How Will You Make An Impact? This role is part of Jabil's Renewable & Energy Infrastructure (R&EI) division, partnering with global customers to define, architect, and industrialize advanced HVAC and liquid-cooling systems for scalable manufacturing across different regions. Main emphasis will be on data-center critical cooling applications such as chillers, CDUs (coolant distribution units) and related refrigerant/hydronic systems.
As an HVAC & Liquid Cooling System Architect within Jabil, you will work with the BUs and Sales team to engage with customers, assess product technologies and manufacturing complexities, and provide guidance to the BU and Sales teams in developing the appropriate Jabil solutions and capabilities to support business opportunities and strategic partnerships.
The SA/SME will lead system-level architecture, requirements, and trade-offs in the front-end of design, set the technical direction, and align clear handoff packages to development and factory teams. He/she will ensure solutions will meet performance, safety, compliance, energy-efficiency, and manufacturability targets, leveraging Jabil's global footprint and quality systems.
Location:This role can be based on-site at our St. Petersburg, FL Gandy Lab with relocation assistance to St. Pete as a possibility for the right person, or the team is open to someone remotely based anywhere in the U.S. with occasional travel to the St. Pete Gandy Lab. There will also be some occasional travel to customer sites (roughly 15-20% altogether), depending on business needs and projects.
What Will You Do?System Architecture & Requirements- Drive system concepts and partitioning; define architecture and configuration baselines, interfaces, and KPI's for HVAC systems, chillers, and CDU-based liquid-cooling platforms.
- Translate market and customer needs into system-level requirements with validation traceability; maintain system block diagrams and ICD (interface control documents)
- Execute early trade-off analyses (cost, schedule, efficiency, capacity, performance and footprint) and maintain compliance matrices / risk registers
Controls, Connectivity & Interoperability- Define control architecture (sensors/actuators, supervisory control, sequencing, alarms), BMS/DCIM integration, and protocol strategies (BACnet/IP, Modbus TCP/RTU, SNMP)
- Incorporate cybersecurity requirements and network segregation for connected equipment.
Customer Engagement & Business Support- Lead technical discovery, drive performance/cost/schedule feasibility studies, and present trade-offs and recommendations to both external and internal stakeholders
- Support competitive proposals (RFI/RFQ/RFP) and contribute to SOW and ROM estimates.
Design Reviews & Cross-Functional Collaboration- Lead multi-disciplinary design reviews (mechanical, thermal, hydraulic, controls, electrical, firmware, manufacturing test)
- Align architecture concepts and tradeoffs with customer and Jabil executives/stakeholders; create handoff architecture packages for development teams.
- Provide DFMEA/PFMEA inputs, and conduct technical reviews to ensure performance, safety, reliability and field serviceability
Compliance, Codes & Standards- Ensure designs address applicable ASHRAE requirements and Handbook guidance
- Architect for product safety compliance for HVAC/chiller/CDU platforms, with standards and codes applicable to product scope and region
Thermal/Acoustics & System Analysis- Support HVAC and liquid-cooling system modeling and analyses (loads, thermal transients, refrigerant circuit selection, hydraulic loops, heat-exchanger sizing, airflow/CFD, acoustics, and partial-load efficiency).
- Support component selections (compressors, heat exchangers, pumps, valves, filtration, sensors, and controls hardware) and ensure reliability, serviceability, and lifecycle considerations.
DFX, Manufacturing Transfer & Supply Chain- Architect for DFM/DFA/DFT, part reuse, commodity strategies, and supply chain resilience; support build readiness (prototype/pilot/ramp) and resolve factory integration issues.
- Align with sourcing on vendor roadmaps; anticipate obsolescence, regulatory, and regionalization risks; support cost modeling and BOM sourcing strategies for critical cooling components and long-lead items.
How Will You Get Gere? Education:- Bachelor's degree in Electronics/Energy/Controls/Mechatronics or related field is required
- Master's degree in a related discipline is a plus
- ASHRAE Membership/certification is a plus
Experience:- 10+ years of experience in thermal management product and system design (commercial/industrial), including 5+ years in systems architecture or platform leadership with proven front-end design ownership
- Experience with data-center critical cooling, chillers, CDUs, or closely related liquid-cooling infrastructure is strongly preferred
Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:- Strong knowledge of HVAC and cooling topologies (chillers, hydronic systems, CDUs, pump skids, refrigerant-based systems), thermodynamics, hydraulics, and acoustics.
- BMS/DCIM protocol expertise (BACnet, Modbus, SNMP); familiarity with gateways and secure IP/cloud integration patterns.
- Familiarity with relevant simulation tools (MATLAB/Simulink, EnergyPlus) and CFD/FEA tools (ANSYS Fluent / Icepak)
- Excellent English communication (written/verbal); able to present to customers and internal stakeholders with clear technical trade-off narratives and strong executive-level communication.
- Comfortable coordinating across time zones and cultures; drive alignment among remote teams.
- Organized, proactive, and outcome-focused; able to mentor engineers and elevate cross-functional collaboration across design, manufacturing, sourcing, quality, and customer teams.
- Ability to travel (internationally and domestically) to customers, events, workshops, external labs, and Jabil manufacturing locations during key project phases.
Benefits You Will Receive While Working With Jabil:Along with growth, stability, and the opportunity to be challenged, Jabil offers a competitive benefits package that includes:
- Medical, Dental, Prescription Drug, and Vision Insurance with HRA and HSA options
- 401K match
- Employee Stock Purchase Plan
- Paid Time Off
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Life, AD&D, and Disability Insurance
- Commuter Benefits
- Employee Assistance Program
- Pet Insurance
- Adoption Assistance
- Annual Merit Increases
- Community Volunteer Opportunities
The pay range for this role is $126,100 - $227,000. Job-related, non-discriminatory factors used to determine the actual offered rate include qualifications and experience, geographic location, education, external market data, and consideration of internal equity. The anticipated close date of this job requisition is: August 31, 2026.
As part of the total rewards package, this position is eligible for a short-term incentive based on performance. In addition, Jabil offers benefits to enhance your health, wealth, and resilient self. These include medical, dental, and vision insurance plans; paid time off accruing at a rate of 3.07 hours during your first year of employment; 4 weeks of paid parental leave; in 2026, 11 company-paid holidays (9 fixed holidays and 2 optional floating holidays), subject to change yearly; 401(k) retirement plan; and employee stock purchase plan.
