Mechanical Engineer
Etched is hiring a Mechanical Engineer in San Jose, United States. It pays $150k-$350k a year and Level rates it ; you can apply on Etched.
Level's read on this job
- On Level's scale, this role is Little AI ●○○○: aI is not part of the work.
- Tools and skills the posting cites include CAD, mechanical design and thermal management.
- Level classifies it as a senior role.
- Level lists 122 other open roles at Etched.
- The role was posted within the past two weeks.
AI in this role
Mechanical Engineer to design high-power data center chassis and cooling systems for AI inference hardware.
About Etched
Etched is building hardware for frontier intelligence. We co-design chips, racks, software, and manufacturing to deliver best-in-class throughput and latency across both prefill and decode workloads. Our first products are heavily focused on inference. Backed by hundreds of millions from top-tier investors and staffed by leading engineers, Etched is redefining the infrastructure layer for the fastest growing industry in history.
Job Summary
We are seeking an experienced Mechanical Engineer to join our team and help transform complex designs into reliable, high-power data center products. As a Mechanical Engineer at Etched, you will be integral to the development of high-performance data center products, from initial concept through to production. You will collaborate closely with both internal and external design engineers, including JDM (Joint Design Manufacturer) partners. Your expertise in mechanical design, particularly for data center chassis and high-power systems, will ensure our products meet rigorous performance, reliability, and manufacturability standards.
Key Responsibilities
Develop and refine mechanical designs for high-power data center products, ensuring robust performance and reliability. Manage the transition from appearance models to production-ready designs.
Work closely with internal design teams and external partners, including Joint Design Manufacturers (JDMs), to ensure seamless integration of mechanical designs with overall product architecture.
Lead the design of data center chassis and enclosures from concept through production, focusing on meeting high power, cooling efficiency, and ruggedness requirements.
Oversee and manage the development of both soft and hard tooling to support mass production, ensuring that all tooling meets strict quality and consistency specifications.
Ensure that mechanical designs comply with manufacturing requirements, including shock and vibration standards, to guarantee durability and performance in demanding data center environments.
Translate industrial design concepts into manufacturable designs, effectively converting appearance models into production-ready mechanical solutions.
Apply DFM principles to optimize designs for cost-effective manufacturing, assembly, and maintenance, ensuring high efficiency and reduced production costs.
You maybe a good fit if you have
A Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field is essential. Advanced degrees or certifications in mechanical design or manufacturing are a plus.
A minimum of 10 years of experience in mechanical engineering with a focus on high-power data center products, including a proven track record in designing and managing chassis and enclosures for data centers, is required.
Strong expertise in mechanical design and engineering principles is necessary, along with hands-on experience in transforming industrial design concepts into production-ready models.
Extensive experience in data center chassis design, with a deep understanding of high-power and cooling requirements, is important.
Proficiency in mechanical CAD software and tools such as SolidWorks, Creo, FX, CATIA, or similar is required.
A deep understanding of tooling processes, including both soft and hard tooling, and their impact on product design and production, is critical.
Familiarity with manufacturing requirements and standards, including shock and vibration testing, is expected to ensure that designs are durable and meet industry expectations.
Excellent problem-solving skills and a keen attention to detail are essential to ensure that every aspect of design work is meticulously considered.
Benefits
Medical, dental, and vision packages with generous premium coverage
$500 per month credit for waiving medical benefits
Housing subsidy of $2,500 per month for those living within walking distance of the office
Relocation support for those moving to San Jose (Santana Row)
Various wellness benefits covering fitness, mental health, and more
Daily lunch + dinner in our office
Unlimited compute budget subject to ROI justification
How we’re different
Etched believes in the Bitter Lesson. We are the first inference-focused frontier AI system. Our addressable market is the entirety of inference, unlike many of our competitors.
We are a fully in-person team in San Jose (Santana Row), and greatly value engineering skills. We do not have boundaries between engineering and research, and we expect all of our technical staff to contribute to both and work across disciplines as needed.
How we rate this
Mechanical Engineer at Etched rates 25 out of 100 for how much of the daily work is AI. That makes it Little AI (AI Level 1 of 4). The level is about AI in the job, not seniority.
Little AI. AI is not part of the work.
- ●●●● Builds AI80 to 100
- ●●●○ Works on AI60 to 79
- ●●○○ Uses AI40 to 59
- ●○○○ Little AI0 to 39
Levels come from how often the tools, models and workflows of the role are named in the posting itself. Read the description and count the AI tools, models and workflows it names.
Prepare for this job
Built from this posting and from similar jobs on Level.
Skills and AI tools this role asks for
Questions you could be asked
- Tell me about a project where mechanical design was part of your work. What did you do?
- Tell me about a project where thermal management was part of your work. What did you do?
- Tell me about a project where dfm was part of your work. What did you do?
- What's a project where you used CAD hands-on?
Adapt your resume
- List these exact terms on your resume: Mechanical Design, Thermal Management, Dfm, and CAD. An applicant tracking system matches the wording, not the idea.
- Attach one line of real, concrete experience to at least one of them. A tool named with nothing behind it rarely survives a human read.
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