Principal Thermal Engineer - Data Center

$97,400 - $199,500/Yr

Oracle - Sacramento, CA

Full-time - Principal

Sacramento, CA

Publishing Industries

About the position

As a Principal Thermal Engineer, you will focus on the alignment of OCI thermal hardware design and the data center physical infrastructure. This role requires a mix of technical breadth and depth to work cross-functionally with various disciplines, including Mechanical, Electrical, Thermal, and Software engineering, to develop thermal solutions optimized for the entire stack. You will be responsible for effectively managing high-performance data center devices and collaborating with both internal and external partners to deliver the next generation of world-class hardware and data centers. Your primary responsibilities will include building and conducting thermal simulations, reviewing thermal simulation models from partners to identify data center risks, and improving efficiency. You will design and conduct experiments to validate and produce accurate Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) models by comparing test results against platform telemetry and facility Building Management System (BMS) data. Engaging with leading CFD software companies will be essential to drive their product roadmap to meet OCI's requirements for high-density air and liquid cooling solutions. In addition to these primary responsibilities, you will collaborate with global partners to develop platform hardware and data center infrastructure solutions that enable OCI services. Leading thermal design reviews and presenting concepts to peers, partner teams, and executives will be part of your role. You will work jointly with multidisciplinary teams, including both in-house and external partners, in the development of Advanced Cooling Solution (ACS) concept prototypes. Your collaboration with firmware and controls engineering teams will be crucial in creating robust thermal control and monitoring systems. You will also conduct design/debug investigations and support failure analysis and resolution activities for platforms and data center infrastructure, ensuring that all designs meet the required specifications.

Responsibilities

• Build and conduct thermal simulations, and review thermal simulation models from partners to identify data center risks and improve efficiency.
• Design and conduct experiments for validating and producing accurate CFD models by comparing test results against platform telemetry and facility BMS data.
• Engage with leading CFD software companies to drive their product roadmap to meet OCI's requirements for high density air and liquid cooling solutions.
• Collaborate with internal and external partners across the globe to develop platform hardware and data center infrastructure solutions enabling OCI services.
• Lead thermal design reviews and presentations of concepts to peers, partner teams, and executives.
• Work jointly with multidisciplinary teams consisting of both in-house and external partners in the development of Advanced Cooling Solution (ACS) concept prototypes.
• Engage hardware development organizations to drive concepts to the product roadmap and OCI data center fleet.
• Collaborate with multifunctional engineering groups to deliver hardware and data center sites aligned with thermal specifications.
• Collaborate with firmware and controls engineering teams to create robust thermal control and monitoring systems.
• Conduct design/debug investigations and support failure analysis and resolution activities for platforms and data center infrastructure.
• Design and create thermal characterization test plans.
• Collaborate with technicians and industry partners to complete tests and analyze results to validate compliance with platform and data center infrastructure specifications.
• Support the high-level thermal design direction and data center strategy for complex systems ranging from advanced computing (HPC, GPU, FPGA Accelerators, etc.) to general purpose compute, storage, network and/or other specialized programs.
• Create robust, scalable, secure, and extensible thermal architecture solutions that account for current and anticipated industry/competitive needs.
• Distill and articulate architectural tradeoffs in the thermal space in terms of key metrics such as feasibility, performance, cost, reliability, availability and schedule.
• Partner with the platform and data center architects to drive OCI roadmap definitions.
• Acquire and share expert knowledge of multiple technical areas within and across teams working on similar products.
• Look for opportunities to generate intellectual property to help strengthen OCI's position as a leader in cloud computing.
• Drive and influence technology providers and design partners to develop optimal components and solutions to meet the future requirements of the OCI fleet.
• Partner within the industry and standards bodies to create standards and form factors key to next generation solutions.
• Collaborate with the hardware development and data center design and construction teams to ensure seamless transition from architecture to implementation.

Requirements

• 7+ years cloud scale provider OR related technical engineering experience AND Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Thermal Fluid Science, Systems or Aerospace Engineering.
• 4+ years related cloud scale provider OR technical engineering experience AND Master's degree in Mechanical, Thermal Fluid Science, Systems or Aerospace Engineering.
• 3+ years related cloud scale provider OR technical engineering experience AND Doctorate degree in Mechanical, Thermal Fluid Science, Systems or Aerospace Engineering.
• 3+ years experience and proficiency in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis.
• Expertise using Cadence Data Center Solution (aka 6SigmaDCX), OR CoolSim, OR TileFlow, OR AutoDesk CFD, OR ANSYS - Icepak, OR Mentor Graphics FloTHERM.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience with creating digital twins.
• Working knowledge and design ability for data center direct-to-chip liquid cooling technologies, including using liquid-to-liquid, liquid-to-air, single-phase and two-phase cooling distribution units, cold plates, manifolds for hybrid of air and liquid data center cooling.
• Experience performing data analytics and visualization using Python, SQL, Tableau, PowerBI, Oracle Analytics Cloud, OR equivalent.
• Communication skills, including the ability to clearly express technical concepts in verbal and written forms.
• Experience creating high-level systems concepts, documenting, and evaluating concepts, and providing analysis to other organizations and upper management.
• Problem-solving, debug, and failure analysis skills with a solid understanding of core engineering principles and analytical techniques.
• Experience in thermal design and analysis of compute architecture is desired.
• Working knowledge of mechanical and electrical system design considerations.
• Exposure/Hands-on experience with compute-related thermal, airflow, and liquid cooling characterization and evaluation testing.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance, including expert medical opinion
• Short term disability and long term disability
• Life insurance and AD&D
• Supplemental life insurance (Employee/Spouse/Child)
• Health care and dependent care Flexible Spending Accounts
• Pre-tax commuter and parking benefits
• 401(k) Savings and Investment Plan with company match
• Paid time off: Flexible Vacation is provided to all eligible employees assigned to a salaried (non-overtime eligible) position.
• Accrued Vacation is provided to all other employees eligible for vacation benefits.
• 11 paid holidays
• Paid sick leave: 72 hours of paid sick leave upon date of hire.
• Paid parental leave
• Adoption assistance
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• Financial planning and group legal
• Voluntary benefits including auto, homeowner and pet insurance