Lead Mechanical Systems Engineer - Spark

About the role

Crusoe is on a mission to accelerate the abundance of energy and intelligence. As the only vertically integrated AI infrastructure company built from the ground up, we own and operate each layer of the stack — from electrons to tokens — to power the world's most ambitious AI workloads. When you join Crusoe, you join a team that is building the future, faster. We're in the midst of the greatest industrial revolution of our time. The demand for AI compute is boundless, and power is a bottleneck. We're solving that — with an energy-first approach that makes AI infrastructure better for the world and faster for the people innovating with AI. We're looking for problem-solving, opportunity-finding teammates with a sense of urgency, who believe in the scale of our ambition and thrive on a path not fully paved — people who want to grow their careers alongside a team of experts across energy, manufacturing, data center construction, and cloud services. If you want to do the most meaningful work of your career, help our customers and partners advance their AI strategies, and be part of a high-performing team that believes in each other, come build with us at Crusoe. About the Role: Crusoe is a vertically integrated AI Factory company with a mission to accelerate the abundance of energy and intelligence. Our competitive advantage—“Speed is the only moat”—is directly tied to our ability to rapidly design, build, and deploy high-density modular power and compute infrastructure. Embedded directly within the Spark Modular Data Center (MDC) Business Unit, the Senior Staff Mechanical Systems Engineer - Spark is a key technical engine supporting the mechanical, thermal, and fluid architecture of our MDC platform. You will sit at the crossroads of hardware, software, and physical infrastructure translating next-generation GPU compute workloads, cluster topologies, power envelopes, and cooling requirements into robust, high-performance liquid-cooled MDC system designs. In this role, you will support the technical execution of current and future MDC architectures, collaborating closely with external design & engineering partners and internal R&D, Crusoe Industries (CI), Cloud Product, and Cloud Engineering teams to turn first-principles mechanical design into scalable product reality. What You'll Be Working On: - Liquid Cooling System Design: Own system-level design for direct-to-chip (DLC) and hydronic infrastructure, including Coolant Distribution Units (CDUs), primary/secondary loops, flow rate balancing, pressure drop calculations, manifolds, and leak-detection mechanisms. Perform the thermal and fluid calculations — heat load modeling, flow network analysis, pump/heat-exchanger sizing — that turn GPU rack power and cooling requirements into concrete mechanical specifications. - First-Principles Mechanical Integration: Apply core mechanical engineering principles — fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, structural mechanics, vibration/transportation dynamics — to optimize containerized envelope design, structural integrity, and environmental resiliency. - Engineering Partner Engagement: Work with external design & engineering partners and internal teams to review, iterate, and refine CAD models, BIM files, 30/60/90/100% drawing packages, and manufacturing-ready documentation. - Design for Manufacturability (DFM): Partner with Crusoe Industries (CI) and Contract Manufacturers (CMs) to optimize pipe racks, modular connections, skid assemblies, and structural mating for rapid factory assembly and field commissioning. - Spark Platform Evolution: Drive the mechanical and thermal roadmap for future Spark generations, moving from current air-cooled baselines to next-gen high-density liquid-cooled architectures. - Mechanical–Thermal Interface Ownership: Own the mechanical design as it interfaces with compute, power, and networking constraints — working closely with thermal and electrical specialists to ensure rack layout, cabling, and enclosure design are mechanically sound and thermally validated. Serve as the mechanical design authority translating early-stage liquid-cooling concepts into manufacturable production units. - Sustaining Engineering & Continuous Improvement: Provide sustaining mechanical engineering support for deployed and in-production Spark assets — investigating field issues, resolving design or component issues, implementing engineering change orders (ECOs), and feeding field learnings back into future design iterations.   What You'll Bring to the Team: - Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field; Master's degree a plus. - 8-12 years of mechanical engineering experience, with deep, hands-on expertise in fluid mechanics, heat transfer, structural integrity, and mechanical system dynamics. - Direct experience designing, validating, or integrating complex liquid-cooling loops (DLC, CDUs, pumping skids, heat exchangers, or hydronic systems). - Strong working understanding of thermal engineering fundamentals (heat transfer, CFD/thermal modeling concepts) sufficient to collaborate closely and speak the same technical language as dedicated thermal engineers — you don't need to be the thermal expert, but you need to design mechanical systems that hold up under their analysis. - Proficiency with mechanical CAD tools (e.g., SolidWorks, Creo, or Inventor) and familiarity with thermal-fluid simulation tools (e.g., ANSYS Fluent/CFX, 6SigmaET, or equivalent). - Working knowledge of relevant mechanical codes and standards (e.g., ASME B31.x piping codes, ASHRAE thermal guidelines, NFPA data center cooling requirements). - Demonstrated experience collaborating with external design & engineering partners while contributing to internal design iterations and CAD review workflows. - Comfort navigating fast-moving environments where physical hardware and compute infrastructure are co-developed concurrently. Bonus Points: - Direct experience in modular data center design. - Background in complex adjacent industries such as aerospace, automotive, energy, or industrial process hardware. - Experience leading design-for-manufacturability efforts with contract manufacturers. - Familiarity with BIM workflows and full-lifecycle drawing packages (30/60/90/100%). - Professional Engineer (PE) license. Benefits: - Competitive compensation - Restricted Stock Units - Paid time off & paid holidays - Comprehensive health, dental & vision insurance - Employer contributions to HSA account - Paid parental leave - Paid life insurance, short-term and long-term disability - Professional development & tuition reimbursement - Mental health & wellness support - Commuter benefits (parking & transit) - Cell phone stipend - 401(k) Retirement plan with company match up to 4% of salary - Volunteer time off Compensation Range Compensation will be paid in the range of up to $190,000 - $215,000 + Bonus. Restricted Stock Units are included in all offers. Compensation to be determined by the applicants knowledge, education, and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data. Crusoe is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, citizenship, marital status, sex/gender, sexual preference/ orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, national origin, or any other status protected by law or regulation.