Thermal Test Engineer
Apple
3 days ago
On-site
Sunnyvale, California, United States
Thermography (Thermal Imaging)
At Apple, new ideas have a way of becoming extraordinary products, services, and customer\\nexperiences very quickly. We"re looking for an experienced Thermal Test Engineer who brings\\ndeep, hands-on expertise in thermal characterization, material evaluation, and cooling system\\nvalidation.\\nThis is a role for an engineer who is equally comfortable installing thermocouples, characterizing\\nthermal resistance and bond line behavior, building custom test fixtures, and writing the\\nautomation that turns raw data into clean, actionable results.
As a Thermal Test Engineer, you will own thermal characterization and validation for consumer\\nhardware programs across all Apple platforms — from early module designs through shipping\\nhardware. Day-to-day work is hands-on in the lab: instrumenting hardware, configuring test\\nsystems, running thermal test plans, and extracting clear, reliable data.\\nEvaluate thermal interface materials for new programs, assessing thermal resistance,\\nmechanical compliance, repeatability, and long-term reliability. Collaborate with mechanical and\\nsystems engineers to identify thermal risks and develop mitigation strategies based on test\\ndata. Document procedures, maintain equipment, and communicate findings to stakeholders.\\nThe ideal candidate interprets temperature data, understands system behavior, and can\\ntroubleshoot test setups independently.
• Characterize and qualify thermal interface materials (TIMs) — phase change materials,\\ngreases, gels, graphite, and gap fillers.\\n• Evaluate and benchmark cooling solutions, analyzing performance tradeoffs across form\\nfactors and power envelopes to inform architecture decisions.\\n• Design and execute thermal characterization tests from module to system level to validate\\nthermal performance across program milestones.\\n• Build and maintain data tools and test fixtures that support reliable data collection and cross-\\nfunctional decision-making.\\n• Generate characterization summaries and SOPs that ensure clarity and repeatability across\\nfuture efforts.\\n• Research and implement improvements to characterization methodologies and equipment to\\nexpand team capabilities.
BS in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent\\n2-5+ years of hands-on thermal testing experience in a hardware development or\\nmanufacturing environment — characterization work, not simulation-only roles\\n Experience with thermal test equipment and instrumentation: DAQ systems (thermocouples,\\nRTDs), IR thermography, airflow measurement (hot wire anemometry, flow benches), power\\nsupplies, and thermal test chambers
Direct experience evaluating and qualifying thermal interface materials (TIMs): phase change\\nmaterials, thermal greases, gels, graphite, thin films, and gap fillers; familiarity with bondline\\nthickness (BLT) measurement, compression testing, and thermal property assessment.\\nDemonstrated experience with multiple cooling technologies: natural convection, forced air,\\nheat pipes, vapor chambers, liquid cooling, and/or thermoelectric solutions — understanding\\nof tradeoffs across form factors and power envelopes\\nStrong thermal engineering fundamentals: conduction, convection, and radiation heat\\ntransfer; junction-to-ambient thermal resistance; thermal budgeting; steady-state vs.\\ntransient behavior.\\nProficient in Python (or equivalent) for test automation, data acquisition scripting, and post-\\nprocessing/visualizations.\\n Excellent written and verbal communication; ability to produce clear test reports, SOPs, and\\nsummaries for cross-functional audiences.
As a Thermal Test Engineer, you will own thermal characterization and validation for consumer\\nhardware programs across all Apple platforms — from early module designs through shipping\\nhardware. Day-to-day work is hands-on in the lab: instrumenting hardware, configuring test\\nsystems, running thermal test plans, and extracting clear, reliable data.\\nEvaluate thermal interface materials for new programs, assessing thermal resistance,\\nmechanical compliance, repeatability, and long-term reliability. Collaborate with mechanical and\\nsystems engineers to identify thermal risks and develop mitigation strategies based on test\\ndata. Document procedures, maintain equipment, and communicate findings to stakeholders.\\nThe ideal candidate interprets temperature data, understands system behavior, and can\\ntroubleshoot test setups independently.
• Characterize and qualify thermal interface materials (TIMs) — phase change materials,\\ngreases, gels, graphite, and gap fillers.\\n• Evaluate and benchmark cooling solutions, analyzing performance tradeoffs across form\\nfactors and power envelopes to inform architecture decisions.\\n• Design and execute thermal characterization tests from module to system level to validate\\nthermal performance across program milestones.\\n• Build and maintain data tools and test fixtures that support reliable data collection and cross-\\nfunctional decision-making.\\n• Generate characterization summaries and SOPs that ensure clarity and repeatability across\\nfuture efforts.\\n• Research and implement improvements to characterization methodologies and equipment to\\nexpand team capabilities.
BS in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent\\n2-5+ years of hands-on thermal testing experience in a hardware development or\\nmanufacturing environment — characterization work, not simulation-only roles\\n Experience with thermal test equipment and instrumentation: DAQ systems (thermocouples,\\nRTDs), IR thermography, airflow measurement (hot wire anemometry, flow benches), power\\nsupplies, and thermal test chambers
Direct experience evaluating and qualifying thermal interface materials (TIMs): phase change\\nmaterials, thermal greases, gels, graphite, thin films, and gap fillers; familiarity with bondline\\nthickness (BLT) measurement, compression testing, and thermal property assessment.\\nDemonstrated experience with multiple cooling technologies: natural convection, forced air,\\nheat pipes, vapor chambers, liquid cooling, and/or thermoelectric solutions — understanding\\nof tradeoffs across form factors and power envelopes\\nStrong thermal engineering fundamentals: conduction, convection, and radiation heat\\ntransfer; junction-to-ambient thermal resistance; thermal budgeting; steady-state vs.\\ntransient behavior.\\nProficient in Python (or equivalent) for test automation, data acquisition scripting, and post-\\nprocessing/visualizations.\\n Excellent written and verbal communication; ability to produce clear test reports, SOPs, and\\nsummaries for cross-functional audiences.