Thermal Mechanical Engineer - Bay Area

ECOLAB; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous PTO & flex days

Company-funded benefits premiums

401(k) contributions

Professional development allowance

Job summary

CoolIT, an Ecolab company, designs liquid cooling solutions for high‑performance computing and data center tech. The Thermal Mechanical Engineer will drive development of passive cold plates, manifolds, and modular cooling components from concept to production.

Role involves close collaboration with customers and cross‑functional teams, performing thermal and structural analyses, and fielding technical guidance at customer sites.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• Experience designing mechanical components and assemblies for mass production.
• Strong understanding of GD&T, tolerance analysis, mechanics, FEA, DFM/DFMEA, PLM, testing and root-cause analysis.
• Proficient in CAD and simulation tools to create production-ready models and drawings.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop thermal-mechanical products, including passive cold plates and manifolds, with focus on performance, reliability, cost, and manufacturability.
• Lead product development from concept through production, including design studies, prototypes, verification, risk assessment, and manufacturing release.
• Create and maintain CAD models, drawings, BOMs, and documentation per standards.
• Conduct thermal, fluid, and structural analyses; perform testing and data analysis to validate designs and optimize performance.
• Collaborate with customers and cross-functional teams to gather requirements, resolve engineering challenges, and ensure successful integration.

Skills

GD&T

FEA

DFM/DFMEA

SolidWorks

Thermal engineering

Product development

Mass production design

Customer engagement

Education

Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

Job description

Are you passionate about solving complex thermal challenges that enable the next generation of AI, high-performance computing, and sustainable data center technologies? At CoolIT, an Ecolab company, you'll help develop innovative liquid cooling solutions that support some of the world's most demanding computing environments.

As a Thermal Mechanical Engineer, you will design, develop, and validate liquid cooling solutions for high-performance electronics, including passive cold plates, coolant distribution manifolds, and modular cooling system components. Working within our IT Cooling Design Engineering team, you will apply thermal, fluid, and mechanical engineering expertise to deliver products that meet performance, reliability, cost, and manufacturability objectives. In addition to leading product development from concept through production, you will work directly with customers throughout the design cycle, providing technical guidance, supporting design integration, and helping resolve engineering challenges both remotely and on-site. Reporting to the Thermal Mechanical Engineering Team Lead, you will play a key role in delivering innovative cooling technologies while strengthening customer partnerships.

What's in it For You:

• Generous paid time off, flex days, and paid company-wide shutdown during the holiday season.
• Comprehensive benefits plan, with the majority of premiums funded by CoolIT.
• Company-funded 401(k) contributions to help support your long-term financial goals.
• Annual professional development allowance to support ongoing learning, skill development, and career growth.

What You Will Do:

• Design and develop thermal-mechanical products and components, including passive cold plates, coolant distribution manifolds, and modular cooling system assemblies, with a focus on performance, reliability, cost, and manufacturability.
• Lead product development activities from concept through production, including design studies, prototype development, design verification, risk assessment, and release to manufacturing.
• Create and maintain detailed CAD models, engineering drawings, bills of materials, and related documentation in accordance with company standards, GD&T practices, and DFM requirements.
• Conduct thermal, fluid flow, structural analyses, and perform laboratory testing, data analysis, and root cause investigations to validate designs and optimize product performance.
• Collaborate closely with customers and cross-functional teams, including testing, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and product management, to understand requirements, resolve technical challenges, and ensure successful product integration throughout the design cycle.
• Serve as a technical representative at customer sites, providing hands-on engineering support, participating in design reviews, gathering product and application feedback, and helping drive efficient issue resolution from development through early production.

Position Details:

• Travel: Required travel to customer sites within the Bay area.
• Occasional travel to headquarter in Calgary AB Canada for training
• Minimal International travel may be required based on business needs.
• Candidate must reside in: Commutable distance of the Bay Area, CA
• Work location: Remote when not at customers sites
• Work week and shift: Full-time, standard business hours

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related engineering discipline.
• Proven experience designing mechanical components and assemblies for mass production using multiple manufacturing processes.
• Strong understanding of core mechanical engineering principles, including:
  • Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing (GD&T)
  • Tolerance stack-up and statistical tolerance analysis
  • Mechanism design and analysis
  • Finite Element Analysis (FEA)
  • Design for Manufacturing (DFM)
  • Design Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (DFMEA)
  • Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)
  • Engineering testing, validation, and root cause analysis
• Proficient in CAD and simulation tools (e.g., SolidWorks) to create production-ready models and drawings, perform analyses, and optimize design performance.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with proven experience working directly with customers to gather requirements, communicating technical concepts, and resolving engineering challenges.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Minimum 5 years of experience in thermal-mechanical product development.
• Strong understanding of fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and cooling system design.
• Experience designing products for high-volume manufacturing environments.
• Master's degree in mechanical engineering, Thermal Mechanical Engineering specializing in Fluid Dynamics, or a related field.

Annual or Hourly Compensation Range:

The pay range for this position is $150,000-200,000. Many factors are taken into consideration when determining compensation, such as experience, education, training, geography, etc. We comply with all minimum wage and overtime laws.

Benefits

• medical
• dental
• vision
• life insurance
• accident insurance
• critical illness insurance
• hospital indemnity insurance
• auto insurance
• home insurance
• pet insurance
• identity theft protection
• short-term and long-term disability
• 401k
• pension plans
• retirement health care benefits
• short-term incentives
• vacation (12 days)
• holidays
• parental leave
• employee stock purchase plans(Full-Time Associates)
• discount on day care services and caregiver services
• adoption assistance
• group legal services
• employee assistance program
• employee discount program
• education assistance program
• on-Site childcare and fitness facilities may be available at select Ecolab locations.

Click here for additional benefits information. If you are viewing this posting on a site other than our Ecolab Career website, view our benefits at jobs.ecolab.com/working-here.

Potential Customer Requirements Notice

• Undergo additional background screens and/or drug/alcohol testing for customer credentialing.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Ecolab will provide reasonable accommodation (such as a qualified sign language interpreter or other personal assistance) with our application process upon request as required to comply with applicable laws. If you have a disability and require accommodation assistance in this application process, please visit the Recruiting Support link in the footer of each page of our career website.

Our Commitment to a Culture of Inclusion & Belonging

At Ecolab, we believe the best teams are inclusive. We are on a journey to create a workplace where every associate can grow and achieve their best. We are committed to fair and equal treatment of associates and applicants and recruit, hire, promote, transfer and provide opportunities for advancement based on individual qualifications and job performance. In all matters affecting employment, compensation, benefits, working conditions, and opportunities for advancement, we will not discriminate against any associate or applicant for employment because of race, religion, color, creed, national origin, citizenship status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expressions, genetic information, marital status, age, disability, or status as a covered veteran.

In addition, we are committed to furthering the principles of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) through Affiantive Action (AA).

We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles' Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the New York City Fair Chance Act.