Sr. Principal Rack Development Manager

Jabil•Austin, TX

1d•$164,200 - $295,600•Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking a highly skilled, technically authoritative and customer-facing Sr. Principal Rack Development Manager within the Intelligent Infrastructure Segment to lead the architecture, integration, and strategic direction of advanced air and liquid-cooled server and network rack solutions for large-scale hyperscale deployments. This role will serve as the senior technical authority responsible for translating customer requirements into scalable, manufacturable, and commercially viable rack systems. As the Sr. Principal Rack Development Manager, you will operate at the intersection of engineering, customer engagement, and program execution – driving end-to-end rack architecture across mechanical, power, thermal, electrical, and software domains. Success in this role requires deep technical expertise, strong commercial acumen, and the ability to lead complex programs while influencing both internal and external stakeholders.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related field is required
Minimum of 10 years’ experience in engineering, systems integration, or data center hardware design.
Minimum of 3 years’ rack-level (L11) solution design and integration experience.
Minimum of 3 years’ switch/server (L10) experience, including compute, storage, or networking hardware integration.
Proven ability to drive the development and execution of complex rack solutions for hyperscale or large-scale data center environments, managing 12-18 month lifecycles and portfolios valued at hundreds of millions of dollars.
Familiarity with industry standards (EIA, ORV3, OCP) and global power architectures.
Demonstrated experience working directly with customers in technical and commercially sensitive environments.
Strong background in program execution, including schedule ownership, risk management, and cross-functional leadership.
Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills – a must.
Strong understanding of mechanical systems, integration strategies, and program management.
Hands-on experience with prototype fabrication and testing (mechanical S&V, software burn-in and test validation).
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
Capable of assessing projects, articulating risks, and developing project milestones.
Creative, self-motivated, accountable, and team-oriented.
Able to work independently with minimal oversight.
Skilled in writing reports, business correspondence, and procedural guides.
Effective at presenting information and responding to management, clients, and public queries.
Capable of influencing others and sharing best practices.
Familiar with stage-gate processes in project lifecycle management (PLM).
Able to coach and mentor less experienced engineers.
Demonstrated success leading in a highly matrixed environment, driving alignment and execution across cross-functional teams without direct reporting authority.
Ability to travel both domestically and internationally up to 30%.

Nice To Haves

Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related field is preferred.
Extensive experience with liquid-cooled rack deployments in hyperscale or AI/ML infrastructure environments.
Proficiency in CAD tools (e.g., SolidWorks, Creo/Pro-E, Inventor) and FEA software (e.g., ANSYS, Abaqus).
Experience working with global suppliers and contract manufacturers (CM) a plus.
High level knowledge of fluid dynamics, pressure drop calculations, and pipe sizing for glycol-based systems.
Proven experience driving compliance and validation for rack configurations, including regulatory standards, safety requirements, and mechanical integrity (shock, vibration, and transit durability).

Responsibilities

Serve as the lead architect and development manager for complex rack-level solutions, owning system-level design decisions across mechanical, electrical, power, thermal, networking, and software integration domains.
Lead customer-facing technical engagements from RFI/RFQ all the way to first hardware delivery, including design reviews, trade-off discussions, and executive-level conversations.
Translate ambiguous or evolving customer requirements into clear program frameworks, ensuring alignment between customer expectations and engineering execution.
Demonstrate strong commercial awareness by effectively managing customer expectations, pushing back when requirements introduce risk or inefficiency, and confidently addressing challenging technical and cost-related questions.
Drive cross-functional alignment across all departments (executives, engineering, supply chain, manufacturing, and program) to ensure cohesive solution development with emphasis on Bill of Materials (BOM) management and scheduling.
Own rack-level architecture including power distribution design, thermal strategies (air and liquid cooling), cable routing, serviceability, and manufacturability.
Provide deep technical guidance on rack infrastructure including PDUs, busbars, liquid cooling systems (CDUs, manifolds, QDs), airflow design, and high-density compute integration.
Oversee architecture decisions impacting performance, cost, scalability, and deployment efficiency.
Drive program execution from concept through production, ensuring schedules are clearly defined, tracked, and met.
Apply strong program management discipline: define milestones, identify risks early, escalate issues proactively, and hold cross-functional teams accountable to commitments.
Drive readiness support calls internally from initial NPI scoping to prototyping to mass production, ensuring all systems are operable together from a power, thermal, and software standpoint.
Partner with customers and internal stakeholders to continuously refine designs based on deployment feedback and operational learnings.
Collaborate with compliance and certification teams to ensure mechanical designs meet global regulatory requirements (e.g., UL, CE, ISTA, ASTM).
Mentor and guide engineers across disciplines, establishing best practices in rack system architecture and integration.
Understanding of rack installation constraints, maintenance access, and serviceability in rack mechanical infrastructure.
Conduct root cause analysis and corrective actions for mechanical failures or field issues.
May perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Benefits

Medical, Dental, Prescription Drug, and Vision Insurance with HRA and HSA options
401K Match
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Paid Time Off
Tuition Reimbursement
Life, AD&D, and Disability Insurance
Commuter Benefits
Employee Assistance Program
Pet Insurance
Adoption Assistance
Annual Merit Increases
Community Volunteer Opportunities
paid parental leave
company-paid holidays
401(k) retirement plan
employee stock purchase plan