Position Summary

We are seeking a highly experienced Lead Engineer to lead the design, development, and optimization of Coolant Distribution Units (CDUs) for hyperscale data center environments. This role is central to enabling next-generation liquid cooling solutions for AI and high-density compute, with a strong emphasis on maximizing heat extraction capacity per unit footprint and volume.

A key focus of this role is to innovate and develop new heat extraction approaches, including the application of refrigerant-based and CO₂-based cooling technologies, to push beyond the limits of traditional water-based CDU systems.

Key Responsibilities

Lead end-to-end design of CDU systems supporting hyperscale deployments, including primary/secondary loop architecture
Define system requirements aligned with hyperscalers priorities: maximum kW removed per CDU footprint, rack density scaling, and floor space efficiency
Design and integrate high-performance components: pumps, compact heat exchangers, manifolds, filtration systems, and controls
Optimize CDU designs for maximum heat transfer per square foot (kW/ft²) and per unit volume (kW/m³)
Drive innovation in advanced heat extraction technologies, including:
- Two-phase cooling systems (boiling/evaporative heat transfer
- Refrigerant-based direct expansion (DX) or pumped refrigerant loops
- Trans critical and subcritical CO₂ cooling systems
- Hybrid liquid–refrigerant architectures for ultra-high heat flux applications
- Evaluate and implement phase-change cooling strategies to significantly increase heat transfer coefficients and reduce system footprint
Lead feasibility studies comparing water vs. dielectric fluids vs. refrigerants vs. CO₂ for performance, safety, cost, and scalability
Address system challenges including pressure management, leak mitigation, safety compliance, and material compatibility for refrigerant/CO₂ systems
Conduct advanced thermal and fluid modeling (including two-phase flow and phase-change dynamics)
Optimize system-level tradeoffs between heat extraction capability, energy efficiency, and mechanical complexity
Develop CDU concepts capable of supporting 100–300+ kW per rack and future scaling beyond
Ensure compliance with evolving environmental and regulatory considerations (low-GWP refrigerants, sustainability goals)
Collaborate with hyperscale customers and partners to align next-generation CDU architectures with future infrastructure roadmap
Lead prototyping and validation of novel cooling architectures, including lab-scale and full-scale demonstrations

Required Qualifications

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical, Thermal, or Chemical Engineering (or related field)
10+ years of experience in thermal-fluid systems, including liquid and/or refrigerant-based cooling
Demonstrated experience with two-phase heat transfer, refrigeration cycles, or advanced cooling technologies
Experience designing for high heat flux and space-constrained environments
Proven ability to innovate and bring new thermal management concepts from idea to prototype
Proficiency with CAD and advanced simulation tools (CFD, two-phase modeling where applicable)

Preferred Qualifications

Experience with refrigerants (e.g., HFOs, HFCs) and CO₂ (R-744) cooling systems in industrial or data center applications
Familiarity with ASHRAE standards (including refrigerant safety classifications) and Open Compute Project liquid cooling initiatives
Knowledge of direct-to-chip, immersion cooling, and hybrid cooling architectures
Experience addressing regulatory, safety, and environmental constraints (pressure systems, refrigerant handling, low-GWP requirements)
Background in system controls for managing dynamic thermal loads and phase-change systems
Experience working with hyperscalers or next-gen data center infrastructure providers

Key Competencies

Innovation in next-generation thermal management technologies
Systems-level thinking across mechanical, thermal, and refrigeration domains
Strong analytical capability in multi-phase heat transfer and system optimization
Ability to evaluate emerging technologies and translate them into scalable products
Leadership in cross-functional, R&D-driven engineering teams

Success Metrics

Heat extraction density (kW per CDU footprint and volume)
Demonstrated advancement of next-generation cooling concepts (refrigerant/CO₂ adoption, prototypes, patents)
Maximum supported rack density (kW/rack), including next-gen AI workloads
Thermal efficiency and system COP improvements
Reduction in total cost of ownership (TCO) at hyperscale
Reliability and safety performance of advanced cooling systems

Why Join Us

Lead innovation at the frontier of data center cooling evolution beyond water-based systems
Work on breakthrough technologies enabling future AI infrastructure
Influence industry direction toward higher efficiency and sustainable cooling solutions
Collaborate with leading hyperscalers and technology innovators

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