Senior Materials Engineer, Liquid Cooling Systems, Hardware Engineering Thermal & Mechanical

Amazon Web Services (AWS); Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 159,000 - 215,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

RSUs

401(k) matching

Sign-on bonus

Job summary

Amazon Web Services (AWS) Hardware Engineering seeks an experienced Materials Engineer to advance next‑gen liquid‑cooled datacenter platforms. You will evaluate coolant formulations, own wetted materials specs, and guide material choices across metals, polymers, and elastomers.

You will perform thermodynamic calculations, assess chemical stability, mentor mechanical engineers, and drive sustainability initiatives while collaborating with supply chain and manufacturing teams to ensure end‑to‑end

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in materials science, materials engineering, or chemical engineering focused on liquid cooling systems, wetted materials, or coolant chemistry
• Bachelor's degree or higher in Materials Science, Materials Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering with a materials concentration, or a closely related field
• Demonstrated experience with coolant formulation evaluation, wetted materials compatibility testing, or thermal fluid system materials selection
• Working knowledge of thermodynamic and fluid physics principles as applied to cooling system design (heat transfer, pressure drop, flow rate calculations)
• Experience with materials characterization techniques (e.g., FTIR, SEM/EDS, ICP-OES, or equivalent analytical methods)

Responsibilities

• Identify, evaluate, and qualify coolant formulations from multiple vendors for current and next-generation liquid-cooled datacenter servers
• Own the wetted materials specification and compliance for server hardware and coolant loops, including alloys, plastics, rubbers, elastomers, and sealing materials in contact with cooling fluids
• Evaluate and select materials for compatibility within wetted systems, considering long-term chemical interactions between coolants, metals, polymers, and elastomers
• Perform and direct thermodynamic and fluid physics calculations for cooling system design, including heat transfer, pressure drop, flow distribution, and system-level thermal stack analysis
• Assess coolant additive packages for chemical stability, long-term reliability, biological resistance, and environmental sustainability
• Perform materials characterization using spectroscopy and analytical tools including FTIR, SEM/TEM, EDS, and ICP-OES
• Mentor and educate mechanical design engineers on materials science fundamentals, coolant chemistry, and materials compatibility as it relates to their hardware designs
• Drive materials sustainability initiatives, evaluating environmental impact of coolant chemistries and wetted materials selections
• Own end-to-end quality of coolant from manufacturing site through datacenters, collaborating with chemical engineering and supply chain teams

Skills

Materials science

Materials engineering

Chemical engineering

Thermodynamics

Fluid physics

Coolant chemistry

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher in Materials Science, Materials Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering with a materials concentration

Tools

FTIR

SEM/EDS

ICP-OES

Spectroscopy

Job description

Description

Amazon Web Services (AWS) Hardware Engineering is a leading-edge product development team that creates enterprise compute and storage server designs for our innovative web service and e-commerce technology platforms. Our designs are industry-leading in terms of performance, frugality, and operational excellence, and are critical to the success of the AWS business and the hundreds of thousands of customers who use utility computing today. We are seeking an experienced Materials Engineer with a strong foundation in materials science, chemistry, and fluid physics to build the next generation of our liquid-cooled cloud platforms. Our success depends on our truly innovative server infrastructure; we are handling massive scale and rapid integration of emergent technologies.

Description

Amazon Web Services (AWS) Hardware Engineering is a leading-edge product development team that creates enterprise compute and storage server designs for our innovative web service and e-commerce technology platforms. Our designs are industry-leading in terms of performance, frugality, and operational excellence, and are critical to the success of the AWS business and the hundreds of thousands of customers who use utility computing today. We are seeking an experienced Materials Engineer with a strong foundation in materials science, chemistry, and fluid physics to build the next generation of our liquid-cooled cloud platforms. Our success depends on our truly innovative server infrastructure; we are handling massive scale and rapid integration of emergent technologies.

Key job responsibilities

• Identify, evaluate, and qualify coolant formulations (propylene glycol-based, water-based, and advanced coolants) from multiple vendors for current and next-generation liquid-cooled datacenter servers
• Own the wetted materials specification and compliance for server hardware and coolant loops, including alloys, plastics, rubbers, elastomers, and sealing materials in contact with cooling fluids
• Evaluate and select materials for compatibility within wetted systems, considering long-term chemical interactions between coolants, metals, polymers, and elastomers
• Perform and direct thermodynamic and fluid physics calculations for cooling system design, including heat transfer, pressure drop, flow distribution, and system-level thermal stack analysis
• Assess coolant additive packages for chemical stability, long-term reliability, biological resistance, and environmental sustainability
• Perform materials characterization using spectroscopy and analytical tools including Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Electron Microscopy (SEM/TEM), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), and Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES)
• Mentor and educate mechanical design engineers on materials science fundamentals, coolant chemistry, and materials compatibility as it relates to their hardware designs
• Drive materials sustainability initiatives, evaluating environmental impact of coolant chemistries and wetted materials selections
• Own end-to-end quality of coolant from manufacturing site through datacenters, collaborating with chemical engineering and supply chain teams

Basic Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in materials science, materials engineering, or chemical engineering with a focus on liquid cooling systems, wetted materials, or coolant chemistry
• Bachelor's degree or higher in Materials Science, Materials Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering with a materials concentration, or a closely related field
• Demonstrated experience with coolant formulation evaluation, wetted materials compatibility testing, or thermal fluid system materials selection
• Working knowledge of thermodynamic and fluid physics principles as applied to cooling system design (heat transfer, pressure drop, flow rate calculations)
• Experience with materials characterization techniques (e.g., FTIR, SEM/EDS, ICP-OES, or equivalent analytical methods)

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience carrying hardware or datacenter design concepts through exploration, development, and into deployment or mass production
• Experience researching new designs, technologies, and materials for data center or server hardware
• Experience with microfluidic systems, micro-channel cooling, or advanced liquid cooling architectures
• Knowledge of thermal interface materials (TIMs) and their integration within complex thermal stacks
• Experience with advanced coolant technologies including nanomaterial-enhanced fluids (graphene, metal oxide nanoparticles) or next-generation water-based formulations
• Familiarity with elastomer and rubber chemistry as it relates to sealing and compatibility in cooling loops
• Background in materials sustainability, environmental impact assessment of engineering materials, or green chemistry
• Experience in chemical or materials vendor quality management
• Understanding of manufacturing processes for metals, alloys, and engineered plastics (casting, extrusion, injection molding, additive manufacturing)
• Experience mentoring or cross-training engineering teams in materials science fundamentals

Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.

Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you’re applying in isn’t listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.

The base salary range for this position is listed below. Your Amazon package will include sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, and location. Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage), 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits.

USA, WA, Seattle - 159,200.00 - 215,300.00 USD annually

Company - Amazon Web Services, Inc.

Job ID: A10537786