Mechanical & Thermal Staff Engineer

Axelera AI B.V.

Job Overview

Location

Eindhoven (hybrid)

Job Type

Full-time

Full Job Description

📋 Description

• Lead the end-to-end design and development of mechanical and thermal cooling solutions for Axelera AI’s accelerator cards and platforms, targeting edge devices to high-performance computing (HPC) systems, including PCIe cards, M.2 modules, and OEM single-board computers.
• Architect cooling solutions using passive heat sinks, heat pipes, vapor chambers, cold plates, and heat spreaders for fanless systems, ensuring mechanical fit and thermal performance from concept through production hand-off.
• Drive make-or-buy decisions for cooling components, managing both in-house design efforts and external supplier development for outsourced thermal solutions.
• Execute the full CFD simulation cycle—from model setup to correlation with empirical test data—at chip, board, and system levels using FloEFD, Icepak, or equivalent tools.
• Conduct structured trade-off analyses to evaluate design options and present evidence-based recommendations at design reviews to senior leadership and cross-functional teams.
• Define, execute, and document comprehensive thermal validation plans, including simulation-to-test correlation, lab characterization, and reporting suitable for management, suppliers, and customers.
• Perform hands-on thermal lab work using environmental chambers, multi-channel DAQ systems, thermocouples, airflow sensors, and power measurement tools to validate cooling performance under real-world conditions.
• Apply Design of Experiments (DOE) methodologies to optimize test campaigns within constrained budgets and timelines.
• Automate thermal measurement workflows and data post-processing pipelines using Python in Linux environments.
• Scout, qualify, and manage cooling suppliers across the full lifecycle: NRE negotiation, sample qualification, design freeze, production transfer, and quality issue resolution using 8D methodologies.
• Collaborate closely with PCB and electronics engineers to co-optimize thermal and electrical design from the earliest stages of product development.
• Maintain project plans and status updates in Jira and Confluence, ensuring proactive communication across engineering, supply chain, and customer-facing teams.
• Produce clear, actionable thermal characterisation reports that require no further interpretation by stakeholders including senior management, suppliers, and OEM customers.
• Ensure all thermal solutions comply with mechanical constraints, reliability standards, and production scalability requirements for high-volume manufacturing.
• Maintain deep technical ownership of the cooling solution lifecycle, from initial concept through volume production, with zero handoff ambiguity.
• Engage with OEM customers and industry partners to support design-in activities and ensure thermal solutions meet end-system requirements.
• Eliminate irrelevant domains: no involvement in HVAC, automotive/aerospace thermal systems, additive manufacturing simulation, or pure research roles.

🎯 Requirements

• 10+ years in board/system-level mechanical and thermal design for electronics, including HPC-class platforms
• Demonstrated experience with PCIe accelerator cards, M.2 thermal solutions, and fanless embedded systems
• Full ownership of CFD/FEM simulation cycles (FloEFD, Icepak or equivalent)
• High-TDP chip cooling (200 W+), forced-air server integration, heat pipe and vapor chamber design
• Proficiency in 3D CAD (NX, SolidWorks, or similar) and rapid prototyping (3D printing, CNC)
• Python for test automation and data post-processing; comfortable in Linux environments

🏖️ Benefits

• Attractive compensation package including a pension plan
• Extensive employee insurances
• Option to receive company shares
• Open culture that supports creativity and continual innovation
• Collaborative ownership with freedom and responsibility
• Emphasis on equal opportunity and diversity in a multicultural, distributed team

Skills & Technologies

Python

Linux

Senior

Remote

Degree Required

Ready to Apply?

Apply Externally

You will be redirected to an external site to apply.

Axelera AI B.V.

Visit Website

About Axelera AI B.V.

Axelera AI B.V. is a Dutch semiconductor company that designs and markets purpose-built, energy-efficient AI inference accelerators. Its products combine a custom RISC-V architecture with in-memory computing to deliver high performance for computer-vision workloads at the edge. Headquartered in Eindhoven with offices in Belgium, Switzerland, Italy and the UK, the company serves OEMs and system integrators in security, retail, robotics and automotive markets.

View Company Profile

Get more remote jobs like this

Subscribe to the weekly newsletter for similar remote roles and curated hiring updates.

Weekly remote jobs and featured talent.

No spam. Only curated remote roles and product updates. You can unsubscribe anytime.