Sr. Principle Systems / Rack Thermal Engineer

Astera Labs (NASDAQ: ALAB) provides rack-scale AI infrastructure through purpose-built connectivity solutions. By collaborating with hyperscalers and ecosystem partners, Astera Labs enables organizations to unlock the full potential of modern AI. Astera Labs’ Intelligent Connectivity Platform integrates CXL®, Ethernet, NVLink, PCIe®, and UALink™ semiconductor-based technologies with the company’s COSMOS software suite to unify diverse components into cohesive, flexible systems that deliver end-to-end scale-up, and scale-out connectivity. The company’s custom connectivity solutions business complements its standards-based portfolio, enabling customers to deploy tailored architectures to meet their unique infrastructure requirements. Discover more at www.asteralabs.com .

Senior Principal Thermal Engineer

Location: Research Triangle Park (RTP), North Carolina

Department: Hardware Engineering / System Architecture

Employment Type: Full-Time

We are seeking a Senior Principal Thermal Engineer to lead thermal architecture across next-generation AI systems, networking platforms, optical interconnects, and rack-scale infrastructure.

The Opportunity

This is a highly visible technical leadership role responsible for defining thermal strategy across:

PCIe Scale-Up Fabrics

UALink Scale-Up Networks

Ethernet Scale-Out Fabrics

ESUN Network Architectures

Advanced Fiber Connectivity Solutions

GPU Compute Platforms

Rack-Scale AI Systems

Near Package Optics (NPO)

Co-Packaged Optics (CPO)

Air-Cooled and Liquid-Cooled Open Rack Platforms

You will work closely with System Architects, Mechanical Architects, Power Architects, Silicon Engineering Teams, Software Architects, and ODM partners such as Accton, Hyve, Quanta, Wistron, and Gigabyte.

What You'll Do

Define End-to-End Thermal Architecture

Develop thermal architecture from silicon devices through complete rack-scale AI systems.

Define thermal budgets, cooling requirements, and performance objectives.

Drive architecture decisions balancing performance, reliability, power, density, and cost.

Establish multi-generation thermal roadmaps supporting future AI infrastructure.

Lead AI Rack and Platform Cooling Design

Provide thermal leadership for:

GPU Compute Platforms

PCIe Scale-Up Switch Platforms

UALink Switch Systems

Ethernet Scale-Out Platforms

Rack Controllers

AI Accelerators

Optical Interconnect Systems

Develop system-level cooling strategies supporting next-generation high-density AI deployments.

Develop Advanced Air and Liquid Cooling Solutions

Architect airflow solutions for high-performance computing systems.

Define direct liquid cooling and cold plate solutions.

Support advanced rack cooling technologies.

Develop thermal strategies for future 100kW+ AI racks.

Optimize thermal performance while reducing infrastructure cooling cost.

Lead Optical Thermal Innovation

Develop thermal solutions for:

Near Package Optics (NPO)

Co-Packaged Optics (CPO)

Optical Engines

Silicon Photonics Platforms

Fiber Connectivity Infrastructure

Optical Transceivers and Modules

Address thermal interactions between:

Optical engines

High-speed SerDes

Switch ASICs

GPU interconnects

Rack cooling systems

Drive Thermal Modeling and Validation

Lead CFD simulation activities.

Perform system-level airflow analysis.

Develop thermal design guidelines.

Correlate thermal simulations with lab measurements.

Establish validation procedures and thermal KPIs.

Collaborate with ODM Partners

Work directly with ODM and JDM partners to:

Define thermal requirements

Review rack and platform thermal designs

Resolve thermal bottlenecks

Support qualification and manufacturing readiness

Ensure compliance with Open Rack design objectives

Partner Across Engineering Functions

Collaborate closely with:

System Architecture

Mechanical Engineering

Power Architecture

Electrical Engineering

Silicon Design

Reliability Engineering

Manufacturing Operations

to deliver industry-leading AI infrastructure solutions.

Required Qualifications

BS, MS, or PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Thermal Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Physics, or a related discipline.

15+ years of thermal engineering experience.

Proven track record leading thermal architecture for AI infrastructure, networking platforms, servers, storage, or hyperscale systems.

Deep expertise in:

Heat Transfer

Conduction and Convection

Airflow Optimization

Thermal Characterization

Cooling System Design

Rack-Level Thermal Architecture

Hands-on experience using:

ANSYS Icepak

FloTHERM

6SigmaET

CFD tools and methodologies

Strong experience with thermal validation and correlation techniques.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience supporting NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel-based AI platforms.

Experience with Open Rack and OCP architectures.

Expertise in liquid cooling technologies.

Familiarity with PCIe Scale-Up and UALink systems.

Experience with Ethernet scale-out networking.

Experience supporting optical technologies including:

NPO

CPO

Optical Engines

Silicon Photonics

Fiber Connectivity Systems

Experience supporting rack power densities exceeding 50kW and scaling toward future 100kW–250kW deployments.

Experience working directly with ODMs and hyperscale customers.

Leadership Attributes

The ideal candidate will demonstrate:

Strong systems thinking

Strategic technology leadership

Cross-functional influence

Excellent communication skills

Ability to drive architecture across multiple organizations

Passion for solving complex infrastructure challenges

Why Join Us?

You will help define the thermal architecture for technologies that power the world's most advanced AI systems, including:

PCIe Scale-Up Infrastructure