Thermal Engineer

San Francisco Bay Area, California, United States Hardware

Apple is a place where people come to do the best work of their lives. We obsess over the details to make products that surprise, delight, and provide new ways to interact with the technology that changes our customers’ lives. The tight integration of engineering teams from hardware, software, silicon, and beyond sets Apple apart and provides unique opportunities for impact and innovation.The Apple Thermal Design team is seeking a thermal engineer to work on the next-generation of Mac systems. From the lightweight and portable MacBook Air to the powerful Mac Studio, our products deliver best-in-class performance thanks to a optimized thermal design that leverages the capabilities of Apple Silicon. We work in a highly-collaborative, fast-paced environment with teams across Apple including Industrial Design, Product Design, Electrical Engineering, Silicon Engineering, Performance, Software, and Marketing to define product objectives, design thermal solutions to meet those objectives, and validate the performance of those designs through mass production, all while keeping customer experience at the forefront. Our contributions have broad impacts – from the overall system size and shape down to the layout details of future silicon.

Description

You will be the primary technical contributor covering all aspects of the thermal design of a Mac system. Your main responsibility is to work as a member of the product team to deliver a system thermal design that meets or exceeds all performance targets, while optimizing for the customer experience. This role relies heavily on numerical analysis of product designs in the conceptualization and prototyping phases.

Responsibilities

• Integrate inputs from several sources to create a comprehensive thermal system model
• Utilize heat transfer fundamentals and simulation tools to inform thermal system design
• Optimize thermal solutions to meet performance requirements keeping in mind system constraints
• Clearly present design tradeoffs and feedback, from working-level teams up to system leadership
• Work both independently and as a member of a large cross-functional team to solve product-scale problems
• Support early validation and prototyping efforts to ensure successful ramp up to mass production

Minimum Qualifications

• B.S. and 5+ years job experience in heat transfer, fluid dynamics, or related field
• Strong understanding of the technical fundamentals of conduction, convection, and radiation
• Experience with data processing and analysis
• Familiarity with numerical modeling techniques and concepts

Preferred Qualifications

• M.S. or Ph.D. in heat transfer, fluid dynamics, or related field expertise with commercial CFD tools (Fluent, Icepak, AEDT, StarCCM+, FlowTherm, etc)
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Knowledge of scripting languages (python, MATLAB, JMP, etc) for data processing and visualization experience with TIM selection; design of heatsinks, heatpipes, vapor chambers, air movers
• Design of experiments and measurement techniques for flow/thermal systems

At Apple, base pay is one part of our total compensation package and is determined within a range. This provides the opportunity to progress as you grow and develop within a role. The base pay range for this role is between $150,400 and $277,600, and your base pay will depend on your skills, qualifications, experience, and location.
Apple employees also have the opportunity to become an Apple shareholder through participation in Apple’s discretionary employee stock programs. Apple employees are eligible for discretionary restricted stock unit awards, and can purchase Apple stock at a discount if voluntarily participating in Apple’s Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You’ll also receive benefits including: Comprehensive medical and dental coverage, retirement benefits, a range of discounted products and free services, and for formal education related to advancing your career at Apple, reimbursement for certain educational expenses — including tuition. Additionally, this role might be eligible for discretionary bonuses or commission payments as well as relocation. Learn more about Apple Benefits
Note: Apple benefit, compensation and employee stock programs are subject to eligibility requirements and other terms of the applicable plan or program.

Apple is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to inclusion and diversity. We seek to promote equal opportunity for all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, Veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. Learn more about your EEO rights as an applicant

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Apple accepts applications to this posting on an ongoing basis.