MEP Associate Director (Data Centre Background)

Candu Energy; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 600,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Tax-free salary

Life insurance coverage

Medical insurance

Annual leave balance

Company gratuity scheme

Discretionary bonus program

Annual flight contribution

Transportation & housing allowances

Employee Wellbeing Program

Job summary

AtkinsRéalis seeks an experienced MEP Associate Director to lead planning, design, delivery, and operational oversight of MEP systems for mission-critical data centre projects. You will drive technical excellence, ensure reliability, and manage diverse teams across disciplines to deliver complex developments on time and within budget.

You will provide strategic leadership for mechanical, electrical, and fire protection systems, guide design reviews, manage risks, and promote sustainability and

Qualifications

• 15+ years of MEP engineering experience with data centre delivery.
• Proven leadership of MEP teams on hyperscale or Tier III/IV projects.
• Strong knowledge of Uptime Institute, TIA-942, ASHRAE, NFPA, IEEE/IEC standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead MEP design, engineering, and delivery for data centre projects.
• Provide strategic direction and technical leadership across MEP systems.
• Oversee design review, coordination, and integration of MEP systems.
• Ensure designs meet reliability, uptime, and performance requirements.
• Manage multidisciplinary teams, consultants, and contractors.
• Drive project execution from concept through handover.
• Review technical specs, drawings, and calculations.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory standards and sustainability goals.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Executive communication

Analytical thinking

Decision making

Mentoring

Project management

Team building

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering or Electrical/Building Services Engineering

Master's Degree in Engineering, PM or Business Administration preferred

Tools

DCIM platforms

BMS software

Job description

Overview

We are seeking an experienced MEP Associate Director to lead the planning, design, delivery, and operational oversight of Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) systems for mission-critical data centre projects. The role will be responsible for driving technical excellence, ensuring system reliability and scalability, managing multidisciplinary teams, and delivering complex data centre developments in accordance with industry standards, budget, and schedule requirements.

Your role

• Lead MEP design, engineering, and delivery for hyperscale, colocation, and enterprise data centre projects.
• Provide strategic direction and technical leadership across mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection systems.
• Oversee the design review, coordination, and integration of MEP systems throughout project lifecycles.
• Ensure MEP designs meet reliability, redundancy, uptime, performance, and operational requirements.
• Manage multidisciplinary engineering teams, consultants, and contractors.
• Drive project execution from concept design through construction, commissioning, and handover.
• Review and approve technical specifications, drawings, calculations, and engineering deliverables.
• Ensure compliance with Uptime Institute, TIA-942, ASHRAE, NFPA, IEC, and local regulatory requirements.
• Lead value engineering initiatives to optimize cost, efficiency, sustainability, and operational performance.
• Support site selection, due diligence, capacity planning, and infrastructure strategy development.
• Oversee commissioning, integrated systems testing (IST), and operational readiness programs.
• Manage project risks and develop mitigation plans for technical and operational challenges.
• Coordinate with architecture, structural, civil, ICT, and operations teams to ensure successful project delivery.
• Drive sustainability initiatives, including energy efficiency, water conservation, and PUE optimization.
• Monitor project budgets, schedules, resource allocation, and performance metrics.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with clients, stakeholders, regulatory authorities, and service providers.
• Support procurement activities, vendor evaluations, and contractor performance management.
• Lead technical audits, design reviews, and quality assurance processes.
• Mentor and develop engineering teams while promoting best practices and continuous improvement.
• Serve as a senior technical advisor for business development, bids, proposals, and client presentations.

About you

• Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Building Services Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Master's Degree in Engineering, Project Management, or Business Administration preferred.
• 15+ years of experience in MEP engineering, with significant experience delivering data centre or mission-critical infrastructure projects.
• Proven experience leading MEP teams on hyperscale, colocation, enterprise, or Tier III/Tier IV data centre developments.
• Strong expertise in: Electrical power distribution systems
• UPS and backup power systems
• Generators and fuel systems
• HVAC and cooling infrastructure
• Chillers, cooling towers, and CRAH/CRAC systems
• Plumbing and water management systems
• Fire detection and suppression systems
• Building Management Systems (BMS)
• Data Centre Infrastructure Management (DCIM) platforms
• Extensive knowledge of data centre redundancy concepts (N, N+1, 2N, 2N+1).
• Experience in design management, project delivery, commissioning, and operational readiness.
• Strong understanding of data centre standards and best practices, including: Uptime Institute Tier Standards
• TIA-942
• ASHRAE Guidelines
• NFPA Standards
• IEEE and IEC Standards
• Experience managing large-scale capital projects, budgets, and engineering resources.
• Demonstrated expertise in stakeholder management, client engagement, and executive-level communication.
• Strong leadership, team-building, and mentoring capabilities.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Experience working with international consultants, contractors, and global project teams.
• Knowledge of sustainability frameworks, ESG principles, LEED certifications, and energy-efficiency initiatives.
• Ability to manage multiple complex projects in fast-paced, mission-critical environments.

Rewards & benefits

• Tax-free salary.
• Life insurance coverage.
• Medical insurance.
• Annual leave balance.
• Company gratuity scheme.
• Discretionary bonus program.
• Annual flight contribution.
• Transportation & housing allowances.
• Employee Wellbeing Program: 24/7 access to specialists in finance, legal matters, family care, personal health, fitness, and nutrition.

About AtkinsRéalis

We're AtkinsRéalis, a world-class engineering services and nuclear organization. We