Principal Mechanical Engineer (Data Centers)
On-siteHouston, Texas, United States
Job Summary
Define mechanical design criteria, standard details, and review procedures for data center projects while leading the evaluation of chilled-water plants, air-cooled systems, and high-density thermal solutions. Develop cooling architectures that ensure availability, maintainability, and scalability, applying redundancy strategies to manage equipment failure consequences. Coordinate heat rejection, water use, and emergency modes with other disciplines, optimizing system performance for lifecycle cost and energy efficiency. Lead design reviews, constructability sessions, and commissioning planning, engaging clients to define technical requirements and communicate tradeoffs. Prepare equipment specifications, work with manufacturers on modular plants, and provide senior technical support during construction and integrated systems testing. Mentor mechanical engineers to build a consistent technical foundation for the growing practice.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering
- At least 15 years of progressive mechanical engineering experience
- Meaningful experience designing mission-critical cooling or other high-availability mechanical infrastructure
- Strong knowledge of large central plants, chilled-water distribution, air-cooled equipment, controls, and redundancy planning
- Working knowledge of ASHRAE guidance and environmental requirements applicable to data center equipment
- Demonstrated ability to coordinate complex mechanical systems with electrical, controls, architectural, structural, and construction teams
- Strong client-facing communication and technical leadership skills
- Ability to direct work across multiple projects with aggressive delivery schedules
Desired Qualifications
- Professional Engineer license
- Hyperscale or colocation data center design
- Application of ASHRAE TC 9.9 guidance
- Direct-to-chip liquid cooling or other high-density thermal-management technologies
- Modular and prefabricated mechanical infrastructure
- EPC or design-build delivery
- Commissioning and integrated testing of mission-critical facilities
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