Sourcing Manager, Server Mechanicals, Cooling (Starlink)

SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP; Austin, Northern (TX, KY); On-site; USD 130,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

SpaceX is seeking a world-class Sourcing Manager for server mechanicals and cooling to own end-to-end sourcing strategy and supplier management for SpaceXAI compute and network hardware in Austin, TX.

You will partner with engineers to define commodity strategy, optimize SOWs, drive value engineering, and accelerate cadence for high-velocity hardware deployment across SpaceX infrastructure.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and 6+ years of experience in business, manufacturing, supply chain, or engineering; or 9+ years without a degree.
• 4+ years of global supply chain, commodity management, or mechanical/thermal sourcing focusing on server chassis, cold plates, TIM, fans, or node-level liquid cooling.

Responsibilities

• Define commodity strategy and multi-year roadmaps for server mechanics and cooling components.
• Own end-to-end sourcing, supplier qualification, capacity, and performance governance to ensure on-time delivery.
• Define and negotiate SOWs and commercial agreements to optimize specifications, pricing, tooling, and capacity.
• Lead should-cost modeling, DFM/DFS reviews, and long-term pricing agreements to reduce total cost of ownership.
• Act as supplier interface for RFIs/RFPs/RFQs, visit factories, assess capability and capacity before awards.
• Develop requirements for NPI and production phases, drive second-source strategies, and align with design teams.
• Standardize NPI-to-mass production processes and establish KPIs for cost, quality, speed, and resilience.
• Lead supplier innovation programs to improve cooling performance and lower resistance.

Skills

Sourcing strategy

Supplier management

Contract negotiation

Vendor relationship

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Engineering

Job description

Sourcing Manager, Server Mechanicals, Cooling (Starlink)

Austin, TX

SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal ofenabling human life on Mars.

We are seeking a world-class Sourcing Manager to own end-to-end sourcing strategy, supplier management, and delivery of server-level mechanicals and cooling for SpaceXAI compute and network hardware. In this role you will partner deeply with responsible engineers, thermal engineers, and server mechanical teams to define commodity strategy, craft and optimize statements of work (SOW), aggressively challenge unnecessary specifications and costs, and drive node-level hardware execution at extreme velocity and scale. You will elevate chassis, cold-plate, and thermal-component relationships into true strategic partnerships that deliver unprecedented on-time delivery, quality, cost efficiency, and flexibility while powering SpaceX's record-breaking cluster deployment cadence. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in server mechanicals and component-level cooling, thrives in high-ambiguity/high-velocity environments, and turns the server thermal and mechanical supply base into a core competitive advantage and force multiplier for SpaceX's AI infrastructure leadership.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Partner deeply with responsible engineers, thermal engineers, and server mechanical teams to co-define commodity strategy, multi-year technology roadmaps, and approved vendor lists for server mechanics and cooling — chassis, lids, bezels and GPU/accelerator trays; cold plates (CPU, GPU, HBM, NIC, switch ASIC); heat sinks, vapor chambers and heat pipes; thermal interface materials (grease, pads, PCM); server fans and shrouds; node-level liquid loops (tubing, fittings, on-server manifolds, dripless QDs); and retention hardware (GPU brackets, CPU ILM/backplates, DIMM clips, NIC brackets) — anticipating SpaceXAI TDP and density requirements 12–24 months ahead
• Own global sourcing end-to-end for server mechanicals and cooling, including supplier selection, qualification of die-cast / stamped chassis, cold-plate, TIM, and fan suppliers, dual/multi-sourcing on constrained thermal SKUs, capacity reservation, and performance governance to achieve on-time delivery and continuous lead-time compression while supporting SpaceX's aggressive cluster build cadence
• Define and negotiate transformative SOWs and commercial agreements that rigorously challenge unnecessary specifications, drive value engineering of chassis and cold-plate designs, secure aggressive pricing, dedicated tooling and capacity, and flexibility without compromising thermal resistance, leak, and reliability standards required for SpaceX training clusters
• Drive continuous cost leadership through should-cost modeling of chassis, cold plates, TIM, and fan assemblies; design-for-manufacturability and design-for-serviceability reviews; specification optimization; and long-term pricing agreements that meaningfully reduce total cost of ownership while accelerating time-to-scale
• Act as the supplier interface for all RFIs, RFPs, and RFQs; visit chassis, cold-plate, TIM, and fan factories and accurately assess die-cast, CNC, skiving, bonding, leak-test, TIM compounding, and high-volume fan capability, plus financial health and capacity, before awarding NPI and production contracts
• Monitor global industry trends in accelerator cooling (direct-to-chip liquid, cold-plate materials, TIM reliability, high-TDP air/hybrid), chassis architecture, and quick-disconnect standards; partner with design teams to identify and mitigate sole-source, allocation, and long-lead tooling risk before it hits NPI or mass production
• Work with supply chain engineers and thermal engineers to develop requirements for both NPI and production phases; drive second-source strategies for cold plates, TIM, fans, and QDs without compromising thermal performance or serviceability
• Standardize and automate NPI-to-mass-production processes, implement inventory and WIP optimization models (including consignment and just-in-time tailored to SpaceX's build velocity), and establish clear KPIs for cost, quality, speed, leak/thermal yield, and resilience that are reviewed weekly with leadership
• Lead supplier innovation programs- challenge and collaborate with vendors on higher-performance cold plates, lower-resistance TIM, quieter/higher-pressure fans, faster service loops, and next-generation node-level liquid cooling that accelerate SpaceX's hardware roadmap and reduce total cost of ownership
• Present value propositions to executives, including those related to contract award, tooling, cost reviews, and critical server-thermal supply issues
• Build and maintain a world-class supply base through strategic relationships with chassis ODMs, cold-plate and vapor-chamber specialists, TIM suppliers, fan OEMs, and QD manufacturers; run executive business reviews and performance scorecards that position SpaceX as the preferred high-velocity partner

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree and 6+ years of experience working in one or more of the following; or 9+ years of experience working in one or more of the following in lieu of a degree:
  • Business
  • Manufacturing
  • Supply Chain
  • Engineering
• 4+ years of experience in global supply chain, commodity management, or mechanical/thermal sourcing with a focus on server chassis, cold plates, TIM, fans, or node-level liquid cooling

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Deep technical understanding of server mechanicals (chassis, trays, retention hardware) and component-level cooling (cold plates, heat sinks, vapor chambers, TIM, fans, on-server liquid loops and dripless QDs)
• Proven track record sourcing server mechanical or thermal commodities at hyperscale, at server ODMs, or at cooling-component suppliers (e.g. Aavid/Boyd, CoolIT, Delta, Nidec, 3M/Henkel TIM, QD specialists)