Principal Mechanical Design Engineer - US - Headquarters, United States
$227,000 - $244,000 USD yearly
Originally posted 1 October 2026 by the employer.
About the role
As a Principal Mechanical Design Engineer, you will lead mechanical design efforts, collaborating with hardware engineers and operations to develop high-quality, low-cost system design solutions.
What you'll do
- Lead, mentor, and provide technical guidance to less experienced mechanical design engineers.
- Develop mechanical designs from feasibility studies and conceptual CAD to detailed design files, prototyping, and final production release.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams including electrical engineering, software, and manufacturing for seamless product integration.
- Identify and implement new technologies and tools to enhance design capabilities and efficiency.
- Present detailed system design and thermal reviews to the NPI team.
- Work closely with mechanical suppliers to ensure high-quality, low-cost part design solutions and support manufacturing FAI approvals.
What you'll need
- Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering.
- Minimum of 15 years of experience in network enclosure system design.
- Proficiency in CAD software (SolidWorks and PDM).
- Expertise in DFM (Design for Manufacturing) and DFA (Design for Assembly) principles.
- Strong understanding of part manufacturing processes (e.g., injection molding, sheet metal fabrication, machining).
- Strong understanding of liquid ORV3 cooled system design.
- Strong understanding of comprehensive thermal requirements including heatsinks, custom cold plates, and manifolds.
- Strong understanding of product compliance system requirements with relevant industry test standards.
Nice to have
- Strong design background in network equipment.
- Hands-on lab experience in mechanical or thermal problem solving.
- Experience with rapid prototyping techniques.
This role has been open 2 days — well below the 50-day median for Hardware Systems Engineering roles.
Hardware Systems Engineering · AI ML Hardware
|
Open roles in category
940
|
Median days open
50 d
|
Median salary
$158k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, and who else is hiring
| Metric | Upscale AI | All employers we track in this specialty (940 roles · 103 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 1 | 940 |
| Open roles in the wider Software, Firmware & Systems family | 8 | 6025 · 146 employers |
| Median days open | 2 d | 50 d (−48 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $158k |
Who's hiring in this category
- Intel Corporation · 70 open roles · median 30 d
- KLA Corporation · 59 open roles · median 39 d
- Applied Materials · 50 open roles · median 59 d
- NVIDIA · 49 open roles · median 65 d
- Teradyne · 48 open roles · median 23 d
- AMD · 43 open roles · median 59 d
How we counted: 940 open Hardware Systems Engineering (AI ML Hardware) roles from 103 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 11 Oct 2026. Specialty figures count only roles carrying this exact specialty label, so an employer's related work in neighbouring specialties is not included there — it is counted in the wider Software, Firmware & Systems family row. Figures refresh nightly.