Applied Methods
~The MetaPhysical SystemsHardware & Electrical Engineer

Hardware & Electrical Engineer

Hardware & Electrical Engineers in AI companies design and optimize the physical systems that power AI infrastructure—from circuit boards and power delivery networks for AI accelerators to cooling systems and signal integrity in data center environments. They collaborate closely with firmware, software, and systems teams to translate performance requirements into manufacturable hardware, often working on high-speed interfaces, thermal management, and reliability validation for next-generation AI compute platforms. What distinguishes this work is the focus on solving real-time performance bottlenecks at scale: ensuring power delivery meets demanding AI workloads, managing thermal challenges in liquid-cooled systems, and validating signal integrity across complex interconnects that directly impact model training and inference speeds. These engineers typically sit within hardware engineering or infrastructure teams at AI hardware companies, robotics firms, or cloud providers building AI-optimized data centers, working alongside cross-functional teams of systems architects, firmware engineers, and manufacturing partners.

$ titles --canonical
Electrical EngineerSenior Hardware Support EngineerSignal Integrity EngineerMechanical EngineerThermal EngineerMechanical Design EngineerData Center Mechanical Engineer
Open Jobs160
Companies Hiring20
$02

Skills

What companies are looking for in this role.

$ skills --core

Designing and architecting complete mechanical and electronic systems from concept through production

95%

Creating and maintaining detailed technical documentation including schematics, drawings, and bills of materials

92%

Integrating mechanical and electrical subsystems into cohesive architectures

90%

Performing electrical schematic design and PCB layout optimization

88%

Conducting hardware validation testing and failure analysis from prototype through production

88%

Troubleshooting and debugging complex electronic and electromechanical systems

87%

Developing and executing test plans, commissioning procedures, and acceptance criteria

85%

Designing and validating power distribution systems and electrical topologies

85%

Rapid prototyping and iteration of hardware designs while balancing performance and cost constraints

83%

Managing component selection, evaluation, and procurement from suppliers and vendors

82%

Developing physical prototypes and conducting lab bring-up and manufacturing testing

81%

Conducting root cause analysis and implementing mitigation strategies for hardware failures

81%

Performing thermal analysis and optimizing cooling architectures for high-density systems

80%

Ensuring regulatory compliance and adherence to safety standards throughout design and deployment

80%

Performing risk assessments and failure mode analysis throughout product lifecycle

79%

Architecting control systems, automation frameworks, and building management systems

78%

Supporting field deployment, commissioning, and operational troubleshooting of hardware systems

77%

Designing for manufacturability and cost efficiency in high-volume production

76%

Designing connector systems, cable harnesses, and electromechanical interfaces

75%

Maintaining traceability of design requirements throughout validation and verification processes

75%

Designing high-power charging systems and power management architectures

72%
$ skills --emerging

Evaluating and selecting new hardware architectures and emerging technologies

76%

Optimizing AI infrastructure systems including GPU deployment and high-density computing platforms

74%

Implementing data-driven automation and monitoring solutions for facility operations

70%
$ skills --soft

Collaborating across hardware, software, firmware, and mechanical engineering teams

89%

Providing technical leadership and subject matter expertise during design and execution phases

84%

Communicating complex technical requirements and solutions to stakeholders and cross-functional teams

82%

Managing project timelines, budgets, and technical specifications for hardware development

80%

Translating customer and program requirements into robust hardware specifications

78%

Coordinating with external consultants, vendors, and third-party partners on technical delivery

77%
$03

Technology

The tools and technologies that define this role.

$ tech --language
Pythonmoderate
$ tech --tool
Altium Designerhigh
SolidWorkshigh
AutoCADmoderate
CATIAmoderate
Creomoderate
LTspicemoderate
MATLABmoderate
$ tech --concept
Building Management Systemhigh
Data center infrastructurehigh
Electrical Power Management Systemhigh
Ethernethigh
HVAC systemshigh
Microcontrollerhigh
PLChigh
Power supply designhigh
SCADAhigh
Thermal managementhigh
USBhigh
ADC/DACmoderate
Arc flash analysismoderate
BACnetmoderate
Battery management systemmoderate
CDUmoderate
CFDmoderate
Chilled water systemsmoderate
Environmental testingmoderate
Fault tolerance designmoderate
FEAmoderate
FPGAmoderate
GPUmoderate
High-voltage distributionmoderate
Human-Machine Interfacemoderate
I2Cmoderate
Interconnect designmoderate
Liquid coolingmoderate
Load flow analysismoderate
Modbusmoderate
Motor drivermoderate
OPC UAmoderate
PCIemoderate
Plastic designmoderate
Protection coordinationmoderate
Sheet metal designmoderate
Signal filteringmoderate
SPImoderate
Transformer designmoderate
Vibration analysismoderate
Generator controllow
GISlow
GOOSElow
Hyperpure water systemslow
IEC 61850low
MMSlow
Renewable energy systemslow
$04

Open Jobs

160 open Hardware & Electrical Engineer jobs across 20 companies.

Graphcore1d
Senior Engineering Program Coordinator
Austin, Texas, United States·Physical Systems
Rhoda1d
Staff Electrical Engineer (Sensors & Imaging Systems)
Palo Alto·Physical Systems
Lambda1d
Data Center Electrical Modeling Intern - 2026
San Jose Office (Zanker)·Physical Systems
Rhoda5d
Senior Actuator Modeling Engineer
Palo Alto·Physical Systems
Graphcore5d
Test Development Engineer - Electronic Hardware
Bristol, UK·Physical Systems
Lambda5d
Data Center Mechanical Engineering Intern - 2026
San Jose Office (Zanker)·Physical Systems
Anthropic6d
Data Center Electrical Engineer
Tokyo, Japan·Physical Systems
Anthropic6d
Data Center Electrical Engineer
Sydney, Australia·Physical Systems
Anthropic6d
Data Center Mechanical Engineer
Sydney, Australia·Physical Systems
Rhoda6d
Senior Electrical Engineer- Power Management
Palo Alto·Physical Systems
Graphcore6d
PCB CAD Librarian
Bristol, UK·Physical Systems
Nebius1w
Chief Power Engineer (Data Centers)
Lappeenranta, Finland·Physical Systems
xAI1w
Civil Engineer
Memphis, TN·Physical Systems
Graphcore1w
Validation and Debug Engineer - Power Electronics
Bristol, UK·Physical Systems
Crusoe1w
Electrical Design Engineer - Data Center
San Francisco, CA - US·Physical Systems
Graphcore1w
Hardware Validation & Debug Engineer
Bristol, UK·Physical Systems
Physical Intelligence1w
Electrical Engineer (UMI)
San Francisco·Physical Systems
Nscale1w
Director, Electrical Engineering – North America, Data Centers
AMER·Physical Systems
Graphcore1w
Shock Vibration and Transportation Engineer
Hsinchu City, Hsinchu City, Taiwan; 臺北市, Taipei, Taiwan·Physical Systems
Graphcore1w
Hardware Development Engineer
Bristol, UK·Physical Systems