Senior Refrigeration Engineer

WSP is seeking a Senior Refrigeration Engineer to join our Industrial and Advanced Manufacturing Division, which specializes in food and beverage, federal, and industrial facility design. In this role, you will lead the planning, analysis, design, and delivery of safe, reliable, energy-efficient industrial refrigeration systems for new facilities, renovations, additions, and existing-facility assessments. Working with multidisciplinary teams, you will serve as a technical leader and trusted client advisor, helping clients improve performance, meet code and safety requirements, and respond to evolving production and sustainability goals.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead refrigeration engineering from proposals, field assessments, and basis-of-design development through client reviews, construction administration, and commissioning support.

• Design cold rooms, freezer rooms, blast freezers and chillers, specialized temperature- and relative-humidity-controlled rooms, food-processing, refrigerated warehouses and distribution facilities.

• Calculate heat and mass balances, refrigeration loads, thermodynamic cycles, pipe sizes and pressure drops, insulation requirements, energy use, heat recovery, and system efficiency.

• Select equipment and prepare datasheets, technical specifications, equipment and utility schedules, tender documentation, bills of quantities, and cost estimates.

• Develop and review process flow diagrams (PFDs), piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs), utility flow diagrams, system schematics, equipment and line lists, valve schedules, and interface and tie-in schedules.

• Prepare coordinated construction documents using AutoCAD and/or Revit, including plantroom and equipment layouts, piping layouts and routing, support requirements, and details.

• Develop refrigeration plant control philosophies, operating narratives, process descriptions, and control requirements for translation into control and automation programs.

• Lead multidisciplinary design coordination, manage resources, and mentor junior engineers in design practices, calculations, code application, quality control, and project delivery.

• Build trusted client relationships, understand operational needs, and deliver tailored solutions while independently managing time, quality, and effort within project schedules and budgets.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering

• PE License

• 10+ years of mechanical engineering experience focused on industrial refrigeration system design, including ammonia and other refrigerant-based systems, with supporting experience in HVAC, plumbing, and utility piping. Ability to exercise independent judgment and apply advanced engineering principles, procedures, and applicable codes.

• Ability to lead refrigeration design efforts, manage resources, and coordinate effectively with junior engineers, designers, and multidisciplinary project teams through clear communication and teamwork.

• Proficiency in design and drafting using AutoCAD and/or Revit, with a strong foundation in engineering calculations and coordinated technical documentation.

• Advanced knowledge of industrial refrigeration systems and theory, including refrigeration cycles, compressors, condensers, evaporators, vessels, recirculation and secondary coolant systems, refrigerant and utility piping, pipe materials and piping classes, valves and fittings, insulation and corrosion, heat recovery, defrost, ventilation, controls, and integration with process and building systems.

• Working knowledge of refrigerant and ammonia safety, refrigerant environmental requirements, and applicable mechanical, fire, building, and pressure-piping codes, as well as recognized industry standards and process safety practices (IIAR and PSM). Must be adaptable, able to solve complex problems, and capable of learning and applying new refrigeration technologies with minimal support.

• Strong oral and written communication skills with cross-disciplinary team members and clients; ability to build and maintain client relationships founded on respect and trust, understand client needs, and deliver tailored solutions.

• Demonstrated ability to work independently and manage time, quality, and effort to deliver high-quality results within project time and cost constraints.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Autodesk Revit MEP and/or Plant 3D for industrial refrigeration and process utility system design.

• Experience with refrigeration-selection software and manufacturer equipment-selection tools, HVAC load-calculation software, psychrometric analysis, and HVAC modeling tools.

• Active participation in ASHRAE and/or IIAR (International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration), with experience applying IIAR standards and supporting refrigeration system assessments, modernization projects, energy optimization, or process safety initiatives.

• Experience with cascade and multistage refrigeration systems.

• Experience with CO2 refrigeration, recovery, liquefaction, and storage systems.

• Experience designing refrigeration room ventilation systems.

• Experience in two or more of the following sectors: food and beverage; cold-chain and refrigerated distribution; advanced manufacturing; clean rooms and controlled environments; data centers; warehousing and logistics; dairies; breweries and wineries; and process and industrial facilities.

• An established client base.

WSP Benefits

WSP provides a comprehensive suite of benefits focused on a providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career. These benefits include coverage related to medical, dental, vision, disability, and life; retirement savings; paid sick leave; paid vacation (or other personal time); paid parental leave; and paid time off for purposes of bereavement, voting, and/or attendance at naturalization proceedings.

Compensation

Expected Salary (all locations): $124,300 - $161,970

WSP USA is providing the compensation range that the company in good faith believes it might pay and offer for this position, based on the successful applicant’s education, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities in addition to internal equity and specific geographic location. WSP USA reserves the right to ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and offer additional benefits and other compensation, depending on circumstances not related to an applicant’s sex or other status protected by local, state, and/or federal law.

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About WSP

WSP USA is the U.S. operating company of WSP, one of the world's leading engineering and professional services firms. Dedicated to serving local communities, we are engineers, planners, technical experts, strategic advisors and construction management professionals. WSP USA designs lasting solutions in the buildings, transportation, energy, water and environment markets. With more than 15,000 employees in over 300 offices across the U.S., we partner with our clients to help communities prosper.

WSP provides a flexible and agile workplace model while meeting client needs. Employees are also afforded a comprehensive suite of benefits including medical, dental, vision, disability, life, and retirement savings focused on providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career.

At WSP, we want to give our employees the challenges they seek to grow their careers and knowledge base. Your daily contributions to your team will be essential in meeting client objectives, goals and challenges. Are you ready to get started?

WSP USA (and all of its U.S. companies) is an Equal Opportunity Employer Race/Age/Color/Religion/Sex/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/National Origin/Disability or Protected Veteran Status.

The selected candidate must be authorized to work in the United States.

NOTICE TO THIRD PARTY AGENCIES:

WSP does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters, employment agencies, or other staffing services. Unsolicited resumes include any resume or hiring document sent to WSP in the absence of a signed Service Agreement where WSP has expressly requested recruitment/staffing services specific to the position at hand. Any unsolicited resumes, including those submitted to hiring managers or other business leaders, will become the property of WSP and WSP will have the right to hire that candidate without reservation – no fee or other compensation will be owed or paid to the recruiter, employment agency, or other staffing service.