Thermal Engineer, Rack Level

Etched • San Jose, CA

11h • $200,000 - $250,000 • Onsite

About The Position

Etched is seeking a Thermal Engineer to own the thermal design and validation of its L11 liquid-cooled rack system, taking the rack from design through deployment. The role covers rack-level liquid-loop design, deployment and commissioning processes, validation of reference coolant distribution units (CDUs), and facility integration support for customers and the go-to-market team.

The engineer will work with tray- and module-level thermal engineers, mechanical, electrical, and systems teams, and CDU and liquid-loop suppliers. The position requires hands-on experience commissioning liquid cooling systems in datacenters and understanding practical integration issues. Etched is a fully in-person team based in San Jose (Santana Row), and technical staff are expected to work across engineering and research disciplines.

Requirements

• 5–10 years of experience in thermal or mechanical engineering, with direct, hands-on CDU and datacenter liquid-cooling experience.
• Experience installing, commissioning, or validating liquid-cooling systems at datacenter scale.
• Experience with CDU validation and commissioning, including flow, pressure, temperature, and controls testing.
• Strong working knowledge of datacenter cooling loops, including facility water and technology cooling system (secondary) loops, and the control systems that run them.
• Comfort working directly with customers, facility teams, and suppliers to resolve integration issues.
• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Thermal Engineering, or a related field.

Nice To Haves

• Experience deploying rack-scale direct-to-chip liquid cooling for AI or HPC systems at a hyperscaler, server OEM, or CDU vendor.
• Familiarity with datacenter liquid-cooling industry guidelines, such as OCP and ASHRAE TC 9.9.
• Experience with 1D flow-network or system-level thermal/hydraulic modeling tools, such as Flownex or MacroFlow.
• Knowledge of coolant chemistry, filtration, leak detection, and fluid-integrity testing.

Responsibilities

• Own thermal design and validation of the L11 rack system, including the rack-level liquid loop, manifolds, quick disconnects, and facility-cooling interfaces.
• Develop and document deployment, filling, and commissioning processes for liquid-cooled racks, from initial fill and leak checks through customer-site bring-up.
• Validate reference CDU systems by writing and executing lab and field test plans, and qualify CDU partners on thermal performance, reliability, and controls.
• Characterize rack-level thermal and hydraulic performance, including flow distribution, pressure drop, and supply and return temperatures, and use results to guide design decisions.
• Define and validate cooling-loop control strategies and their interaction with datacenter facility control systems.
• Support the go-to-market team and customers on facility integration questions, including facility water requirements, CDU selection and sizing, secondary-loop design, and water quality.
• Partner with tray- and module-level (L6–L10) thermal engineers to ensure server-level designs meet rack-level and facility constraints.
• Create and maintain rack thermal specifications, commissioning procedures, validation reports, and customer-facing facility requirements documents.
• Investigate and resolve thermal and fluid-related issues in the lab and deployed systems.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision packages with generous premium coverage.
• $500 per month credit for waiving medical benefits.
• Housing subsidy of $2,000 per month for employees living within walking distance of the office.
• Relocation support for those moving to San Jose (Santana Row).
• Wellness benefits covering fitness, mental health, and more.
• Daily lunch and dinner in the office.
• Unlimited compute budget, subject to ROI justification.
• Compensation range of $200,000–$350,000 with significant equity.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level