Application Validation Manager - Liquid Cooling

Vertiv Corporation; Columbus (OH); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Vertiv Corporation in Columbus, OH is seeking an Application Validation Manager to lead strategy and execution of validation for liquid cooling systems in customer applications, ensuring performance across real-world conditions.

You will manage a team of validation engineers, coordinate cross-functional validation with product management and systems engineering, and drive validation plans from concept to NPDI milestones while addressing sensor, control, and firmware interactions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering, Master’s preferred.
• 8+ years in product validation or system-level testing.
• 3+ years leading engineering teams.
• Strong understanding of thermal-fluid systems and controls.
• Experience across mechanical, electrical, firmware/controls disciplines.
• Experience supporting NPDI or structured product development processes.
• Strong communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead development and execution of application validation strategies.
• Validate across mechanical, electrical, and controls systems.
• Lead and develop a team of validation engineers.
• Ensure validation aligns with NPDI milestones.
• Translate customer requirements into validation plans.
• Support NPDI milestones and cross-functional validation with partners.

Skills

System-level testing

Cross-disciplinary validation

Team leadership

Controls validation

Thermal-fluid systems

Electrical integration

FMEA awareness

Validation planning

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Master's degree preferred

Job description

Job Description Job Summary 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.

Key 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.

Technical Responsibilities:

• 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.

Basic Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related field (Master's preferred).
• 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.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 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.

OUR CORE PRINCIPALS:

• Safety.
• Integrity.
• Respect.
• Teamwork.
• Inclusion.

OUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES

• High-Performance Culture
• Customer Focus
• Operational Excellence
• Innovation
• Financial Strength

VERTIV BEHAVIORS

• Own it
• Act with urgency
• Foster a customer-first mindset
• Think big and execute
• Lead by example
• Drive continuous improvement
• Learn and seek out development
• Promote transparent & open communication

About Vertiv

Vertiv (NYSE: VRT) brings together hardware, software, analytics and ongoing services to enable its customers' vital applications to run continuously, perform optimally and grow with their business needs. Vertiv solves the most important challenges facing today's data centers, communication networks and commercial and industrial facilities with a portfolio of power, cooling and IT infrastructure solutions and services that extend from the cloud to the edge of the network. Headquartered in Westerville, Ohio, USA, Vertiv employs around 34,000 people and does business in more than 130 countries. Visit Vertiv.com to learn more.

Work Authorization

Vertiv will only employ those who are legally authorized to work in the United States. This is not a position for which sponsorship will be provided. Individuals with temporary visas such as E, F-1, H-1, H-2, L, B, J, or TN or who need sponsorship for work authorization now or in the future, are not eligible for hire. Equal Opportunity Employer Vertiv is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. We promote equal opportunities for all with respect to hiring, terms of employment, mobility, training, compensation, and occupational health, without discrimination as to age, race, color, religion, creed, sex, pregnancy status (including childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity / expression (including transgender status or sexual stereotypes), genetic information, citizenship status, national origin, protected veteran status, political affiliation, or disability. If you have a disability and are having difficulty accessing or using this website to apply for a position, you can request help by sending an email to [e-mail].