Principal Thermal Solutions Engineer - Munich, Germany

About Vinci

We are building Physics AI for hardware design . Our software platform helps hardware designers and physics simulation engineers explore, analyze, and optimize hardware systems, leveraging cutting-edge AI to deliver ultrafast, accurate physics intelligence within the realities of engineering design workflows.

Our first product bridges the gap between the accuracy & determinism of traditional simulation and the speed & scaling of AI, and is redefining how the world’s most advanced semiconductors are designed, verified, built, brought to market and integrated in complex systems.

Role Overview

As a pivotal leader within our E uropean Forward Deployment team , you will drive the adoption of Vinci’s platform among the region's top engineering organizations. In this strategic role, you will build, mentor, and guide a high-performing team of thermal engineers dedicated to engaging prospective customers and demonstrating the transformative value of our software.

By acting as trusted technical advisors , you and your team will utilize deep simulation expertise to help enterprise customers validate and optimize complex, real-world designs . Through these collaborative engagements, you will champion Vinci's value proposition—showcasing how our platform delivers systemic improvements in thermal performance, product reliability, and accelerated time-to-market.

Leveraging strong fundamentals in thermal physics and cooling strategies, you will guide analyses of complex thermal management systems, fluid flow dynamics, and heat dissipation challenges. This includes both steady-state and transient thermal behavior. Your team will help customers evaluate critical factors such as thermal risk, component reliability, power density, and cooling efficiency to architect cutting-edge thermal management systems for next-generation hardware.

You will work closely with customer engineering teams to understand their technical challenges, provide expert guidance, and clearly articulate Vinci’s capabilities in solving real-world problems. Additionally, you will serve as a key feedback channel t o product and engineering teams, translating customer insights into actionable inputs that shape product direction and drive continuous improvement.

This is a remote role, with close collaboration with Sales, Product, and Engineering in Palo Alto, CA, USA. The role includes moderate travel , primarily within continental Europe. Some infrequent intercontinental travel may be required for discussions and collaboration with the US team . .

Responsibilities

- Build, lead, and scale a high-performing team of thermal engineers , setting the technical direction, hiring, mentoring team members, and driving field execution across Europe.
- Collaborate closely with the sales team to lead technical discussions, scope proof-of-concept (PoC) evaluations, and deliver compelling product demonstrations to prospective enterprise customers.
- Guide customer engineering teams through the evaluation phase by overseeing simulation setup, running complex test cases, and interpreting results to explicitly prove Vinci’s technical and business value.
- Own customer enablement through onboarding, deployment pipeline and account expansion , providing senior technical guidance, structured training sessions, and advanced troubleshooting.
- Provide product guidance and feedback, identify customer pain points and workflow bottlenecks , partnering directly with internal product and engineering teams to transform field feedback into critical new product features.
- Represent Vinci at major industry conferences and semiconductor events , engaging technically with key prospects and partners through technical presentations and live platform demonstrations.
- Maintain a strong understanding of competitive technologies, industry trends, and market positioning to communicate Vinci’s differentiators effectively.

Qualifications (Minimum Qualifications)

- Education: Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a closely related technical field.
- Technical depth: Expert-level mastery of commercial simulation software (Flotherm, Ansys Icepak/Fluent, Simcenter STAR-CCM+, or equivalent), with 15+ years of hands-on experience in thermal management and cooling solutions — either as a practitioner running simulations, or as a technical account manager for commercial physics simulation software.
- Industry Domain: Deep familiarity with semiconductor electronics packaging, advanced packaging technologies (e.g., 2.5D/3D IC), or foundry ecosystems.
- Customer Engagement: Prior experience in dedicated customer-facing roles, with a strong ability to build trust and manage engineering client relationships.
- Automation & Scripting: Practical programming experience using Python or C++ to automate workflows or parse simulation data.
- Leadership Impact: Proven track record of prior managerial or technical leadership experience, with the ability to scale, mentor, and drive execution across engineering teams.
- Communication: Elite interpersonal and communication skills, with a proven ability to distill complex physics and simulation results into clear, high-impact narratives for both deep technical panels and business-oriented executives.

Preferred (Desirable Differentiators)

- Multiphysics Breadth: Familiarity with structural mechanical simulations (FEA/stress) and/or Electrical Signal Integrity and Power Integrity (SI/PI) workflows.
- Commercial Track Record: Direct experience commercializing technical software—ideally electronic design automation (EDA) or CAE simulation tools—into major semiconductor and electronics enterprises.
- Go-To-Market Experience: Prior experience explicitly within technical pre-sales, application engineering (FAE), or strategic technical sales environments.
- Emerging Tech Adjacency: Ability to rapidly adopt and champion next-generation, physics-based workflows and AI-assisted design or simulation tools.

Why Join Us

- Not just use AI, Be part of a team that is actively redefining how the next-generation silicon and hardware are architected.
- Work at the absolute convergence of state of the art AI models, fundamental physics, and high-stakes enterprise
- Collaborate with world-class engineers and researchers in a fast-moving startup environment.