Alcon Pharmaceuticals Ltd Company is seeking a Principal Engineer I - Thermal Simulation to lead thermal analysis and design efforts for our ophthalmic surgical consoles and diagnostic systems. In this role, you will provide critical technical insight for system architecture decisions, risk assessments, and early design guidance.
What You'll Do
- Lead thermal analysis and design of systems for surgical consoles and diagnostic devices, defining thermal management roadmaps from component to system level.
- Plan and execute simulation projects using advanced CFD tools and apply first-principles physics to accelerate product development.
- Develop and execute test plans, manage instrumentation setup, and analyze data to validate models against experimental outcomes.
- Provide technical insight for system architecture decisions, risk assessments, and early design guidance to minimize thermal and mechanical issues.
- Mentor cross-functional teams on thermal and fluid principles, collaborating to align with product goals and ensure on-time project completion.
- Conduct advanced research on thermal behavior, material properties, and heat transfer paths; apply constitutive thermal models for board-level and system-level analysis leveraging ECAD.
- Deliver executive briefings, design reviews, and comprehensive reports to stakeholders.
- Innovate by developing new capabilities and incorporating AI/ML techniques for simulation acceleration and enhanced thermal management strategies.
What We're Looking For
- Bachelor’s Degree or Equivalent years of directly related experience (or high school +13 yrs; Assoc.+9 yrs; M.S.+2 yrs; PhD+0 yrs)
- The ability to fluently read, write, understand and communicate in English.
- 5 Years of Relevant Experience.
Nice to Have
- MS in Mechanical, Aerospace, or Biomedical Engineering with coursework in Conjugate Heat Transfer (CHT) and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD).
- Industry experience in the application of thermal simulation and analysis for product development.
- Expertise in first-principles reasoning and advanced simulation tools like Icepak, FloEFD, Ansys Fluent, Star-CCM+.
- Deep expertise in heat transfer, fluid mechanics, and thermal management design principles.
- Proven ability to apply first-principles reasoning to solve complex engineering challenges.
- Advanced proficiency with thermal simulation and CFD tools, including Icepak, FloEFD, Ansys Workbench, Design Modeler, SpaceClaim, Star-CCM+, and Ansys Fluent.
- Skilled in CAD tools (Creo, SolidWorks) for model simplification and integration.
- Hands-on experience with thermal system testing and validation.
- Knowledge of AI/ML techniques for simulation acceleration and optimization.
- Experience with multiphase/multispecies flow analysis and Ansys Mechanical for thermal expansion simulations.
- Strong communication and presentation skills for technical reporting and cross-functional collaboration.
Technical Stack
- CFD & Thermal Simulation: FloEFD, Ansys Fluent, Star-CCM+, Icepak, Ansys Workbench, Design Modeler, SpaceClaim
- CAD: Creo, SolidWorks, ECAD
Team & Environment
You will join a cross-functional team environment and be responsible for supporting Surgical R&D initiatives.
Benefits & Compensation
- Compensation range: $115,500.00 - $192,500.00
- Total Rewards program including fixed pay, variable pay, short-term incentives, and long-term incentives.
- Relocation assistance.
- Sponsorship opportunities for qualified candidates.
- Life and disability insurance.
- Retirement savings support.
- Health and well-being programs.
- Support during times of illness.
Work Mode
This is an onsite position.
Alcon is an Equal Opportunity Employer and participates in E-Verify. We take pride in maintaining a diverse environment and do not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training, promotion or other employment practices for reasons of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.
