Mechanical Application Development Engineer

Amphenol ICC; Santa Clara (CA); On-site; USD 101,000 - 169,000; Full time

Job summary

Amphenol Communications Solutions (ACS) in Santa Clara, CA seeks a Mechanical Application Development Engineer to design high-speed cable assemblies integrated into customer systems. You will collaborate with customers, document designs, and validate mockups to ensure optimal performance.

The role requires strong problem-solving, presentation skills, and willingness to travel up to 2–3 weeks per quarter. Join a leading interconnect solutions group with global reach.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering (preferred) or 5+ years of relevant experience.
• 2-5 years of experience in product development/design minimum.
• Experience with high-speed connectors and cable assemblies is a plus.
• Ability to create and deliver compelling technical presentations.
• Willingness to travel up to 2–3 weeks per quarter.

Responsibilities

• Customer engagement to select best cable solutions and provide technical guidance.
• Design custom cable configurations and document with engineering drawings.
• Develop and validate mockup systems to demonstrate architecture.
• Assist in system architecture, cable routing, and installation tools.
• Provide onsite support and technical training to customers and sales.

Skills

Excellent communication skills

Presentation skills

Strong organizational skills

Technical problem-solving

Analytical reasoning

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

Job description

Amphenol Communications Solutions (ACS), a division of Amphenol Corporation, is a world leader in interconnect solutions for Communications, Mobile, RF, Optics, and Commercial electronics markets. Amphenol Corporation is one of the world’s largest designers and manufacturers of electrical, electronic and fiber optic connectors and interconnect systems, antennas, sensors and sensor-based products and coaxial and high-speed specialty cable. ACS has an expansive global presence in research and development, manufacturing, and sales. We design and manufacture a wide range of innovative connectors as well as cable assemblies for diverse applications including server, storage, data center, mobile, RF, networking, industrial, business equipment, and automotive.

Position: Mechanical Application Development Engineer

Location:Santa Clara, CA

Amphenol High Speed Products Group is the market leader for high speed, high bandwidth electrical connectors for the Telecom/Datacom market (Mobile Networks, Storage, Servers, Routers, Switches, etc.). Our products help to enable the electronics revolution and remain a key enabler for all the major Tier 1 OEMs globally. Our global headquarters are located in Nashua, NH and we have design, sales and manufacturing locations globally.

The Mechanical Application Development Engineer will participate in the design and development of unique and/or proprietary high-speed custom cable assemblies which will integrate into the customer’s system. These products are developed in response to specific customer application needs.

Role & Responsibilities

• Customer Engagement & Product Selection:
  • Work closely with customers to ensure they select the best cable solutions from our portfolio for their application.
  • Provide technical guidance on product selection, system architecture, and integration best practices.
  • Push back on customer design decisions when necessary to maintain optimal cable performance.
  • Share lessons learned, highlighting potential problem areas and best practices.
• Custom Design & Engineering Documentation:
  • Design custom cable configurations if needed and document designs with detailed engineering drawings.
  • Develop and validate mockup systems with mock cables to demonstrate the best architecture.
• System Architecture & Cable Management:
  • Help customers architect their compute trays for optimal hardware layout and cable routing.
  • Design cable management systems to ensure proper routing and performance.
  • Develop tools for cable installation and removal.
• Technical Support & Knowledge Sharing:
  • Provide onsite support at customer and ODM locations during early build phases.
  • Conduct technical presentations and training sessions to coach customers on correct product usage.
  • Provide technical support to Sales and marketing personnel including technical training, presentations and customer visits.
  • Stay abreast of technological developments in the connector and interconnection industries.
  • Apply patent request when applicable in order to protect intellectual property.
• Project Management & Collaboration:
  • Participate in multiple weekly conference calls with customers, ODMs, and internal teams throughout the development process (typically lasting a few months per project).
  • Manage 10-12 concurrent projects, ensuring timely support and execution.
  • Draw on the global engineering capabilities of other Divisions for collaborative interconnect product development initiatives to serve a total interconnect solution to the customer.
  • Report regular project updates.

Required Skills & Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering (preferred) or 5+ years of relevant experience.
• 2-5 years of experience in product development/design minimum
• Preferred experience designing and developing high speed connectors, cable assemblies and cable assembly systems using SolidWorks or other CAD system.
• Strong technical problem-solving skills and ability to initiate discussions in highly technical environments.
• Analytical reasoning and problem solving.
• Experience with mechanical design and engineering documentation.
• Ability to create and deliver compelling technical presentations.
• Strong organizational skills to handle multiple projects simultaneously.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to push back on suboptimal design choices while maintaining strong customer relationships.
• Willingness to travel to customer and ODM sites as needed, travel will vary with customer program schedules, but expect travel of 2 – 3 weeks per quarter.

The base salary range for this position is $100,750 – $168,870 USD annually. In determining rate of pay, Amphenol considers a variety of nondiscriminatory factors, including but not limited to geographic location, relevant industry experience, qualifications, skills, and education. It would be rare for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for a given role. Base salary is one facet of Amphenol’s total rewards package which includes participation in our comprehensive benefits program with medical, dental, and vision benefits effective day 1, vacation, sick leave, personal days, paid holidays, life insurance, short/long term disability, and matching 401K. Our Mechanical Application Development Engineers are also eligible to participate in an annual incentive bonus program.

Amphenol Corporation is proud of our reputation as an excellent employer. Our focus is to provide the highest level of support and responsiveness to both our employees and our customers, the world's largest technology companies. Amphenol Corporation offers the opportunity for career growth within a global organization. We believe that Amphenol Corporation is unique in that every employee, regardless of his or her position, has the ability to positively impact the business.

Amphenol is an “Equal Opportunity Employer” - Minority/Female/Disabled/Veteran/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/National Origin. For additional company information please visit our website at https://www.amphenol-cs.com/