Supervisor Mechanical Engineering

Vertiv Group•Columbus, OH

About The Position

If you enjoy validating how complex systems perform in real-world conditions - where mechanical, electrical, and controls all intersect - this role offers the opportunity to ensure liquid cooling products perform as intended in customer applications. The Application Validation Manager is responsible for leading the strategy, execution, and team development for application-focused validation of liquid cooling systems at Vertiv. This role ensures products are validated not only to design specifications, but also to real-world customer applications, where mechanical, electrical, and controls systems must operate seamlessly together. This position bridges product validation and application engineering by overseeing system-level testing, first-of-kind validation efforts with customers and partners, and cross-functional integration testing. The Application Validation Manager plays a critical role in ensuring products perform reliably across full operating ranges, environmental conditions, and dynamic use cases typical of AI-driven data center deployments.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related field
8+ years of experience in product validation, application engineering, or system-level testing.
3+ years of experience leading engineering teams or technical programs.
Strong understanding of thermal-fluid systems, controls, and electromechanical integration.
Experience working across disciplines (mechanical, electrical, firmware/controls).
Experience supporting NPDI or structured product development processes.
Strong communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree preferred.
Experience with liquid cooling systems, CDUs, or thermal management technologies.
Familiarity with controls systems, PLCs, or embedded firmware validation.
Experience validating systems across environmental and operating ranges.
Experience working directly with OEM customers or partners on system validation.
Knowledge of FMEA, reliability engineering, and failure mode validation.
Familiarity with ASHRAE/AHRI testing standards.
International travel willingness (up to 20%).

Responsibilities

Lead the development and execution of application validation strategies aligned with customer requirements and product roadmaps.
Define validation approaches that simulate real-world operating conditions, including environmental extremes, load variability, and system interactions.
Ensure alignment between application validation, DVT, and NPDI milestones.
Lead and develop a team of application validation engineers, fostering strong technical capability in system-level testing and cross-disciplinary validation.
Provide direction on validation methodologies, test planning, and execution priorities.
Build team expertise in controls validation, system integration, and application-based testing.
Oversee validation activities that span mechanical, electrical, and controls systems, ensuring proper interaction across all subsystems.
Ensure testing covers dynamic operating conditions such as startup, shutdown, transient loads, and off-design scenarios.
Validate system integration with customer infrastructure, including facility water systems, controls interfaces, and IT loads.
Lead first-of-kind testing initiatives with customers and partners, validating new system designs in real-world or simulated environments.
Ensure customer requirements are translated into executable validation plans and successfully demonstrated through testing.
Support technical discussions with customers regarding system performance, behavior, and application-specific considerations.
Oversee validation of controls algorithms, sequencing logic, and system responses under normal and fault conditions.
Ensure proper interaction between sensors, actuators, firmware, and mechanical systems.
Drive resolution of issues related to control stability, fault handling, and system response.
Ensure validation plans include failure mode and edge-case testing, such as sensor failures, flow disruptions, and thermal excursions.
Validate system robustness and recovery under abnormal or degraded operating conditions.
Partner with engineering teams to support FMEA and reliability improvement efforts.
Partner with product management, systems engineering, DVT, and manufacturing teams to ensure application readiness throughout NPDI.
Provide application-focused input into design reviews, highlighting risks and validation gaps.
Ensure traceability between customer requirements, validation activities, and test results.
Work closely with lab engineering to ensure test infrastructure supports application-level validation needs.
Define requirements for test setups, instrumentation, and environmental simulation to replicate real-world conditions.
Support planning for lab expansion and capability development aligned with application validation needs.
Drive structured root-cause analysis for application-related issues identified during testing or early deployment.
Implement improvements in validation methods, test coverage, and execution efficiency.
Establish KPIs for application validation effectiveness, including issue detection, cycle time, and test coverage.