Lead Mechanical Engineer - Tunnel Ventilation & Fire-Life Safety

WSP is seeking a Lead Mechanical Engineer - Tunnel Ventilation & Fire-Life Safety to join our Tunnel Systems Team!

This role will be based out of our New York City, NY office.

This Opportunity

This role is for an engineer who can combine rigorous analysis with practical design of tunnel ventilation and fire-life safety systems for major road, rail, transit and other underground infrastructure projects.

You will contribute across project phases, from planning and concept studies through detailed design, construction support, testing and commissioning. The position offers the opportunity to lead technical work, guide developing engineers and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams on complex infrastructure in the New York region and across the United States.

Your Impact

• Lead and perform analysis and design of tunnel ventilation, smoke-control and fire-life safety systems for road, rail and transit projects.
• Develop ventilation concepts, operating modes and design criteria for normal, congested, emergency and fire scenarios.
• Perform engineering calculations for airflow, pressure losses, fan duty, equipment sizing, heat and contaminant control, and system performance.
• Build, review and interpret one-dimensional and computational fluid dynamics models using tools such as Subway Environment Simulation (SES), IDA Tunnel, ANSYS Fluent and Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS).
• Translate analysis results into coordinated, buildable designs, including fan plants, shafts, ductwork, dampers, sound attenuation, controls interfaces and associated mechanical systems.
• Prepare and review basis-of-design documents, technical memoranda, reports, calculations, specifications, drawings and design packages.
• Apply relevant project criteria and standards, including NFPA 130 for fixed-guideway transit and passenger rail systems and NFPA 502 for road tunnels, bridges and other limited-access highways, where applicable.
• Coordinate ventilation and fire-life safety requirements with civil, structural, architectural, electrical, controls, fire protection and operations disciplines.
• Support client and authority meetings, technical workshops, field investigations, construction-phase services, system testing and commissioning.
• Plan discipline work, manage assigned scope, schedule and budget, and provide technical direction and quality reviews for less-experienced staff.
• Contribute to proposals, scopes of work, level-of-effort estimates and the continued growth of WSP’s tunnel systems practice.

Who You Are

Required qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or a closely related engineering discipline.
• At least 7-10 years of relevant engineering experience, including substantive experience in tunnel ventilation analysis and design.
• Professional Engineer license in New York, or the ability and commitment to obtain U.S. professional licensure.
• Demonstrated experience with ventilation systems for road tunnels, rail tunnels, transit facilities or comparable underground infrastructure.
• Proficiency with at least one tunnel airflow or CFD platform, such as SES, IDA Tunnel, ANSYS Fluent or FDS, together with the ability to review models and explain results clearly.
• Experience developing engineering calculations, technical reports, design criteria, drawings and specifications.
• Ability to lead technical tasks, coordinate across disciplines and deliver high-quality work within agreed scope, schedule and budget.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present technical findings to clients and multidisciplinary teams.
• Ability to travel occasionally for meetings, site visits, field measurements, inspections, testing or commissioning.
• Legal authorization to work in the United States at the time of employment.

Preferred qualifications

• Master’s degree or PhD in mechanical engineering, fire protection engineering, fire safety engineering or a related field.
• Experience across both analysis and physical system design, including selection or specification of tunnel ventilation fans, dampers, ductwork, shafts, controls and related equipment.
• Experience with testing and commissioning tunnel ventilation, station ventilation or smoke-control systems.
• Programming or data-analysis experience using Python, Visual Basic, C/C++, Fortran or similar tools.
• Experience mentoring engineers, leading small technical teams, supporting proposals or working in alternative-delivery environments.

Location and Working Arrangement

The position is based in WSP’s New York City office at One Penn Plaza. Project needs may require occasional travel within the United States. The final working arrangement should be stated in accordance with the applicable WSP business-line and office policy.

Additional Requirements

• Employment is contingent upon meeting WSP’s applicable pre-employment requirements and project-specific client requirements.
• A valid driver’s license and satisfactory motor vehicle record may be required where driving is an essential project duty.
• WSP is an equal opportunity employer. Insert the current approved WSP U.S. equal employment opportunity, accommodation and applicant privacy language before external posting.

WSP Benefits:

WSP provides a comprehensive suite of benefits focused on 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.

Expected Compensation:

All Locations: $122,000 - $182,000

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 and specific geographic location. WSP USA reserves the right to ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and may offer additional benefits and compensation, depending on circumstances and the type of work being performed not related to an applicant’s sex or other status protected by local, state, and/or federal law.