Mechanical/HVAC Engineering Lead – Data Centre Concept Development
Remote with Global Travel
Data Centre Design & Delivery
About the Role
The Concept Development team turns vision into buildable reality — working with customers at concept stage to define how their data centres will be powered, cooled, and delivered, faster and at scale. By integrating master planning, offsite manufacturing, cost modelling, BIM, and commissioning strategy from the outset, we remove uncertainty and accelerate delivery.
The Opportunity
We're looking for a Mechanical/HVAC Engineering Lead to develop, design, and govern the mechanical cooling platform underpinning our clients global data centre delivery strategy. As the technical authority for critical cooling infrastructure, you'll lead the development of standardised mechanical architectures, cooling topologies, and reference designs — covering chilled water systems, CRAH/CRAC units, chillers, cooling towers, air handling, containment, and liquid cooling.
You'll provide technical leadership across concept development, project pursuits, modularisation, commissioning, and platform innovation, ensuring mechanical solutions are scalable, resilient, and repeatable.
What You'll Be Doing
- Platform Development: Lead design delivery, workshops, and design reviews; develop standardised mechanical architectures and cooling topologies (N, N+1, 2N, 2N+1) for hyperscale, AI, enterprise, and colocation data centres.
- Concept Engineering: Lead mechanical input on feasibility studies, customer engagements, and project pursuits; develop thermal load models and cooling capacity forecasts to support master planning and AI/high-density workload growth.
- Modularisation & Delivery: Design mechanical solutions optimised for prefabrication and industrialised delivery (skid-mounted plant, modular CHW/CRAH assemblies, packaged cooling units), driving DfMA adoption.
- Technical Assurance: Act as the mechanical authority for complex engineering challenges, supporting design reviews, root cause investigations, and commissioning/reliability programmes.
- Standards & Innovation: Own mechanical design standards and specifications; champion innovation in liquid cooling, free cooling, heat rejection, and digitalisation to support rising rack densities and AI infrastructure demands.
What We're Looking For
- SME-level mechanical engineering knowledge across chilled water systems, CRAH/CRAC units, chillers, cooling towers, air handling units, and containment strategies
- Experience with direct/indirect liquid cooling, free cooling, and heat rejection technologies for high-density and AI workloads
- Experience with control/monitoring systems (BMS/EPMS/SCADA), commissioning, and testing compliance
- 5–10 years' relevant experience, with a higher degree in Mechanical Engineering or Building Services Engineering; Chartered status preferred
- Proven track record leading concept engineering, feasibility studies, and customer engagements in hyperscale/AI data centres
- Experience with modularisation, DfMA, and operational readiness
- Proficiency in relevant mechanical/thermal modelling tools, AutoCAD, Revit, Bluebeam, and Excel
For further information please contact chris.unwin@clear-er.com
