Sr Design Engineer Jobs in Virginia (NOW HIRING)

As a Senior Mechanical Design Engineer, you will serve as the technical authority for mechanical systems design and delivery on large-scale data center and mission-critical infrastructure projects. With 10+ years of experience in the A/E industry, you will lead the full lifecycle of mechanical design — from conceptual development through commissioning — driving design quality and ensuring the reliability, scalability, and efficiency of HVAC and cooling infrastructure. This role requires deep expertise in data center cooling systems, a collaborative leadership style, and a commitment to continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities

· You will serve as the senior technical lead for mechanical design across the full project lifecycle — from concept development and load modeling through detailed engineering, construction documentation, commissioning, and operational handover.

· You will lead and oversee mechanical engineers and designers, establishing design standards, reviewing deliverables, and cultivating a high-performance team culture rooted in technical excellence and knowledge sharing.

· You will coordinate closely with Development, Procurement, Construction, and Operations teams, as well as Engineers of Record (EoRs), consultants, and contractors to resolve complex design challenges and maintain cross-disciplinary alignment.

· You will drive the research and integration of emerging technologies and advanced cooling strategies to enhance thermal management, energy performance, and system reliability across data center environments.

· You will own the review and quality control of all mechanical design documentation including drawing sets, piping schematics, airflow diagrams, shop drawings, submittals, and commissioning reports.

· You will ensure all mechanical systems comply with project requirements, internal standards, ASHRAE guidelines, and applicable local building codes.

· You will lead proactive schedule and budget management for mechanical scope, including evaluating value engineering proposals, tracking key milestones, and holding EoR and contractor partners accountable to deliverables.

· You will lead factory witness testing, site inspections, TAB coordination, and commissioning activities, confirming system readiness and integration with building management systems (BMS).

· You will collaborate with electrical, structural, and controls disciplines to ensure fully integrated and coordinated mechanical system designs.

· You will drive project risk assessments by identifying mechanical-related risks and leading the development of mitigation strategies.

· You will support the operations team during system handover, providing design intent context and ensuring maintainability and operability of mechanical systems post-turnover.

· You will lead continuous improvement initiatives by incorporating lessons learned into updates to internal design tools, standards, templates, and delivery processes.

· You will provide expert field support during construction, offering technical guidance and resolving installation challenges in coordination with the construction team.

· Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering with an emphasis on data center mechanical systems and mission-critical facilities.

· Minimum 10 years’ experience in the A/E industry with direct experience supporting hyperscale, colocation, or enterprise data center projects.

· Revit BIM design experience required, including coordination of large-scale mechanical rooms, central plants, and equipment layouts.

· Deep expertise in data center cooling system design including chilled water plants, cooling towers, air-based and liquid-based cooling strategies, rear-door heat exchangers, and direct-to-chip cooling.

· Proven proficiency in thermal load calculations, airflow modeling, and energy analysis using tools such as HAP, TRACE, IES, CFD software, or equivalent platforms.

· Extensive background in the design, construction, testing, and commissioning of mission-critical mechanical systems including chillers, pumps, AHUs, CRAH/CRAC units, and associated control systems.

· Professional Engineering (PE) license required.

· Demonstrated experience with redundancy strategies (N, N+1, 2N), maintainability, and fault-tolerant design for high-uptime 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.

· Strong familiarity with data center performance metrics including PUE and WUE, and proven strategies to optimize energy and water efficiency.

· 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 ability to lead and collaborate effectively across cross-functional teams.

· Passion for improving workflows and driving continuous improvement across the mechanical discipline.

· Proficient with Microsoft Productivity Suite products.