Senior Senior Mechanical Engineer -– Advanced Thermo-Mechanical

Eridu is a Silicon Valley-based hardware startup pioneering infrastructure solutions that accelerate training and inference for large-scale AI models. Today’s AI performance is frequently limited by system-level bottlenecks. Eridu AI delivers multiple industry-first innovations across semiconductors, software, and systems to unlock greater GPU utilization, reduce capital and power costs, and maximize data center efficiency. The company’s solutions and value proposition have been validated by several leading hyperscalers.

The company is led by a veteran team of Silicon Valley executives and engineers with decades of experience in state-of-the-art semiconductors, optics, software, and systems, including serial entrepreneur Drew Perkins, co-founder of Infinera (NASDAQ: INFN), Lightera (acq. by Ciena), Gainspeed (acq. by Nokia) and Mojo Vision (World’s leading micro-LED company and developer of the first augmented reality contact lens).

Position Overview

Eridu AI is seeking a highly technical Mechanical Engineer with deep expertise in multiphysics modeling, thermo-mechanical behavior, and advanced packaging architecture.
This is not a conventional mechanical design position. You will serve as the physics authority responsible for developing predictive first-principles models, conducting nonlinear multiphysics simulations, and experimentally validating complex thermo-mechanical systems across their full life cycle.
You will lead the mechanical design for advanced semiconductor and system-level packaging operating at extreme power density and structural constraints. This includes sustained compression environments, thermal expansion mismatch, contact mechanics, and long-term material behavior under load.
This role requires intellectual rigor, experimental ownership, and the ability to translate physics into robust, manufacturable hardware.

·       Develop first-principles analytical models (hand calculations and reduced-order models) to predict thermo-mechanical behavior of complex mechanical stacks.

·       Own nonlinear FEA simulations involving contact mechanics, plasticity, creep, stress relaxation, and thermal-mechanical coupling.

·       Analyze and optimize mechanical stack-ups under sustained compression and thermal cycling.

·       Evaluate material behavior under long-term stress, including fatigue, creep, and reliability degradation.

·       Define mechanical architecture trade-offs balancing structural integrity, thermal performance, and manufacturability.

·       Drive predictive modeling to anticipate failure modes before physical hardware validation.

·       Design and execute thermo-mechanical experiments to validate analytical and simulation models.

·       Develop instrumentation strategies (strain gauges, thermocouples, displacement sensors, load cells, displacement measurement systems, etc.) for high-fidelity measurements.

·       Characterize material behavior under compression, thermal cycling, creep, and fatigue conditions.

·       Correlate experimental data with nonlinear FEA simulations and calibrate models for predictive accuracy.

·       Define accelerated life testing methodologies to assess long-term mechanical and thermo-mechanical reliability.

·       Establish validation frameworks spanning prototype through high-volume production.

·       Drive data-based decision making across the entire product life cycle.

·       Lead thermo-mechanical design of advanced semiconductor packaging (2.5D, 3D, SMT, substrate-level integration).

·       Investigate and develop novel packaging approaches and mechanical compression architectures.

·       Evaluate CTE mismatch, interfacial stress distributions, and structural stability in high-density electronic assemblies.

·       Collaborate with silicon, electrical, thermal, and system teams to ensure mechanical-electrical-thermal compatibility.

·       Assess interactions between mechanical loading, electrical integrity, and thermal performance in integrated systems.

·       Knowledge of electromechanical systems, including electrical contact integrity under mechanical loading, is highly desirable.

·       Select and characterize materials based on mechanical, thermal, and long-term reliability behavior.

·       Model elastic and plastic deformation behavior in metals, polymers, and composite materials.

·       Lead DFMEA activities for high-risk mechanical and packaging assemblies.

·       Drive structured root cause investigations for reliability or yield issues using physics-based reasoning.

·       Incorporate statistical variation and tolerance modeling into predictive mechanical analysis.

·       Partner with internal and external teams (ODMs, OSATs, contract manufacturers) to ensure robust implementation of advanced packaging solutions.

·       Clearly communicate modeling assumptions, limitations, validation strategies, and risk areas.

·       Influence system architecture decisions through physics-driven insight.

·       Contribute to documentation including technical reports, design specifications, validation plans, and risk assessments.

·       Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, or related discipline.

·       10+ years of experience in advanced packaging, semiconductor mechanical design, power electronics, or high-density electronic systems.

·       Strong foundation in mechanics of materials, contact mechanics, heat transfer, elastic and plastic material modeling, and thermo-mechanical coupling.

·       Demonstrated expertise in first-principles modeling and nonlinear FEA (ANSYS, Abaqus, COMSOL, or equivalent).

·       Experience designing and executing thermo-mechanical validation experiments.

·       Strong understanding of mechanical reliability under thermal cycling and sustained loading conditions.

·       Ability to connect analytical models, simulation results, and physical test data into predictive engineering decisions.

·       Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to clearly articulate complex technical concepts.

·       Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, or related field.

·       15+ years of experience in semiconductor packaging, high-performance compute systems, or power electronics.

·       Experience with compression-based mechanical architectures or high-pressure interface systems.

·       Experience with advanced thermal solutions including cold plates, manifolds, and liquid cooling.

·       Familiarity with statistical modeling and variation analysis tools (JMP or equivalent).

·       Experience collaborating with ODMs, OSATs, and contract manufacturers to define robust manufacturing processes.

·       Proficiency in 3D CAD tools (SolidWorks, Creo, or similar) for concept development and tolerance stack-up modeling.

·       Thinks in equations before CAD.

·       Builds predictive models grounded in physics.

·       Validates simulations with disciplined experimentation.

·       Understands material behavior beyond datasheets.

·       Anticipates failure modes before hardware fails.

·       Thrives in technically ambiguous, first-of-its-kind environments.

At Eridu you’ll have the opportunity to shape the future of AI infrastructure, working with a world-class team on groundbreaking technology that pushes the boundaries of AI performance. Your contributions will directly impact the next generation of AI networking solutions, transforming data center capabilities. 

The starting base salary for the selected candidate will be established based on their relevant skills, experience, qualifications, work location, market trends, and the compensation of employees in comparable roles.