering meaningful results and supporting Intel's mission to create world-changing technology. Key Responsibilities: Define and own the thermal architecture for complex electronic systems (e.g., servers, consumer devices, AI/HPC platforms, EV systems - adjust to your domain). Develop thermal budgets, airflow strategies, and cooling solutions (air, liquid, two-phase, immersion, TECs, vapor chambers, heat pipes, etc.). Lead CFD and FEA thermal simulations using tools such as Ansys Icepak, FloTHERM, 6SigmaET, or COMSOL. Drive trade-off analyses between thermal performance, acoustics, cost, weight, and form factor. Partner with silicon and power teams to influence chip floorplans, package selection, and power delivery for thermal optimization. Specify and qualify thermal interface materials (TIMs), heatsinks, fans, pumps, cold plates, and related components. Lead thermal characterization, bring-up, and validation in the lab; correlate models to measured data. Mentor junior thermal engineers and establish best practices, design guidelines, and review processes. Engage with suppliers and ODM/OEM partners on thermal design reviews and DFx activities. Represent thermal engineering in cross-functional architecture reviews and executive readouts. Qualifications: Minimum Qualifications BS in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field; 9+ years of hands-on thermal design experience for electronic systems. Deep expertise in heat transfer, fluid dynamics, and thermodynamics fundamentals. Proven track record shipping products with non-trivial thermal challenges. Proficiency with industry-standard CFD tools (Icepak, FloTHERM, 6SigmaET, or equivalent). Strong experience with lab instrumentation: thermocouples, IR cameras, anemometers, wind tunnels, and power measurement. Excellent ability to communicate complex technical trade-offs to both engineers and executives. Preferred Qualifications: Experience with liquid cooling, two-phase cooling, or immersion cooling at rack or system scale. Familiarity with high-power AI/GPU/CPU thermal design (High TDP components). Knowledge of acoustic design and fan curve optimization. Scripting experience (Python, MATLAB) for simulation automation and data analysis. Published papers, patents, or conference presentations (SEMI-THERM, ITHERM, InterPACK). Experience leading thermal teams or technical programs. This position is not eligible for Intel immigration sponsorship. Join Intel today to be part of a company that values your expertise and is committed to helping you grow professionally while driving industry-leading innovation. Job Type: Intel Contract Employee Shift: Shift 1 (United States of America) Primary Location: Virtual US Additional Locations: Business group: At the Data Center Group (DCG), we're committed to delivering exceptional products and delighting our customers. We offer both broad-market Xeon-based solutions and custom x86-based products, ensuring tailored innovation for diverse needs across general-purpose compute, web services, HPC, and AI-accelerated systems. Our charter encompasses defining business strategy and roadmaps, product management, developing ecosystems and business opportunities, delivering strong financial performance, and reinvigorating x86 leadership. Join us as we transform the data center segment through workload driven leadership products and close collaboration with our partners. Posting Statement: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, religious creed, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, military and veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, gender, gender expression, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by local law, regulation, or ordinance. Position of Trust N/A Benefits We offer a total compensation package that ranks among the best in the industry. It consists of competitive pay, stock bonuses, and benefit programs which include health, retirement, and vacation. Find out more about the benefits of working at Intel . Annual Salary Range for jobs which could be performed in the US: $52,000.00-$200,000.00 The range displayed on this job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target compensation for the position across all US locations. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific compensation range for your preferred location during the hiring process. Work Model for this Role This role is available as a fully home-based and generally would require you to attend Intel sites only occasionally based on business need. However, you must live and work from the country specified in the job posting, in which Intel has a legal presence. Due to legal regulations, remote work from any other country is unfortunately not permitted. * Job posting details (such as work model, location or time type) are subject to change.The application window for this job posting is expected to end by 06/13/2026 * ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Intel is committed to Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) compliance and ethical hiring practices. We do not charge any fees during our hiring process. Candidates should never be required to pay recruitment fees, medical examination fees, or any other charges as a condition of employment. If you are asked to pay any fees during our hiring process, please report this immediately to your recruiter.