Principal Thermal-Mechanical Engineer - IMEC (Leuven, Belgium)
at Vinci · 11-50 employees
Series A · $36M · Dec 2025
- Seniority
- Staff Principal
- Work model
- Onsite
- Employment
- Full Time
- Location
- Brussels/Leuven
- Posted
- 5d ago
pythonc++
at Vinci · 11-50 employees
Vinci develops AI-powered simulation software that dramatically accelerates chip and other hardware design workflows.
ABOUT US 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. By bridging the gap between traditional simulation and machine learning, we are redefining how the world’s most advanced semiconductors are designed, verified, built, brought to market and integrated in complex systems. ROLE OVERVIEW As a Vinci engineer stationed on-site at IMEC in Leuven, Belgium, you will play a pivotal role in driving the adoption of Vinci's platform among leading engineering organizations.This is a high-impact senior technical role — principal engineer level — where you will collaborate directly with imec engineers on leading-edge semiconductor technologies and demonstrate the transformative value of Vinci's software. You will bring deep, hands-on expertise in thermal and thermo-mechanical simulation, validating leading-edge package and device designs directly on Vinci's platform — showing how Vinci delivers measurable gains in design quality, thermal and mechanical performance, reliability, and time-to-market. Leveraging strong fundamentals in thermal physics and continuum mechanics, you will guide analyses of complex physical phenomena, including steady-state and transient thermal behavior, linear and nonlinear mechanics, geometric and material nonlinearities, and contact interactions. You will evaluate critical factors such as thermal risk, warpage, stress evolution, and reliability across advanced semiconductor devices, electronics packages, and wafer-scale systems. You will work closely with IMEC’s 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 to product and engineering teams, translating customer insights into actionable inputs that shape product direction and drive continuous improvement. This is an onsite role at IMEC in Leuven, Belgium, several days per week, working remotely alongside our Sales, Product, and Engineering teams in Palo Alto, CA. The role includes moderate travel, primarily within continental Europe, with occasional intercontinental travel for collaboration with the US team. RESPONSIBILITIES - Serve as the senior technical authority on thermal and thermo-mechanical simulation at imec, setting analysis methodology, defining best practices, and mentoring engineers across Vinci and partner teams without direct reporting lines. - Drive technical engagement with imec's engineering teams, owning simulation setup, running test cases on leading-edge devices and packages, and interpreting results to demonstrate Vinci's value. - Partner with the sales team to deliver product demonstrations, lead proof-of-concept evaluations, and drive in-depth technical discussions with prospective customers across Europe. - Identify pain points and workflow gaps in real-world engineering practice, and work with Product and Engineering to translate them into concrete product improvements. - Deliver technical training sessions and workshops that enable engineering teams to adopt and scale Vinci within their existing simulation workflows. - Represent Vinci at industry conferences and semiconductor events, delivering live demonstrations, presenting technical results, and engaging with prospective customers and partners. - Maintain deep awareness of competitive simulation technologies, industry trends, and market positioning, and articulate Vinci's differentiators credibly to expert audiences. QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED - Degree in Mechanical, Electrical, or related engineering field - Familiarity with semiconductor electronics packaging, advanced packaging or foundry (chip warpage, wafer warpage, 2.5D/3D IC, etc.) - 15+ years of hands-on thermal management, mechanical warpage, stress and reliability using commercial software such as Flowthem, Cadence, Ansys, Abaqus, LS Dyna, etc. - Scripting experience using python or C++ - Strong communication and interpersonal skills. - Prior managerial or leadership Experience - Prior experience in Customer-facing roles - Strong problem-solving mindset and ability to quickly learn new tools and workflows - Strong ability to communicate complex results clearly to a mixed audience (technical + business) PREFERRED - Experience in pre-sales, technical sales, or customer-facing engineering roles - Ability to rapidly learn and adapt to new physics-based workflows and AI-assisted design tools - Experience with commercializing technical software—ideally EDA or simulation tools—into semiconductor and electronics companies WHY JOIN US - Be part of a team defining the future of AI in hardware design. - Work at the intersection of advanced AI, real-world engineering, and customer success. - Collaborate with world-class engineers and researchers in a fast-moving startup environment.