Mechanical HVAC Engineer SME - AI Data Centers

Senior Subject Matter Expert, Data Center Mechanical Engineering

At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good.

About the Role

At Jacobs, we never settle — we push boundaries, elevate standards, and deliver with purpose. As a senior subject matter expert within our Data Center team, you'll lead mechanical engineering efforts across a portfolio of data center projects, including new builds and retrofits. As part of the vision of the Department Manager, you'll drive the technical direction and ensure mechanical solutions meet the highest standards of performance, energy efficiency, and constructability.

You'll serve as a key technical leader, guiding a portfolio of projects and coordinating closely with the mechanical engineering teams. You will mentor mechanical leads and support the projects by meeting with clients and upper management as required, with the ability to speak directly to the status of various projects. Your expertise will shape project execution, influence design strategy, and strengthen our delivery excellence.

This role offers significant opportunities to expand your technical authority, mentor emerging talent, and grow your leadership presence as you help define the next generation of high-performance data center infrastructure. Your guidance will shape both design delivery and our Design-Build delivery methodology across a fast-growing hyperscale project portfolio.

Key Contributions

1. Provide quality reviews of complex projects spanning HVAC, cooling, and mechanical systems for hyperscale data center facilities.
2. Lead complex mechanical analyses and guide the selection of appropriate cooling methodologies — including airside/water-side economization, chilled water systems, dual temperature loop topology and direct liquid cooling — to ensure robust, code-compliant, and constructible design solutions.
3. Develop and validate advanced mechanical simulation models (airflow, thermal, psychrometric), establish modeling standards, and mentor team members in best-practice simulation techniques.
4. Oversee critical calculations for cooling load analysis, hydronic system design, and equipment selection; direct material take-offs and estimating inputs; and provide technical governance for schedules, design documentation, and interdisciplinary coordination.
5. Drive energy performance strategy, including PUE optimization, heat rejection design, and thermal storage solutions aligned with hyperscale owner sustainability commitments.
6. Partners with electrical, civil, structural, and controls disciplines to ensure mechanical systems integration across the full project lifecycle, from schematic design through commissioning and turnover.

Here's what you'll need

• Ability to quickly identify complex challenges, solve problems, communicate solutions, and direct junior and senior staff on best practices in mechanical design and systems integration.
• Understanding of the complexities of large contracts and different contract structures; ability to manage change orders and advocate for the engineering team against contractor liabilities.
• Experience with the full spectrum of data center mechanical systems — air-side and water-side cooling, heat rejection, chilled water plant design, power density thermal management, and liquid cooling — with the ability to speak to the executive level on any subject without advance notice.
• Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering.
• 15+ years of professional experience in mechanical engineering, with 5 or more years demonstrated depth in mission-critical and/or data center facility design.
• Registered Professional Engineer (PE) in Mechanical Engineering with the ability to obtain licensure in additional states.
• Proficiency with mechanical/HVAC design and simulation software such as Trane TRACE, Carrier HAP, Energy Plus, eQUEST, or equivalent.
• Knowledge of CAD and BIM platforms including AutoCAD MEP, Revit MEP, and MicroStation.
• Knowledge and application of ASHRAE 90.4 (Energy Standard for Data Centers) – including MLC Calculations, ASHRAE 55, ASHRAE 62.1, ASHRAE 9.9, NFPA 70, NFPA 110, IMC, and other industry-relevant design codes and standards.
• Proficiency with MS Office suite software including MS Teams for remote coordination.
• Ability to travel to various client sites (approximately 10% to 40% travel).
• Proficiency reviewing and commenting on drawings in Bluebeam.

Ideally, You'll Also Have

• Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering.
• Experience with hyperscale facility design with key global clients (Microsoft, Google, Meta, Amazon, or similar).
• Deep familiarity with direct liquid cooling (DLC) and immersion cooling systems for high-density AI/GPU compute environments.
• Commissioning experience or ASHRAE/NEBB/AABC certification relevant to mission-critical mechanical systems.
• Ability to lead teams to deliver commitments on schedule and on budget while meeting quality and client expectations.
• Familiarity with thermal energy storage, district cooling, and heat recovery systems for large campus data center programs.

Posted Salary Range: Minimum $169,500.00. Posted Salary Range: Upper $233,000.00

Our health and welfare benefits are designed to invest in you, and in the things you care about. Your health. Your well-being. Your security. Your future. Employees have access to medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance, a 401(k) plan, and the ability to purchase company stock at a discount. Eligible employees may also enroll in a deferred compensation plan or the Executive Deferral Plan. Jacobs has an unlimited U.S. Personalized Paid Time Off (PPTO) policy for full-time salaried/exempt employees, seven paid holidays, and caregiver leave. And certain roles may be eligible for additional rewards, including merit increases, performance discretionary bonus, and stock.

The base salary range for this position is $169,500.00 to $233,000.00. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. Job posted on May 07, 2025. This position will be open for at least 3 days.

We value collaboration and believe that in-person interactions are crucial for both our culture and client delivery. We empower employees with our hybrid working policy, allowing them to split their work week between Jacobs offices/projects and remote locations enabling them to deliver their best work.

Your application experience is important to us, and we're keen to adapt to make every interaction even better. If you require further support or reasonable adjustments with regards to the recruitment process (for example, you require the application form in a different format), please contact the team via Careers Support.