Senior Product Development / Thermal Engineer - Liquid Cooling

Location: Schaumburg, IL | Department: Engineering | Posted: 9/21/2026 | Salary range: $85,000 – $140,000

Company Overview

Amphenol Communications Solutions (ACS), a division of Amphenol Corporation, is a world leader in interconnect solutions for communications, mobile, RF, optics, and commercial electronics markets. ACS designs and manufactures innovative connectors and cable assemblies for servers, storage, data centers, mobile, networking, industrial, business equipment, and automotive applications.

About the role

Amphenol is seeking a highly skilled and motivated Senior Product Development Engineer to lead the design and development of liquid‑cooling solutions for front‑end I/O connectors that will power the next generation of artificial‑intelligence (AI) and machine‑learning (ML) platforms. This role is critical to advancing thermal‑management technologies that support high‑performance computing environments.

Key Responsibilities

• Design & Development: Architect and develop liquid‑cooling plates optimized for high‑density front‑end I/O connector applications; engineer microchannel structures, cold‑plate geometries, and flow‑path configurations to maximize thermal efficiency and minimize pressure drop; select and integrate materials compatible with high‑performance thermal transfer and long‑term reliability in data‑center environments; collaborate with connector design teams to ensure seamless mechanical integration and manufacturability.
• Testing & Validation: Define and execute thermal performance testing, including heat dissipation, flow‑rate analysis, and environmental stress testing; validate cooling‑plate designs against industry standards and customer‑specific requirements; work with internal labs and external partners to ensure robust qualification and certification processes.
• Project Management: Lead cross‑functional development projects from concept through production; manage timelines, deliverables, and resource coordination to meet program milestones; track and report progress using structured project‑management tools and methodologies.
• Customer Engagement: Serve as a technical liaison with key customers to understand requirements and deliver exceptional support; represent Amphenol’s commitment to exceptional customer experience through proactive communication, technical presentations, and issue resolution.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Thermal Engineering, or a related field.
• 4+ years of product‑development experience, preferably in thermal management or connector technologies.
• Minimum 3 years of experience with liquid cooling and CFD (required).
• Strong proficiency in CAD tools (e.g., SolidWorks, Creo) and thermal‑simulation software (e.g., ANSYS, FloTHERM).
• Knowledge of fluid dynamics, heat‑exchanger design, and materials used in liquid‑cooling systems.
• Proven experience in project management and cross‑functional collaboration.
• Excellent communication skills and customer‑facing experience.

Preferred Skills

• Familiarity with high‑speed I/O connector standards and applications.
• Experience in AI/ML hardware environments or data‑center infrastructure.

Pay

Salary range: $85,000 – $140,000 per year.