Hardware Validation Engineer, Data Center Engineering Labs

Google; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 132,000 - 189,000; Full time

Job summary

Google seeks a Hardware Validation Engineer for its Data Center Engineering Labs to bridge facilities operations with R&D systems engineering. Based in our hardware labs, you will land up and maintain early-stage hardware systems and drive automation and monitoring initiatives.

You will expand from facilities into NPI, thermal/networking rework, and engineering project management in an agile lab setting, impacting Google's global infrastructure.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience in a technical field.
• 2 years of data center operations or facilities experience (or 1 year with an advanced degree).
• Experience in systems validation and testing.
• Experience with Linux, networking/cabling (fiber/copper), and hardware troubleshooting.

Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end physical deployment, rack-level integration, power-up, and network turn-up of prototype systems.
• Perform physical reworks on development equipment, including upgrades to thermal materials and customized cabling.
• Coordinate timelines and logistics for NPI, aligning landing requirements and schedules.
• Develop scripting automation (Python, Bash) and build lab monitoring dashboards for infrastructure health.
• Troubleshoot hardware, OS, and network issues while maintaining safety standards.

Skills

Data Center Operations

Networking/Hardware Troubleshooting

Systems Validation

Technical Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience

Tools

Python

Bash

Linux

Job description

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 2 years of experience working in a data center operations or facilities technical environment (or 1 year of experience with an advanced degree).
• Experience in systems validation and testing.
• Experience with Linux operating systems, networking/cabling infrastructure (fiber/copper), and physical hardware troubleshooting.

Minimum qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 2 years of experience working in a data center operations or facilities technical environment (or 1 year of experience with an advanced degree).
• Experience in systems validation and testing.
• Experience with Linux operating systems, networking/cabling infrastructure (fiber/copper), and physical hardware troubleshooting.

Preferred qualifications

• Experience with New Product Introduction (NPI) processes, including landing, powering up, and configuring early-stage/prototype hardware.
• Experience performing physical, component-level thermal rework (thermal paste/pads, heatsinks, liquid cooling loops) and customized networking rework.
• Experience managing small-to-medium deployment or deployment infrastructure projects, including timeline coordination and stakeholder communication.
• Experience as a Data Center Facilities Technician with knowledge of power distribution, cooling, and rack-level thermal performance.
• Ability to write and maintain basic automation scripts (e.g., Python, Bash) and build system/lab monitoring dashboards.

About The Job

As a Hardware Validation Engineer for our Data Center Engineering Labs, you will bridge the gap between traditional data center facilities operations and Research and Development systems engineering. Based in our hardware engineering labs, you won't just maintain existing operations—you will play a direct role in landing, turning up, and maintaining early-stage hardware systems.

You are a Data Center Facilities or Operations Technician looking to expand your skill set into New Product Introduction (NPI), automated monitoring, thermal/networking rework, and engineering project management in an agile lab environment.

Our Platforms Infrastructure Engineering team designs and builds the hardware and software technologies that power all of Google's services. Our computational challenges are complex and unique, enabled by cutting-edge custom hardware designed and made in-house. As a hardware engineer, you will design and build the systems that are the heart of the world's largest and most powerful computing infrastructure. You will see those systems from concept all the way through to high-volume manufacturing. Your work has the potential to shape the machinery that goes into our cutting-edge data centers, affecting millions of Google users.

Individual pay is determined by factors including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

US: $132000 - $189000 (USD) + 15% bonus target + equity + benefits

Responsibilities

Learn more about benefits at Google .

• Manage end-to-end physical deployment, rack-level integration, power-up, and network turn-up of prototype systems and early-stage hardware in the engineering lab.
• Perform physical reworks on development equipment, including upgrading thermal interface materials (heatsinks, thermal pads) and implementing custom network cabling topologies.
• Coordinate timelines and logistics for New Product Introductions (NPI), collaborating with design engineers to ensure landing requirements and schedules are met.
• Develop scripting automation (e.g., Python, Bash) and design custom dashboard monitoring tools to track lab infrastructure health and system metrics.
• Troubleshoot hardware, OS, and network connectivity issues, keeping Research and Development environments operational while enforcing electrical, physical, and environmental safety standards.

Google is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. See also Google's EEO Policy and EEO is the Law. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know by completing our Accommodations for Applicants form .