Staff Thermal Engineer - Houston, USA [Hybrid]

Title: Staff Thermal Engineer

Location: Houston, USA [Hybrid]  

Type of Role: Permanent / Full time

Level of Experience: Senior (7+ years)

Travel Requirements: 10%

 

About Submer

Submer designs and delivers end-to-end AI datacenter infrastructure built around industry-leading liquid cooling.

We help organizations scale AI beyond the limits of traditional datacenters by enabling higher density, greater efficiency and lower environmental impact – accelerating time-to-AI from first deployment to full production.

 

What impact you will have

About Submer 

At Submer, we’re committed to creating a digital world that is safer, more efficient, and environmentally sustainable. Our technologies are addressing the critical challenges faced by data centers, supercomputing, hyperscale, and edge computing. By joining Submer, you’ll be part of a team driving innovation that directly contributes to a greener tomorrow. As we continue to grow our teams and operations in the US, we are positioning ourselves to effectively meet the increasing demand for our solutions.

 

What impact you'll have:

The Staff Thermal Engineer is the technical lead for server and rack‑level cooling architecture, with a focus on high‑power CDU or cooling solutions for AI/HPC racks in data centers. The role owns end‑to‑end thermal design and validation, from requirements and concepts through lab prototyping, qualification, and hand‑off to manufacturing and deployment.

 

Responsibilities:   

• Define thermal architecture and requirements for high‑power server and rack solutions, including single‑phase and hybrid cooling topologies.
• Lead design and specification of rack‑level cooling distribution units (CDUs) and associated fluid loops (primary/secondary circuits, fluid selection, pump sizing, heat exchangers, accumulators, and controls).
• Build first‑principles models for heat transfer and pressure drop to size components and predict performance.
• Develop and review CFD and system‑level simulations to optimize liquid distribution, manifold design, and rack‑level thermal performance; correlate models with lab data.
• Partner with server, mechanical, electrical, and controls teams or suppliers to co‑design cooling interfaces (cold plates, manifolds, piping, quick‑disconnects, sensors, and control logic).
• Define test plans for server, rack, and CDU‑level validation (steady‑state, transient, failure modes, and corner conditions), and drive execution with the lab team.
• Analyze experimental data (temperatures, flow, pressure, power) to extract key metrics, identify bottlenecks, and drive design changes.
• Lead root‑cause analysis and structured problem solving for thermal issues observed in prototype, factory, or field deployments.
• Create clear technical documentation: thermal specifications, interface control documents, design guidelines, validation reports, and customer‑facing collateral.
• Benchmark and evaluate emerging cooling technologies, fluids, and components (pumps, valves, heat exchangers, cold plates, hoses, quick‑disconnects) and make recommendations for the roadmap.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to junior thermal and mechanical engineers; review their designs, analyses, and test plans.
• Support customer engagements as the subject matter expert for high‑power liquid‑cooled rack solutions, including design reviews and issue resolution.

What you’ll need

Requirements and qualifications:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Thermal Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Physics, or related field.
• 8+ years of experience in electronics thermal management, with significant work on server, rack, or data center cooling systems.
• Deep fundamental understanding of conduction and convection heat transfer and fluid dynamics in compact heat exchangers and cold plates.
• Proven experience architecting and validating liquid‑cooled systems (e.g., CDUs, direct‑to‑chip, immersion, or similar rack‑level cooling solutions).
• Strong analytical skills: first‑principles calculations and familiarity with CFD tools (e.g., FloEFD, Fluent, Flotherm, Icepak).
• Hands‑on experience with thermal and fluid test setups: instrumentation (temperature, flow, pressure), DAQ systems, and test automation.
• Demonstrated ability to translate system‑level requirements into detailed thermal specifications and test plans.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex thermal trade‑offs to both technical and non‑technical stakeholders.

 

Preferred qualifications:

• Background in design and operation of CDUs, chillers, or other central plant interfaces in data centers, including facility water integration.
• Knowledge of reliability and safety aspects for liquid‑cooled systems (leak mitigation, redundancy, fail‑safe operation, codes and standards).
• Experience working directly with customers and suppliers to define interfaces, qualify components, and resolve field issues.

What we offer

• Attractive compensation package reflecting your expertise and experience.

• Medical Insurance Plan.

• 401k Employee volunteer contribution Plan.

• A great work environment characterized by friendliness, international diversity, flexibility, and a hybrid-friendly approach.

• You´ll be part of a fast-growing scale-up with a mission to make a positive impact, offering an exciting career evolution.

Our job titles may span more than one job level. The actual base pay is dependent on a number of factors, such as transferable skills, work experience, business needs and market demands.

Our inclusive responsibility

Submer is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, or any other protected category under applicable law.