Director, Compute Hardware & Lab Ops

Fluidstack; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 275,000 - 327,000; Full time

Job summary

Fluidstack in Austin, Texas is seeking a Lab Leader to drive hardware qualification for next-generation compute, network, and rack systems. You will own the qualification roadmap, run the lab operations, and collaborate with sourcing to align tests with deployment plans.

Candidates should have led lab teams for compute infrastructure, made deploy-or-not decisions with budget impact, and demonstrated rigorous processes to scale a hyperscale environment.

Qualifications

• Led hardware qualification, systems engineering, or lab teams for compute or infrastructure.
• Owned deploy-or-not decisions with real budget impact.
• Established lab environments and the process discipline to run them.
• Engaged vendors as peers on roadmaps, escalations, and early access.

Responsibilities

• Lead Fluidstack Labs: qualifying next-gen compute, network, and rack hardware before fleet deployment.
• Own the qualification roadmap: define tests, targets, and timelines aligned with sourcing and deployment.
• Run the lab as an operation: manage environments, equipment, and throughput to meet vendor roadmaps.
• Make calls on fleet standards, backed by your team’s data.

Skills

Hardware qualification

Systems engineering

Lab leadership

Vendor collaboration

Decision making

Job description

About Fluidstack

We exist to make humanity more free. For most of human history, you farmed or you starved. Technology gave people more time for the things they wanted to do, instead of things they had to do. Powerful AI will be the biggest lever for human choice we've ever built - but only if models are aligned with what humanity actually wants. There are groups building AI who don't share these goals. Whoever deploys frontier compute infrastructure fastest will decide whether AI expands human freedom or shrinks it.

About Fluidstack

We exist to make humanity more free. For most of human history, you farmed or you starved. Technology gave people more time for the things they wanted to do, instead of things they had to do. Powerful AI will be the biggest lever for human choice we've ever built - but only if models are aligned with what humanity actually wants. There are groups building AI who don't share these goals. Whoever deploys frontier compute infrastructure fastest will decide whether AI expands human freedom or shrinks it.

We're singularly focused on delivering 10 to 100s of GWs of compute faster than anyone else, rethinking every layer of the stack. We acquire power, design and build data centers, and operate them - with teams spanning hardware and software. Speed and scale are our key differentiators. Come be a part of building civilization-scale infrastructure for AI.

We hire people who care deeply about this problem space. If that is you, please apply!

How We Operate

• Extreme ownership. Full autonomy. Own things end to end often taking on scope outside your core role without being asked to get things done.
• Velocity. We drive everything forward as fast as possible.
• First principles. Challenge every assumption. Zero analogy thinking, no egos, the best idea wins.
• Love of the game. The frontier of AI is the most interesting problem of our time. We put in long hours at high intensity to push the frontier forward.
  
  

Role Scope

• Lead Fluidstack Labs: the team qualifying next-generation compute, network, and rack hardware ahead of fleet deployment.
• Own the qualification roadmap: what gets tested, to what bar, on what timeline, synced with sourcing and deployment plans.
• Run the lab as an operation: environments, equipment, and throughput that keep pace with vendor roadmaps.
• Make the calls: what the fleet standardizes on, backed by your team's data.
  
  

What We're Looking For

• The below is a starting point. We always make space for exceptional people, so if you don't fit this role exactly, tell us where you would.
• You've led hardware qualification, systems engineering, or lab teams for compute or infrastructure.
• You've owned deploy-or-not decisions with real money behind them.
• You've stood up lab environments and the process discipline to run them.
• You engage vendors as a peer: roadmaps, escalations, and early access.
• You publish results the whole company can act on.
• Bonus: GPU and accelerator systems. NPI processes. Failure analysis programs. Hyperscale hardware.
  
  

We are committed to pay equity and transparency.

Fluidstack is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability and protected veterans’ status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Fluidstack will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records pursuant to applicable law.

You will receive a confirmation email once your application has successfully been accepted. If there is an error with your submission and you did not receive a confirmation email, please email [e-mail] with your resume/CV, the role you've applied for, and the date you submitted your application-- someone from our recruiting team will be in touch.

Compensation Range: $275K - $327K