Research And Development Design Engineer Jobs in Virginia

As a Design Team Mechanical Engineer, you will support the design and delivery of mechanical systems for data center projects, ensuring they meet operational, safety, and reliability standards. This role involves close coordination with internal teams and external partners to develop scalable and efficient HVAC and cooling solutions that align with project goals and schedule demands.
Requirements
• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering with an emphasis on data center mechanical systems and mission-critical facilities.
• Revit BIM design experience required, including coordination of large-scale mechanical rooms, central plants, and equipment layouts.
• Proficiency in data center cooling system design, including air-based and liquid-based cooling strategies, chilled water plants, DX systems, rear-door heat exchangers, and direct-to-chip cooling.
• Experience performing thermal load calculations, airflow modeling, and energy analysis using tools such as HAP, TRACE, IES, CFD software, or similar platforms.
• Strong background in the design, construction, testing, and commissioning of mission-critical mechanical systems, including chillers, pumps, cooling towers, AHUs, CRAH/CRAC units, and associated control systems.
• Preferred qualifications include a Professional Engineering (PE) license.
• Demonstrated experience with redundancy strategies (N, N+1, 2N), maintainability, and fault-tolerant design for data center environments.
• Knowledge and experience in estimating, mechanical system design, operation, and commissioning of data center cooling plants, including integrated systems testing (IST) and development of MOPs and SOPs.
• Familiarity with data center performance metrics, including PUE, WUE, and strategies to optimize energy and water efficiency.
• Minimum 5 years' experience in the A/E industry, with direct experience supporting hyperscale, colocation, or enterprise data center projects preferred.
• Comprehensive understanding of professional services from conceptual planning and site selection through detailed design, construction administration, and project close-out.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, organizational skills, and the ability to lead, mentor, and develop technical staff.
• Familiarity with sustainable and resilient design approaches, including free cooling, heat recovery, and climate-responsive system selection.
• Passion for improving delivery speed, standardization, and repeatable design solutions for data center programs.
• Proficient with Microsoft Productivity Suite products.
Job Responsibilities
• Lead and support mechanical design efforts across the full project lifecycle-from concept development through commissioning-focused on chilled water systems, air distribution, and equipment layout for data centers.
• Coordinate closely with Development, Procurement, Construction, and Operations teams, as well as Engineers of Record (EoRs), consultants, and contractors to resolve design issues and maintain alignment across disciplines.
• Research and develop emerging trends and advanced technologies to improve thermal management, HVAC systems, and mechanical infrastructure for enhanced performance and energy efficiency in data centers.
• Review and manage mechanical design documentation, including drawing sets, piping schematics, airflow diagrams, shop drawings, submittals, and commissioning reports.
• Ensure all mechanical systems comply with project requirements, internal standards, ASHRAE guidelines, and local building codes.
• Track and report on design progress, holding partners accountable to key milestones and deliverables. Proactively identify schedule risks and recommend solutions to stay on track.
• Support cost estimation and change management for mechanical scope, including evaluating value engineering proposals and reviewing EoR scopes and resources.
• Participate in factory witness testing, site inspections, TAB, and commissioning activities to confirm system readiness and integration with building management systems.
• Collaborate with other engineering disciplines to ensure mechanical systems are well-integrated with electrical, structural, and controls designs.
• Maintain accurate project records, track technical decisions, and provide routine updates to internal stakeholders.
• Contribute to project risk assessments by identifying mechanical-related risks and mitigation strategies.
• Assist in onboarding new team members and sharing design standards, workflows, and technical best practices.
• Support continuous improvement by incorporating lessons learned and contributing to updates of internal design tools, templates, and processes.
• Partner with the construction team during field execution to provide technical guidance and resolve installation challenges.
• Work with the operations team to support system handover, provide design intent context, and help ensure maintainability and operability of mechanical systems post-turnover.