Principal System/Rack Mechanical Engineer

asteralabs; North Carolina; On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Astera Labs in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, seeks a Senior Principal Mechanical Engineer to lead the mechanical architecture for rack-scale AI infrastructure. You will define scalable designs from device level to full systems and drive manufacturability and cost optimization.

Collaborate with Thermal, Power, Electrical, Silicon, Software, and System Architecture teams, and with ODMs such as Accton, Hyve, Wistron, Quanta, and Gigabyte to deliver Open Rack implementations and validated

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in mechanical design and system integration.
• Proven experience leading mechanical architecture for servers, networking, storage, and AI infrastructure.
• Expertise in sheet metal design, structural analysis, tolerance analysis, mechanical packaging, and cable management.

Responsibilities

• Lead Mechanical Architecture for AI Platforms across rack-scale systems.
• Own mechanical architecture for GPUs, PCIe scale-up, UALink, optical systems, and rack enclosures.
• Collaborate with ODM partners to define mechanical requirements and drive manufacturing readiness.
• Lead system integration activities with electrical, thermal, silicon, software, and product management teams.

Skills

Mechanical design

System integration

DFM

DFA

Cable management

Sheet metal design

Tolerance analysis

Packaging

Education

Bachelor/Master/PhD in Mechanical Engineering

Job description

Astera Labs (NASDAQ: ALAB) provides rack-scale AI infrastructure through purpose-built connectivity solutions. By collaborating with hyperscalers and ecosystem partners, Astera Labs enables organizations to unlock the full potential of modern AI. Astera Labs' Intelligent Connectivity Platform integrates CXL®, Ethernet, NVLink, PCIe®, and UALink™ semiconductor-based technologies with the company's COSMOS software suite to unify diverse components into cohesive, flexible systems that deliver end-to-end scale-up, and scale-out connectivity. The company's custom connectivity solutions business complements its standards-based portfolio, enabling customers to deploy tailored architectures to meet their unique infrastructure requirements. Discover more at www.asteralabs.com .

Senior Principal Mechanical Engineer

Location: Research Triangle Park (RTP), North Carolina
Department: Hardware Engineering / System Architecture
Employment Type: Full-Time

The Opportunity

• PCIe Scale-Up AI Infrastructure
• UALink Rack-Scale Fabrics
• Ethernet Scale-Out Systems
• ESUN Network Architectures
• GPU Compute Platforms
• Open Rack Systems
• Fiber Connectivity Infrastructure
• NPO (Near Package Optics)
• CPO (Co-Packaged Optics)
• Air-Cooled and Liquid-Cooled AI Platforms

You will work closely with Thermal, Power, Electrical, Silicon, Software, and System Architecture teams, as well as ODM partners including Accton, Hyve, Wistron, Quanta, and Gigabyte.

What You'll Do

Lead Mechanical Architecture for AI Platforms

Define mechanical architecture from device-level products through complete rack-scale AI systems.

Develop scalable mechanical designs supporting future generations of AI infrastructure.

Establish system-level design requirements balancing:

• Performance
• Reliability
• Manufacturability
• Serviceability
• Cost
• Sustainability

Design Rack-Scale AI Infrastructure

Own mechanical architecture for:

• GPU Compute Platforms
• PCIe Scale-Up Switch Platforms
• UALink Switch Platforms
• Optical Connectivity Systems
• Rack Controllers
• Rack Enclosures
• Cable Management Systems
• Open Rack Platforms

Drive solutions that support high-density AI computing deployments.

Develop Open Rack and Rack-Level Mechanical Solutions

Define rack layouts and mechanical interfaces.

Develop scalable rack architecture standards.

Drive mechanical integration of:

• Compute systems
• Switch platforms
• Power shelves
• Cooling infrastructure
• Optical connectivity
• Management systems

Enable Fiber Connectivity and Optical Systems

Develop mechanical solutions supporting:

• Fiber Infrastructure
• Optical Engines
• Silicon Photonics
• NPO Architectures
• CPO Architectures
• Rack-to-Rack Optical Connectivity

Address challenges associated with:

• Cable routing
• Bend radius management
• Serviceability
• Fiber protection
• Field replaceability

Support Air-Cooled and Liquid-Cooled Systems

Partner with Thermal Engineering teams to:

• Optimize airflow architecture.
• Develop liquid cooling mechanical solutions.
• Support cold plate integration.
• Define coolant distribution infrastructure.
• Improve overall system cooling efficiency.

Drive Mechanical Design for Manufacturability

Define manufacturing-ready mechanical solutions.

Support supplier and ODM engagement.

Drive cost optimization efforts.

Establish assembly and service procedures.

Improve production scalability and operational efficiency.

Lead System Integration Activities

Work closely with:

• Electrical Engineering
• Thermal Engineering
• Power Architecture
• Silicon Development
• Product Management
• Manufacturing Teams

to ensure complete system integration and design alignment.

Collaborate with ODM Partners

Work directly with Accton, Hyve, Wistron, Quanta, Gigabyte, and other ODMs to:

• Define mechanical requirements.
• Review platform designs.
• Resolve integration challenges.
• Drive Open Rack implementation.
• Support design validation and manufacturing readiness.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Mechanical Engineering or related discipline.
• 15+ years of experience in mechanical design and system integration.
• Proven experience leading mechanical architecture for:
• Servers
• Networking Platforms
• Storage Systems
• AI Infrastructure
• Data Center Hardware
• Expertise in:
• Sheet Metal Design
• Structural Analysis
• Tolerance Analysis
• Mechanical Packaging
• Cable Management
• System Integration
• Design for Manufacturing (DFM)
• Design for Assembly (DFA)

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Open Rack and OCP architectures.
• Experience supporting rack-scale AI infrastructure.
• Familiarity with PCIe Scale-Up and UALink architectures.
• Experience with ...