OpenAI
AI & Machine LearningDirect Ashby career site

Mechanical Engineer, Hardware Systems

Location
San Francisco, CA · Hybrid
Job type
Full-time
Level
Senior
Experience
7+ years
Education
Bachelor's degree
Listed
30 days ago

Skills & highlights for this role

  • CAD tools
  • FEA
  • thermal management
  • mechanical testing

Also useful

  • 3D modeling
  • tolerance analysis
  • root cause analysis

About the Role

We are looking for an experienced Mechanical Engineer with 7+ years of experience in design of IT hardware from chip/package to system levels. You’ll work alongside experts in thermal, mechanical, electrical, software, and systems engineering to support the design, analysis, and validation of mechanical and thermal systems that ensure the reliability, efficiency, and longevity of mission-critical hardware. This position requires strong analytical skills, hands-on testing experience, and the ability to work in a fast-paced, cross-disciplinary environment.

This role is based in San Francisco, CA. We use a hybrid work model of 3 days in the office per week and offer relocation assistance to new employees.

In This Role, You Will

  • Lead mechanical design for AI supercomputer product in the data center application
  • Collaborate with the cross functional team to design and optimize thermal solutions for data center hardware, including chips, power modules, and system-level cooling architectures
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate thermal management strategies into hardware design, from concept to mass production
  • Design and validate mechanical systems, including chassis, enclosures, cooling systems, and high-power connections, ensuring alignment with performance and reliability standards.
  • Perform 3D modeling, FEA, tolerance analysis, and prototyping, ensuring manufacturability and adherence to strict quality requirements.
  • Conduct mechanical testing, including vibration, shock, and thermal cycling, to ensure long-term reliability under extreme operating conditions.
  • Identify and evaluate new technologies and methodologies to improve mechanical and thermal performance in product design, and contribute to the development of new products and technology by providing expertise in mechanical design
  • Develop appropriate specifications and test procedures as necessary to ensure desired reliability and performance of electronic equipment, collaborate, supervise, mentor, and motivate suppliers to design and develop excellent products, and mentor engineers in all aspects of concept development, analysis, design, and specification
  • Lead the production and launch of new products and technologies and ensure compliance with relevant quality standards and regulation
  • Partner with suppliers and manufacturers to support the development of custom mechanical and thermal components and ensure quality in production

You Might Thrive in This Role If You

  • Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, or a related field (Master’s preferred).
  • 7+ years of industry experience in mechanical design, simulation, and validation for IT hardware
  • Proficiency in CAD tools and FEA
  • Strong understanding of mechanical design, material properties, manufacturing methods, and test procedures
  • Ability to analyze experimental data, identify root causes of mechanical or manufacturing issues, and implement corrective actions
  • Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to perform first-principles calculations to support design decisions.
  • Self-driven, detail-oriented, and able to work independently or collaboratively in cross-functional engineering environments

Preferred Skills

  • 10+ years of industry experience in mechanical design, simulation, and validation for IT hardware
  • Extensive experience with data center hardware or high-performance computing systems at scale
  • Practical experience in co-developing advanced cooling technologies
  • Deep understanding of reliability testing, failure analysis, and thermal stress modeling and testing for electronic components
  • Experience working with suppliers and manufacturing partners to support new technology development and production ramp-up

About the Team

OpenAI’s Hardware organization develops silicon and system-level solutions designed for the unique demands of advanced AI workloads. The team is responsible for building the next generation of AI-native silicon while working closely with software and research partners to co-design hardware tightly integrated with AI models. In addition to delivering production-grade silicon for OpenAI’s supercomputing infrastructure, the team also creates custom design tools and methodologies that accelerate innovation and enable hardware optimized specifically for AI.

About OpenAI

OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company dedicated to ensuring that general-purpose artificial intelligence benefits all of humanity. We push the boundaries of the capabilities of AI systems and seek to safely deploy them to the world through our products. AI is an extremely powerful tool that must be created with safety and human needs at its core, and to achieve our mission, we must encompass and value the many different perspectives, voices, and experiences that form the full spectrum of humanity.

To notify OpenAI that you believe this job posting is non-compliant, please submit a report through this form No response will be provided to inquiries unrelated to job posting compliance.

Read the original posting

From OpenAI's careers page, first listed on Rolev.ai on October 10, 2026. Rolev.ai is not the employer.

How Rolev.ai helps with this application

Rolev.ai is a job search and application tool for US job seekers. For this Mechanical Engineer, Hardware Systems role at OpenAI, it shows how your resume fits, tailors your resume to the posting, and prepares the application for you to review.

  • See how you fit

    Openings from employer career sites are ranked against your whole resume—and searchable inside Claude, ChatGPT, and Cursor via Rolev.ai MCP.

  • Tailor without inventing

    Every change to your resume is checked against your original. New experience goes in only with your yes—zero fabricated claims.

  • Draft the full kit

    Tailored and Full Match resumes, role-specific cover letters, and answers to employer screening questions are prepared in seconds.

  • 1-Click Extension Autofill

    The Chrome extension fills the employer's Greenhouse, Workday, Lever, or Ashby form in 1 click. You review it and press Submit.

Common questions

Where is the Mechanical Engineer, Hardware Systems job at OpenAI located?

This Mechanical Engineer, Hardware Systems position at OpenAI is located in San Francisco, CA (Hybrid). Always check OpenAI's application page for specific state eligibility or relocation policies.

What qualifications are required for Mechanical Engineer, Hardware Systems at OpenAI?

For the Mechanical Engineer, Hardware Systems role, OpenAI highlights 7+ years of relevant experience; a bachelor's degree; experience with CAD tools, FEA, thermal management, mechanical testing. Rolev.ai can score your existing resume against these requirements and show any skill gaps before you apply.

How do I apply for the Mechanical Engineer, Hardware Systems position at OpenAI?

This listing links directly to OpenAI's Ashby application page. You can apply directly on OpenAI's site, or use Rolev.ai to check your resume fit, generate a zero-hallucination tailored resume and cover letter for this posting, and autofill the Ashby application form in 1 click with the Rolev.ai Chrome extension. You always review the form and press Submit yourself.