Thermal design and validation of low-voltage electrical hardware is a mission-critical function at Rivian, ensuring the long-term reliability and performance of our core electronic control units (ECUs) in the most demanding vehicle environments. In this role, you will lead the development of high-fidelity thermal strategies for our in-house ECU portfolio—bridging the gap between silicon-level performance and vehicle-level environmental integration.
You will be responsible for owning the "digital-to-physical" loop, from chip/package-level modeling to system-wide steady-state and transient simulations. By establishing the "gold standard" for simulation-to-test correlation, you will ensure our hardware survives rigorous thermal cycling and AEC-Q reliability standards. This role involves pushing the boundaries of electronic packaging—optimizing thermal stack-ups, TIM interfaces, and PCB-to-chassis heat pathways—to ensure our vehicle electronics achieve industry-leading efficiency, minimal mass, and mission-critical thermal reliability.
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Lead thermal strategy, conceptualize designs, and perform numerical simulations to address complex thermal challenges for leading-edge vehicle electrical hardware.
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Develop electronic cooling and packaging solutions for next-generation vehicle architectures and electronic systems.
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Define and support CFD workflows. Perform detailed steady-state and transient simulations—ranging from chip/package-level and PCB-level to full-system integration—as well as Board Level Reliability (BLR) analysis to drive design optimization for high-power thermal requirements.
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Establish simulation-to-test correlation methodologies. Build physical mockups, manage thermocouple instrumentation, and execute extensive chamber testing to validate and refine digital models.
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Define and execute board-mounting and heat-sinking strategies for LV systems. Optimize PCB layout, via density, and thermal pathways to the chassis to ensure component junction temperatures remain within derating limits.
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Provide detailed, actionable design feedback—including thermal stack-ups, cooling layouts, and material selections—to engineering teams responsible for vehicle electronics design.
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Analyze the impact of the under-hood vehicle environment on low-voltage electronics and define design requirements that account for real-world environmental stressors.
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Develop strategies for optimizing thermal and mechanical components by minimizing mass, cost, and material usage.
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Drive the characterization and selection of thermal hardware, including blowers, fans, heat pipes and heat sinks, utilizing advanced airflow measurement techniques to verify system performance.
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Author detailed technical documentation, present simulation results to cross-functional stakeholders, lead trade-off studies, and provide expert support for reliability qualification and product readiness milestones.
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Provide actionable design suggestions regarding thermal stack-ups, Thermal Interface Material (TIM) selection, assembly tolerances, and stack preload to identify and mitigate long-term thermal reliability risks.
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Coordinate and work with cross-functional analysts to align on analysis methodologies and design constraints.
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Own and drive thermal methodologies, deliverables, and test specifications to support modeling efforts.
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Work in multidisciplinary teams to drive product and engineering excellence.
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Education & Experience:
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Master’s degree in Mechanical or Thermal Engineering (or equivalent) with 6-8+ years or PhD in Mechanical or Thermal Engineering (or equivalent)
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4-6+ years of relevant industry experience in providing electronic cooling solutions, including thermal layout, heat sink design, fan/blower development, and characterization of Thermal Interface Materials (TIMs).
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Advanced Simulation Suite: Expert-level proficiency in industry-standard CFD and thermal analysis tools, including Ansys Icepak (Classic & EDT), Fluent, Flotherm, and Star-CCM+. Advanced competency in pre-and post-processing software—specifically ANSA and META—for geometry simplification, high-fidelity meshing, and data visualization.
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Component-to-System Modeling: Experience with chip and IC package-level thermal modeling is highly preferred, demonstrating an understanding of heat transfer from the silicon junction through the board stack-up.
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Hands-On Validation: Proven experience with thermal prototype builds, thermocouple instrumentation, data acquisition (DAQ) systems, and extensive environmental chamber testing.
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Core Technical Knowledge: Deep understanding of conduction, convection, and radiation. Solid grasp of under-hood vehicle thermal management, including the environmental impacts on low-voltage electronic reliability.
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Standards & Compliance: Solid understanding of automotive reliability standards, including AEC-Q stress test qualification, and relevant ISO standards for electronic component reliability.
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Engineering Acumen: Strong experience with 3D CAD, scripting for automation/data analysis, and robust failure analysis methodologies..
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Adaptability: Proven ability to thrive in a fast-paced, iterative R&D environment where design requirements evolve rapidly based on vehicle integration and testing feedback.
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Problem-Solving: A "first-principles" approach to engineering; ability to simplify complex thermal problems into actionable design solutions while maintaining a high standard for safety and performance.
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Leadership & Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills with a proven track record of documenting test results and leading or mentoring multidisciplinary engineering teams.
