Principal Mechanical Design Engineer

F5 Networks, Inc; United States; On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

F5 Networks seeks a Principal Mechanical Design Engineer to drive hardware development for high-performance electronic systems. You will lead architecture, define specs, and guide manufacturability and reliability across projects.

In this role, you will mentor engineers, oversee chassis/backplane designs, perform thermal analyses, and present technical results to stakeholders. Collaboration with suppliers and manufacturing is essential.

Qualifications

• BS in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent; MS desirable.
• 10+ years in mechanical design for enterprise/network systems.
• Experience with thermal modeling and reliability testing.

Responsibilities

• Lead system-level mechanical design for new products.
• Drive design for manufacturability, testability, and reliability.
• Mentor engineers and lead design reviews with cross-functional teams.

Skills

Mechanical design

System-level design

Thermal analysis

Project leadership

Education

BS in Mechanical Engineering

MS in Mechanical Engineering (desirable)

Tools

SolidWorks CSWP

Job description

At F5, we strive to bring a better digital world to life. Our teams empower organizations across the globe to create, secure, and run applications that enhance how we experience our evolving digital world.

Everything we do centers around people. That means we obsess over how to make the lives of our customers, and their customers, better. And it means we prioritize a diverse F5 community where each individual can thrive.

Job Description

F5 is seeking an accomplished Principal Mechanical Design Engineer to lead the development of advanced hardware solutions for high-performance electronic systems. As a key member of the Hardware Development Team, you will drive the design of complex electrical subsystems from concept through production release, providing technical leadership, mentoring, and strategic input across projects. This role requires deep expertise in multiple areas of hardware design and the ability to influence architecture decisions, ensure design excellence, and foster innovation.

Key Responsibilities

• Uphold F5’s Business Code of Ethics and promptly report violations of the Code or other company policies.

• Act as a technical authority, independently determining methods and procedures for new or complex assignments.

• Lead system-level mechanical design for new products, including architecture definition, functional specifications, and requirements development.

• Drive design for manufacturability, testability, and reliability across all phases of development.

• Research and evaluate emerging technologies to enhance existing products and guide new product directions.

• Oversee and mentor engineers, providing technical guidance and reviewing work to ensure quality and efficiency.

• Conduct internal and external technical presentations and disseminate knowledge within the Hardware Development Team.

• Develop and maintain schedules for deliverables, ensuring timely and high-quality documentation and testing.

• Interface with suppliers and manufacturing partners for validation and issue resolution.

• Support sustaining engineering for legacy products and assist in manufacturing training for new designs.

• Participate in design reviews and contribute to continuous improvement of design processes and standards.

• Hands-on support of prototype builds and evaluation of changes.

• Reviewing and checking engineering drawings.

• Creation and release of Bills of Materials.

• Preparation and release of Engineering Change Orders and Deviations.

Qualifications

Required

• Understand and comply with F5 internal processes and requirements.

• BS in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent required; MS in Mechanical Engineering is desirable.

• 10+ years of experience in mechanical design for enterprise and service provider network systems.

• Advanced troubleshooting skills at component, assembly, and system levels.

• Certified SolidWorks Professional (CSWP) or equivalent certification.

• Extensive experience in the following:

• Server appliance and chassis design in traditional enterprise or Open Rack environments.

• Design of sheet metal, injection molding, castings, machined parts and similar.

• Mechanical layout of circuit board (PCB/PCA) assemblies.

• Component selection evaluation (fans, heat sinks, connectors, hardware, etc.

• Simulation, analysis, and validation of mechanical designs, including thermal modeling and structural evaluations.

• System-level integration, including chassis and backplane designs.

• Familiarity with relevant industry standards and compliance requirements.

• Proficiency in generating reports for testing, tolerance, and fit analysis studies.

• Competence with Microsoft Office software.

• Familiarity with basic shop tools.

• Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.

Preferred

• Experience with regulatory compliance (UL, CE, FCC) and reliability testing.

The Job Description is intended to be a general representation of the responsibilities and requirements of the job. However, the description may not be all-inclusive, and responsibilities and requirements are subject to change.

Please note that F5 only contacts candidates through F5 email address (ending with @f5.com) or auto email notification from Workday (ending with f5.com or @myworkday.com).

Equal Employment Opportunity

It is the policy of F5 to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and employment applicants without regard to unlawful considerations of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, sensory, physical, or mental disability, marital status, veteran or military status, genetic information, or any other classification protected by applicable local, state, or federal laws. This policy applies to all aspects of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, job assignment, compensation, promotion, benefits, training, discipline, and termination. F5 offers a variety of reasonable accommodations for candidates. Requesting an accommodation is completely voluntary. F5 will assess the need for accommodations in the application process separately from those that may be needed to perform the job. Request by contacting [e-mail].