Mechanical Engineer

Job Title

This is a career ladder position requiring the incumbent to perform progressively more complex duties and responsibilities leading to the full performance level.

Design and Development

• Directs leading-edge design for a variety of mechanical systems focused on heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), refrigeration, plumbing, energy and water conservation, Building Automation System (BAS) and indoor air quality (IAQ).
• Ensures adherence to design schedules, material deliveries and construction schedules and reviews job progress and conformance to specifications.
• Coordinate and serves as a design expert for project managers and others to analyze design requirements where there are conflicting and inadequate guidelines and ensures that all technical areas are covered.
• Assists with the development design concepts, calculations, field reviews, preparation of final drawings and performs construction oversight and coordination as required on each assigned project.
• Conducts research to develop improved designs of mechanical equipment and systems.
• Coordinates with building superintendents and their staff to schedule construction projects.
• Participates in commissioning reviews for building systems and equipment, from those associated with small in-house designs, to large projects which have assigned commissioning agents.
• Prepares Statements of Work (SOW) for a wide range of engineering projects, either in the form of an invitation for bid or a purchase requisition. Determines the requirements for equipment to be procured through the bidding process, obtains pricing and submittal data and determines the successful bidder based on the technical adequacy of the submission.
• Determines proper HVAC performance of a completed project, as required during the investigative portion of a project or, as assigned.
• Prepares, revises and maintains Computer Aided Design (CAD) graphic data for use in mechanical equipment and systems design.
• Coordinates with other building system disciplines, such as electrical, fire protection, and structural.

Technical Advice and Guidance

• Collaborates with management and planning personnel, and other building systems disciplines in preparing requirements and criteria for complex or high value projects concerning a variety of HVAC and plumbing engineering, automatic controls and energy conservation issues in sizes and complexity from small up to major.
• Serves as a mentor and provides guidance to entry-level engineers.
• Performs complex calculations and designs and specifications or directs and advises other engineers and technicians in the design and specification of individual systems, components and details in HVAC and plumbing engineering.
• Serves as a staff expert for energy and water conservation, HVAC, direct digital controls and plumbing projects of major size and complexity.
• Participates in planning conferences with project engineers to provide necessary information pertaining to HVAC and plumbing.
• Reviews or directs the review of the mechanical features of scopes of work, plans, specifications and analyses of design, as submitted by contracted and/or in-house engineers for technical competency and approves such plans, specifications and analyses where the authority is The Fire Protection and Mechanical Engineering Branch.
• Responds to request for information from contractors.

Contractor Oversight for Projects

• Serves as a Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR), guiding and evaluating contractor efforts and assessing technical performance in relation to the established schedules and resources allotted.
• Reviews plans, specifications and cost estimates for adequacy.
• Reports progress and/or problems. Directs necessary changes, resolves controversial problems, ensures conformance to plans and specifications.
• Evaluates the compliance of contractor proposals with contract plans and specifications.
• Monitors contract specifications for progress and technical requirements.
• Assists in generating project bulletins and evaluating change orders.

Project Management

• Accomplishes complex project management duties in participation with project teams and makes decisions affecting areas of accountability that are controversial.
• Serves as the technical authority (Project Manager and/or Task Leader) for HVAC, plumbing, Direct Digital Control (DDC) controls and conservation projects of major size and complexity.
• Reviews or directs the review of the mechanical features of plans, specifications and analyses of design for accuracy and technical competency, and approves with the scope of authority.

Report and Documentation

• Gathers information and formulates mechanical engineering reports relating to significant issues and presents or explains the agency decisions in terms of policies and priorities.