Mechanical Engineer - Hydronics

About the Company

Armada is a full-stack edge infrastructure company delivering compute, connectivity, and sovereign AI/ML to some of the world’s most remote places. Named one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies, Armada’s solutions are deployed in over 60 countries globally for organizations ranging from energy to defense. With over $200 million in funding, Armada is backed by top investors such as Microsoft (M12), Founders Fund, and has strategic partnerships including Starlink, Skydio, and NVIDIA. We are looking for the most brilliant minds in the world to join us. Working at Armada means taking ownership, driving autonomy, and delivering impact. You’ll tackle challenges that haven’t been solved before and help build something transformative from the ground up. What you do here will not only define your career but help further Armada’s mission to bridge the digital divide for customers around the world.

About the role

We are looking for a Mechanical Engineer - Hydronics (Distribution Focus) to own the mechanical distribution architecture for our modular liquid-cooled data center platform. This role is responsible for the piping, valves, instrumentation, module interconnects, and serviceability strategy across both the primary water loop and secondary PG25 loop.

This is a hands-on architecture and execution role focused on building a system that is repeatable, commissionable, maintainable, and scalable across multiple deployments. The right candidate will bring deep hydronic distribution expertise and a practical understanding of what it takes to move a design from concept into manufacturing, field installation, startup, and long-term operation.

You will work closely with internal engineering teams, OEMs, fabricators, controls, manufacturing, and commissioning leads to ensure the mechanical distribution layer is robust, standardized, and ready for real-world deployment.

Location. This role is remote.

What You'll Do (

Key Responsibilities)

Hydronic Architecture Ownership

Own the hydronic distribution architecture across

Primary water/PG25 loop

Secondary water/PG25 loop

Define and standardize system design rules for flow, pressure drop, balancing, and measurement

Establish practical design approaches for PG25 and water-based systems, including pipe sizing, fluid behavior, and maintainability considerations

Support system-level alignment between plant, distribution, and rack cooling interfaces

Distribution Design and Interface Control

Own distribution P&IDs, valve schedules, and instrumentation schedules

Maintain revision discipline, tagging standards, and interface clarity across the mechanical distribution package

Define boundaries and interfaces between plant equipment, CDUs, rack cooling components, and module-to-module interconnects

Develop and maintain interface control documentation for hydronic system boundaries

Commissioning-First Design

Design for startup, commissioning, and long-term operation

Define fill, flush, vent, drain, isolation, bypass, and strainer strategies

Establish measurement points for flow, differential pressure, and temperature

Partner with commissioning and controls teams to define what must be measured, how it will be measured, and what acceptable startup performance looks like

Pipe Sizing and Pressure Drop Management

Own pipe sizing methodology and pressure drop strategy for both PG25 and water loops

Define practical approaches to balancing and instrumentation placement

Ensure real-world field performance aligns with design intent

Help establish repeatable standards for distribution performance across product variants

Layout, Serviceability, and Buildability

Own mechanical distribution layout packages and service clearance

requirements

Ensure systems are designed for safe access, maintenance, replacement, and long-term serviceability

Support design for manufacturing by standardizing routing approaches, fittings strategy, tolerances, and assembly expectations

Help define clear factory-built versus field-installed scope boundaries

Modular Interconnect Strategy

Define standard module interconnect approaches, including manifolds, quick connects, labeling, boundary isolation, and leak detection interfaces as applicable

Ensure interconnect designs support rapid deployment while preserving reliability and maintainability

Drive consistency across builds to reduce site variability and improve product repeatability

Cross-Functional Integration

Partner with mechanical plant, thermal, electrical, controls, manufacturing, and commissioning teams

Coordinate system interfaces without losing baseline discipline

Work with OEMs and fabricators while maintaining ownership of the internal distribution architecture and standards

Support factory builds, field feedback collection, and lessons-learned incorporation into future revisions

Required

Qualifications

7+ years of experience in hydronic distribution design for data centers, industrial systems, mission-critical HVAC, or comparable thermal infrastructure

Strong experience owning P&IDs, valve strategies, and instrumentation design

Practical field knowledge of commissioning, startup, and serviceability constraints

Experience with glycol-based cooling systems such as PG25 or equivalent

Strong understanding of pipe sizing, flow management, pressure drop, balancing, and measurement strategies

Proven ability to maintain documentation discipline, revision control, and interface clarity

Strong cross-functional collaboration skills across mechanical, controls, manufacturing, and field teams

Preferred Experience and Skills

Experience with liquid-to-liquid and liquid-to-air cooling systems for high-density compute or AI/HPC environments

Familiarity with modular or prefabricated infrastructure systems

Understanding and experience in AFT Fathom, Pipeflo and CFD Products

CAD or BIM fluency sufficient for 3D coordination, clash avoidance, and clearance validation

PE license in Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent depth of experience

Compensation

For U.S. Based candidates: To ensure fairness and transparency, the starting base salary range for this role for candidates in the U.S. are listed below, varying based on location experience, skills, and

qualifications.

In addition to base salary, this role will also be offered equity and subsidized

benefits(details available upon request).

We use a geographic pay structure based on cost-of-labor markets.

Tier 1 (e.g., SF Bay Area, NYC, Seattle): $157,600 – $197,000

Tier 2 (most U.S. metro areas): $137,040 – $171,300

Final compensation will be determined by experience, scope, and level, and may vary from the posted range.

Benefits

Competitive base salary and equity

Medical, dental, and vision (subsidized cost)

Health savings accounts (HSA), flexible spending accounts (FSA), and dependent care FSAs (DCFSA)

Retirement plan options, including 401(k) and Roth 401(k)

Unlimited paid time off (PTO)

14 paid company holidays per year

Compensation$154,560—$193,200 USDYou're a Great Fit if You're

A go-getter with a growth mindset. You're intellectually curious, have strong business acumen, and actively seek opportunities to build relevant skills and knowledge

A detail-oriented problem-solver. You can independently gather information, solve problems efficiently, and deliver results with a "get-it-done" attitude

Thrive in a fast-paced environment. You're energized by an entrepreneurial spirit, capable of working quickly, and excited to contribute to a growing company

A collaborative team player. You focus on business success and are motivated by team accomplishment vs personal agenda

Highly organized and results-driven. Strong prioritization skills and a dedicated work ethic are essential for you

Equal Opportunity Statement

At Armada, we are committed to fostering a work environment where everyone is given equal opportunities to thrive. As an equal opportunity employer, we strictly prohibit discrimination or harassment based on race, color, gender, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other characteristic protected by law. This policy applies to all employment decisions, including hiring, promotions, and compensation. Our hiring is guided by

qualifications, merit, and the business needs at the time.

Unsolicited Resumes and Candidates

Armada does not