Mechanical Engineer, R&D Team Lead

Fluidstack; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Fluidstack is building civilization-scale infrastructure for AI. We are seeking a lead mechanical engineer for R&D focusing on cooling, piping, and modular unit systems.

You will own reference designs, enforce standards, and review vendor packages to scale the megawatt capability. You will mentor teammates, balance innovation with schedules, and help grow a high-performance team in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Led mechanical design for data centers, power plants, or heavy industrial systems.
• Released mechanical packages that were built at scale.
• Personally checks calculations and catches errors juniors miss.
• Qualified major mechanical equipment with vendors.
• Balance innovation with shipping schedules.

Responsibilities

• Lead mechanical engineering for R&D: cooling, piping, and mechanical plant for modular units and behind-the-meter systems.
• Own the mechanical reference designs: released, revision-controlled, and defensible to the megawatt.
• Set the technical bar: calcs checked, standards enforced, and vendor packages reviewed for real.
• Grow the team: hire, mentor, and delegate while carrying the hardest problems.

Skills

Mechanical design

Data center systems

Vendor qualification

Calcs review

Mentoring teams

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.

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.

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 mechanical engineering for R&D: cooling, piping, and mechanical plant for modular units and behind-the-meter systems.

• Own the mechanical reference designs: released, revision-controlled, and defensible to the megawatt.

• Set the technical bar: calcs checked, standards enforced, and vendor packages reviewed for real.

• Grow the team: hire, mentor, and delegate while carrying the hardest problems.

What We're Looking For

• You've led mechanical design for data centers, power plants, or heavy industrial systems.

• You've released mechanical packages that got built at scale.

• You check calcs personally and catch what juniors miss.

• You've qualified major mechanical equipment with vendors.

• You balance innovation against the schedule that ships.

• Bonus: Liquid cooling depth. Chilled water plants. PE license. Modular construction.

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.