Principal - Mechanical Engineering

Nuvia

Nuvia

Other Engineering
Santa Clara, CA, USA
USD 192,600-289k / year + Equity
Posted on Nov 9, 2025

Job Description

Job Posting Date

2025-11-07


Company:

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

Job Area:

Engineering Group, Engineering Group > Mechanical Engineering

General Summary:

Qualcomm Cloud System Hardware and Validation Engineering develop cutting-edge rack level AI inference solutions for next generation liquid-cooled data centers. As part of its rapid expansion, the team is looking for experienced engineers to join and contribute to the next round of innovative AI products that Qualcomm intends to bring to the market.

We are seeking a seasoned Principal Mechanical Engineer to lead the mechanical design and delivery of advanced liquid-cooled rack infrastructure for next-generation data centers optimized for AI inference. The role requires deep expertise in thermal-mechanical design for high-density computing hardware, including CPU sockets, custom accelerator cards, servers, and full rack integration with manifolds and cold-plate solutions.

Responsibilities

  • Lead end-to-end mechanical and thermal design development for liquid-cooled rack systems supporting high-performance inference workloads.
  • Architect mechanical interfaces for CPU sockets, GPU or custom accelerator cards, and system boards, ensuring efficient liquid-cooling implementation and manufacturability.
  • Develop and validate cold plate solutions for processors, accelerators, and memory devices.
  • Design and integrate rack manifolds, hoses, quick-disconnect couplings, and coolant distribution units (CDUs).
  • Champion design standards, pressure drop, flow rate, and validation procedures across server and rack systems.
  • Collaborate closely with data center infrastructure, thermal, electrical, and system architecture teams to align performance, reliability, and maintainability objectives.
  • Define mechanical standards, test plans, and validation for rack-level liquid-cooling systems, including pressure drop, flow rate, and material compatibility testing.
  • Engage directly with vendors, ODMs, and suppliers to ensure design quality, manufacturability, and cost optimization.
  • Stay abreast of OCP (Open Compute Project) liquid cooling efforts, aligning internal developments with industry standards and ecosystem collaboration.
  • Drive failure analysis and continuous improvement for existing liquid cooling solutions, ensuring scalability and operational safety in production.
  • Provide technical mentorship and leadership across the mechanical and thermal engineering organization.
  • Manage interface with MEP engineering teams responsible for mechanical cooling infrastructure, water and fluid handling, and plumbing to ensure seamless rack-to-facility integration

Preferred Qualifications:

  • PHD in mechanical engineering
  • 20+ years’ experience in server or data center mechanical design, with at least 5 years focused on liquid cooling or high-power thermal management.
  • 20+ years of collaboration with ODMs and external suppliers
  • Proven experience with rack-level architecture and system integration for high-density computing.
  • Strong understanding of thermal-fluid analysis, CFD modeling, and structural design validation.
  • Deep technical knowledge of materials, manufacturing methods, and design-for-reliability principles for cooling systems.
  • Familiarity with OCP Open Rack, ORV3, and liquid cooling specifications.
  • Effective project leadership and cross-functional collaboration skills.
  • Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement abilities.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field and 8+ years of Mechanical Engineering or related work experience.
OR
Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field and 7+ years of Mechanical Engineering or related work experience.
OR
PhD in Mechanical Engineering or related field and 6+ years of Mechanical Engineering or related work experience.

Qualcomm is an equal opportunity employer. If you are an individual with a disability and need an accommodation during the application/hiring process, rest assured that Qualcomm is committed to providing an accessible process. You may e-mail disability-accomodations@qualcomm.com or call Qualcomm's toll-free number found here. Upon request, Qualcomm will provide reasonable accommodations to support individuals with disabilities to be able participate in the hiring process. Qualcomm is also committed to making our workplace accessible for individuals with disabilities. (Keep in mind that this email address is used to provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. We will not respond here to requests for updates on applications or resume inquiries).

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EEO Employer: Qualcomm is an equal opportunity employer; all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, Veteran status, or any other protected classification.

Qualcomm expects its employees to abide by all applicable policies and procedures, including but not limited to security and other requirements regarding protection of Company confidential information and other confidential and/or proprietary information, to the extent those requirements are permissible under applicable law.

Pay range and Other Compensation & Benefits:

$192,600.00 - $289,000.00

The above pay scale reflects the broad, minimum to maximum, pay scale for this job code for the location for which it has been posted. Even more importantly, please note that salary is only one component of total compensation at Qualcomm. We also offer a competitive annual discretionary bonus program and opportunity for annual RSU grants (employees on sales-incentive plans are not eligible for our annual bonus). In addition, our highly competitive benefits package is designed to support your success at work, at home, and at play. Your recruiter will be happy to discuss all that Qualcomm has to offer – and you can review more details about our US benefits at this link.

If you would like more information about this role, please contact Qualcomm Careers.