Data Center Thermal Engineer

Supermicro; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 133,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Supermicro is seeking a Data Center Thermal Engineer in San Jose to support design, validation, and maintenance of advanced liquid cooling in AI labs and data centers. You will assist with CDU monitoring, high‑density GPU cooling, and system integration across facilities.

Responsibilities include installation, troubleshooting, runbook creation, testing, and collaboration with hardware engineers to ensure reliability and performance of cooling systems.

Qualifications

• BS degree in Mechanical Engineering, Thermal Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a related engineering field.
• 5+ years of hands‑on experience in thermal management, liquid cooling, and data center infrastructure.
• Hands‑on experience with mechanical systems, lab equipment, thermal/fluid testing, or data center cooling.
• Foundational understanding of D2C liquid cooling, heat exchangers, and fluid mechanics.
• Familiarity with CDU operation, pumps, valves, manifolds, piping, and liquid cooling architectures.

Responsibilities

• Assist with specification, installation, and assembly of high‑density liquid cooling systems.
• Troubleshoot hydraulic, thermal, and mechanical issues; support RCA.
• Support site commissioning, energization, verification, and performance testing.
• Develop and maintain runbooks, procedures, and troubleshooting docs.
• Monitor fluid chemistry, material compatibility, pressure drops, flow, and redundancy.
• Set up sensors and telemetry; support BMS/PLC data collection and analysis.
• Lead or coordinate FMEA reviews; support rapid containment for leaks and anomalies.
• Collaborate with engineers and deployment teams during system development and expansion.
• Inspect and test vendor components (QDCs, heat exchangers, pumps, valves, etc.).
• Support system validation by analyzing flow, pressure, temp data against requirements.
• Contribute to continuous improvement for reliability, safety, and efficiency.

Skills

Thermal management

Liquid cooling

Fluid systems

Mechanical design

Data center infra

CFD concepts

Pumps and CDUs

Troubleshooting

Instrumentation

Documentation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

CDUs operation

Pumps and valves

BMS/PLC familiarity

Data acquisition systems

Job description

Location: San Jose, California, United States

About Supermicro:

Supermicro® is a Top Tier provider of advanced server, storage, and networking solutions for Data Center, Cloud Computing, Enterprise IT, Hadoop/ Big Data, Hyperscale, HPC and IoT/Embedded customers worldwide. We are the #5 fastest growing company among the Silicon Valley Top 50 technology firms. Our unprecedented global expansion has provided us with the opportunity to offer a large number of new positions to the technology community. We seek talented, passionate, and committed engineers, technologists, and business leaders to join us.

Job Summary:

The Supermicro Data Center team is seeking a Data Center Thermal Engineer to support the design, validation, and operational maintenance of advanced liquid cooling infrastructure across our AI lab(s) and next-generation data center facilities. This role focuses on assisting with fluid system integration, Coolant Distribution Unit (CDU) monitoring, heat rejection loop testing, assisting in high-density GPU cluster thermal management, and cooling tower management, maintenance, monitoring.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Assist with the specification, evaluation, installation, and physical assembly of high-density liquid cooling systems, including primary and secondary fluid loops, Coolant Distribution Units (CDUs), manifolds, piping, and associated interfaces.
• Troubleshoot hydraulic, thermal, and mechanical issues and support root-cause analysis (RCA) to identify and resolve system performance and reliability issues.
• Support site commissioning, system energization, functional verification, and performance testing of large-scale liquid cooling installations.
• Develop and maintain operational runbooks, procedures, and troubleshooting documentation for liquid cooling infrastructure.
• Assist with monitoring and managing fluid chemistry, material compatibility, pressure-drop budgets, flow requirements, and system redundancy.
• Set up, validate, and monitor sensors and instrumentation, and support control-logic frameworks for real-time BMS/PLC data collection, system monitoring, and telemetry analytics.
• Lead or coordinate Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) reviews and support rapid-response containment and recovery procedures for fluid leaks, thermal excursions, and other cooling-system anomalies.
• Collaborate closely with senior hardware engineers, thermal engineers, controls engineers, and facility deployment teams during system development, integration, and high-density site expansions.
• Inspect, evaluate, and assist with qualification and testing of vendor-supplied components, including quick-disconnect couplings (QDCs), heat exchangers, valves, pumps, piping materials, manifolds, sensors, and cooling fluids.
• Support system validation by collecting and analyzing flow, pressure, temperature, and other operational data to verify performance against design requirements.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives focused on system reliability, maintainability, scalability, safety, and operational efficiency.

Qualifications:

• BS degree in Mechanical Engineering, Thermal Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a related engineering
• 5+ years of hands‑on experience in thermal management, liquid cooling, fluid systems, mechanical design, data center infrastructure, or a related field. Relevant internships, laboratory experience, or academic project work may be considered.
• Hands‑on experience with mechanical systems, laboratory equipment, thermal/fluid testing, or data center cooling infrastructure is preferred.
• Foundational understanding of Direct-to-Chip (D2C) liquid cooling, heat exchangers, heat transfer, and fluid mechanics.
• Working knowledge of fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, hydraulic networks, pressure/flow relationships, and basic CFD concepts.
• Familiarity with Coolant Distribution Unit (CDU) operation, pumps, control valves, manifolds, piping systems, and liquid cooling architectures.
• Understanding fundamental thermal resistance, heat transfer, flow balancing, pressure drop, and system performance concepts.
• Basic knowledge of coolant chemistry and materials compatibility, including corrosion control, bio‑fouling prevention, glycol‑based coolants, and dielectric fluids.
• Hands‑on familiarity with temperature, pressure, flow, and other laboratory instrumentation, including sensors, data acquisition systems, and test equipment.
• Ability to interpret system data and perform diagnostic troubleshooting, failure analysis, and root‑cause analysis for thermal, hydraulic, and mechanical issues.
• Familiarity with BMS/PLC systems, instrumentation, telemetry, or control systems is a plus.
• Strong technical communication skills, including the ability to document test results, troubleshoot systems, maintain engineering documentation, and communicate effectively.
• Demonstrates a hands‑on, analytical, and continuous‑learning mindset, with the ability to work effectively in laboratory, data center, and field environments.

Salary Range

$133,000 - $150,000

The salary offered will depend on several factors, including your location, level, education, training, specific skills, years of experience, and comparison to other employees already in this role. In addition to a comprehensive benefits package, candidates may be eligible for other forms of compensation, such as participation in bonus and equity award programs.

EEO Statement

Supermicro is an Equal Opportunity Employer and embraces diversity in our employee population. It is the policy of Supermicro to provide equal opportunity to all qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status or special disabled veteran, marital status, pregnancy, genetic information, or any other legally protected status.