Technical Program Manager – Hyperscale Rack & Cooling Solutions

Job Purpose

Reporting to the Vice President of Business Operations, this position serves as the primary technical lead for the development and manufacturing of high-density IT rack systems. The role focuses on the structural integrity, mechanical precision, and thermal integration of OCP (Open Compute Project) and ORV3-compliant enclosures. The candidate acts as the bridge between hyperscale customer engineering and the manufacturing floor, ensuring that complex sheet metal designs are optimized for mass production.

Nature Of Duties/Responsibilities

• Structural & Mechanical Liaison: Acts as the technical lead for rack frame development, translating customer mechanical specifications into high-volume fabrication processes.

• Fabrication Strategy: Leads the DFM (Design for Manufacturing) process for complex sheet metal assemblies, ensuring rack frames meet stringent tolerances for EIA-310 and OCP standards.

• Hyperscale Program Execution: Manages the end-to-end NPI (New Product Introduction) lifecycle, from initial CAD review and prototyping to full-scale production of frames, busbars, and internal shelving.

• Cooling System Integration: Oversees the mechanical integration of liquid cooling components—including CDUs, manifolds, and dripless quick-disconnects—into the structural frame without compromising mechanical rigidity.

• Prototyping & Validation: Manages the build and testing of structural prototypes, ensuring frames can support massive dynamic loads during shipping and data center deployment.

• Supplier & Plant Coordination: Works directly with manufacturing plants to refine processes for laser cutting, robotic welding, and precision bending of high-strength steel and aluminum components.

• Bid & Proposal Leadership: Technical lead for RFQs, providing cost-benefit analysis on different fabrication methods (e.g., modular vs. welded frames) to ensure competitive pricing and structural performance.

Education & Experience

• Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related technical discipline.

• Mechanical Expertise: A minimum of 5 years of experience in Precision Sheet Metal Fabrication. Must have a deep understanding of metal behavior, including bend deductions, welding distortion, and structural stress points.

• Rack Architecture: Direct experience with IT rack frames. Understanding of "Cold Aisle/Hot Aisle" containment and structural requirements for AI/GPU-heavy deployments is highly preferred.

• Cooling Integration: Experience integrating liquid cooling hardware (manifolds, tray-level plumbing) into mechanical enclosures.

• Manufacturing IQ: Deep proficiency in fabrication processes: CNC turret punching, fiber laser cutting, press brake forming, and advanced finishing (powder coating and plating).

• Software Proficiency: Advanced skill in SolidWorks or similar CAD software is required for evaluating customer designs and suggesting DFM improvements.

• Project Management: Demonstrated ability to manage multi-site manufacturing transfers and complex bill of materials (BOMs).

Additional Information

This is an ITAR facility and applicant must be a US Citizen or a lawful permanent resident.

Sanmina is an Equal Opportunity Employer – M/F/Veteran/Disability/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity.

Salary Range (annual): $85,000 - $98,000. Actual base pay within this range (determined at the offer stage) will be based on a candidate's years of relevant work experience, education, certifications, and skills, and is just one element of our total rewards package.

The total rewards package also includes a variety of benefits, including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, Company paid holidays and paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business, and, depending on the role, may include eligibility for restricted stock unit awards and participation in a discretionary bonus program.