Senior Mechanical Product Development Engineer - R&D

About TE:

As a Staff Mechanical Product Development Engineer- Integrated Predictive Analysis in the Mechanical Center of Excellence, you will lead advanced mechanical research, design, and validation efforts for cutting-edge interconnect systems used in AI data centers, high-performance computing, and next-generation communication infrastructure.
Your role involves developing novel mechanical structures, executing thermomechanical simulations, validating materials, and collaborating cross-functionally to enhance product performance, reliability, and manufacturability. You will operate with a high degree of autonomy and technical depth to define and drive innovation across mechanical platforms—from early-stage PoCs through NPI handoff.
This role is highly cross-functional, requiring collaboration with electrical, signal integrity, system architecture, manufacturing, and supplier development teams.

BU Overview

Consumer, network, and data center applications change at an exponential pace and the Data & Devices (D&D) business unit at TE Connectivity is at the heart of a continuously expanding connected life. Accordingly, we provide responsive, iterative, and fundamentally agile capabilities and conceive, design, and manufacture to support today's demands. Our customers are building the devices and the infrastructure that is redefining what information technology means. Our products push markets and meet the ever-changing needs of the evolving, more connected, data-driven world. We are enhancing how we do business, focusing on the most important things and staying agile and responsive to the needs of a faster, more connected world.
The Mechanical Center of Excellence (ME COE) plays a critical role in shaping the future of thermomechanical design, reliability engineering, and platform-based product development. By integrating advanced mechanical research, simulation, and manufacturability expertise, ME COE empowers faster, more scalable, and more robust innovation across TE’s high-speed connectivity and AI infrastructure portfolios.

Roles and Responsibilities:

•    Support and drive integrated thermal and multiphysics simulation strategies for complex electro-mechanical systems.
•    Develop predictive engineering methodologies combining CFD, FEA, manufacturing simulation, and digital twins.
•    Support thermal architecture development across conduction, convection, radiation, and fluid-flow domains.
•    Drive Physics-AI development using simulation, test data, and machine learning for accelerated design optimization.
•    Develop automated engineering workflows integrating CAD, meshing, solving, optimization, and reporting.
•    Collaborate cross-functionally with SI/PI, mechanical, manufacturing, materials, and system architecture teams.
•    Lead model validation and correlation using thermal testing, calibration, and reliability analysis.
•    Establish best practices, reusable frameworks, and governance standards for predictive engineering.
•    Mentor engineers and represent the organization in customer and industry engagements.

Mandate Skills:

•    Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or Physics with 8+ years of experience, or a Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering or Physics, or equivalent amount of experience in mechanical product development in connector, electronics, or high-reliability hardware industries. 
•    Hands-on experience with mechanical design and modeling using tools such as Creo, SolidWorks, or NX.
•    Expertise in simulation tools such as ANSYS, Abaqus, or FloTHERM for thermal/structural analysis.
•    Proven experience in DFM, DFA, and transition of mechanical designs to high-volume manufacturing.
•    Deep understanding of materials science, including polymers, metals, and thermal materials.
•    Experience conducting reliability testing: thermal cycling, vibration, drop/shock, and HALT/HASS.
•    Strong problem-solving and analytical skills with a focus on root cause analysis and continuous improvement.
•    Excellent communication skills to engage with global engineering, operations, and customer teams.

Nice to have Skills/Experience:

•    Experience with micro-mechanics, co-packaged optics, or liquid cooling solutions.
•    Familiarity with data analytics, Six Sigma methodologies, or AI-driven simulation optimization.
•    Experience working on system-level hardware such as AI servers, switches, or RF modules.
•    Patent filings or published research in mechanical design, thermal management, or materials
•    Experience managing cross-functional or global engineering projects