Thermal Mechanical Engineer, Technical Solutions

Ecolab, Inc.; San Jose (CA); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous paid time off

Comprehensive benefits

Company-funded 401(k)

Professional development allowance

Job summary

CoolIT, an Ecolab company, is seeking a Thermal Mechanical Engineer to push liquid cooling for AI, HPC, and data center tech. You will design, validate, and mature passive cold plates, manifolds, and modular cooling assemblies for performance, reliability, cost, and manufacturability goals.

You will create CAD models and drawings, perform CFD/FEA analyses, DFMEA, testing, and support early customer programs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering required.
• Experience applying heat transfer and CFD to thermal design.
• Proficient in CAD and simulation tools, SolidWorks preferred.
• Knowledge of GD&T, tolerance analysis, and DFMEA required.
• Experience with FEA and engineering testing for validation.

Responsibilities

• Design and mature thermal-mechanical products for passive cold plates and manifolds.
• Advance liquid cooling tech from TRL 3 to 5 for product adoption.
• Create CAD models, drawings, BOMs, and documentation per standards.
• Perform thermal, fluid, and structural analyses; lead testing and investigations.
• Support customer programs with technology development readiness.
• Work on heat transfer, fluid dynamics, and mechanical design challenges.
• Represent engineering at customer sites and gather requirements.

Skills

Heat transfer

Fluid mechanics

GD&T

Tolerance analysis

Mechanism design

Finite Element Analysis

Design for Manufacturing

DFMEA

Engineering testing

Root cause analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Professional Engineer (P.Eng./P.E.) designation

Master's degree in Mechanical or Thermal Mechanical Engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

Finite Element Analysis (FEA)

Job description

Are you looking to push the boundaries of direct liquid cooling to enable the next generation of AI, high-performance computing, and sustainable data center technologies? Do you want to be part of the dynamic team that drives innovation at the company that leads the industry? At CoolIT, an Ecolab company, you will help develop innovative liquid cooling solutions that support Ecolab's mission of protecting vital water and other resources while advancing high-performance technologies.

As a Thermal Mechanical Engineer on the Technical Solutions team, you will contribute to the transition of technologies from proof of concept through validation and readiness for product integration. You will solve technical problems related to liquid cooling for high-performance electronics, including passive cold plates, coolant distribution manifolds, and modular cooling system components. You will apply thermal, fluid, and mechanical engineering principles to develop new and mature existing technologies to meet performance, reliability, cost, and manufacturability objectives. You will handle assigned design activities, perform analysis, build and test prototypes, document results, and collaborate with manufacturing, quality, testing, and customer-facing teams. Reporting to the Technical Solutions Engineering Manager, you will play a key role in advancing innovative cooling technologies that power some of the world's most demanding computing environments.

What's in it For You

• Generous paid time off, flex days, and a 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 mature thermal-mechanical products and concepts relating to passive cold plates, coolant distribution manifolds, and modular cooling system assemblies, with a focus on technology advancement for performance, reliability, cost, and manufacturability.
• Advance the maturation of liquid cooling technologies from approximately Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 3 through TRL 5, preparing technologies for successful adoption by product development teams.
• 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, and structural analyses, and perform laboratory testing, data analysis, DFMEA, and root cause investigations to validate designs and optimize product performance.
• Provide technical support for customer programs requiring technology development when solutions have not yet achieved the required readiness level.
• Work on challenging engineering problems involving heat transfer, fluid dynamics, mechanical design, simulation, and product validation within tight timelines.
• Serve as a technical representative at customer sites by providing hands‑on engineering support, gathering customer and application requirements, identifying emerging product and technology trends, and helping transition early-stage liquid cooling technologies into customer programs.

Position Details

• Travel:
  • Frequent travel to customer sites within the Bay Area.
  • Occasional travel to headquarters in Calgary, AB, Canada.
  • International travel as required based on business needs.
• Candidate must reside in the Bay Area
• Work location: Hybrid
• Work week and shift: Full-time, standard business hours

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related engineering discipline.
• Demonstrated experience applying heat transfer and fluid mechanics principles to thermal design, including the use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models to evaluate fluid flow, pressure drop, and heat transfer.
• 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)
• 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.

CoolIT is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with a disability.

Preferred Qualifications

• Minimum of 7 years of experience in thermal‑mechanical product development.
• Proven experience designing mechanical components and assemblies for mass production using multiple manufacturing processes.
• Professional Engineer (P.Eng. / P.E.) designation or equivalent professional accreditation.
• Master's degree or other advanced training in Mechanical Engineering, Thermal Mechanical Engineering specializing in Fluid Dynamics, or a related field.

Annual or Hourly Compensation Range:

$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

Ecolab provides the following 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, and 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

To meet customer requirements and comply with local or state regulations, applicants for certain customer‑facing roles may need to:

• 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 affirmative 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.