Principal Mechanical Engineer

KBR Careers; Adelaide; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Industry leading salaries

20 Days annual leave

Flexible work arrangements

Salary packaging

Paid professional membership fees

Life/Health insurance discounts

Employee stock purchase plans

Paid parental leave

Career development plans

Growth and promotion opportunities

Job summary

KBR, Inc in Australia seeks a Principal Mechanical Engineer to provide technical leadership and deliver mechanical building services for Defence and secure infrastructure projects. You will lead design from concept to construction, mentor engineers, and ensure compliance with Australian Standards and Defence requirements.

The role requires deep HVAC expertise, energy-efficient design, and strong stakeholder engagement.

Qualifications

• Deep expertise in mechanical building services design and HVAC
• Strong ability to lead multidisciplinary teams on Defence infrastructure projects
• Experience delivering complex mechanical systems in mission-critical environments

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and delivery of mechanical building services across Defence and secure infrastructure projects, from concept through to construction
• Provide technical leadership for HVAC, ventilation, chilled and heating water systems, and building automation interfaces
• Act as the lead mechanical discipline engineer on major multidisciplinary projects with focus on quality and Defence compliance
• Manage mechanical deliverables, resources, budgets, and programme requirements
• Develop and maintain relationships with Defence clients, project stakeholders, and external consultants
• Prepare and review technical reports, specifications, calculations, and design documentation
• Mentor engineers and graduates to foster technical development and best practices
• Collaborate with electrical, civil, structural, hydraulic, and other disciplines to deliver integrated solutions

Skills

Mechanical building services

HVAC design

Project leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Chartered Engineer (CPEng)

Job description

Title: Principal Mechanical Engineer

Who we are? KBR’s Infrastructure Solutions business employs over 1,400 people across Australia. Our strong project delivery record, industry reputation and trusted partnerships have driven significant growth, creating outstanding career development and project opportunities for our people. We’re known for our collaborative “One Team” culture and our commitment to working closely with clients and construction partners to achieve exceptional results. Our open, inclusive environment ensures people are valued, supported and able to thrive. By joining KBR, you become part of a team that works together, shares common values and is united in delivering great outcomes.

We are seeking an experienced Principal Mechanical Engineer to provide technical leadership and deliver innovative mechanical building services solutions across a diverse portfolio of AUKUS-related infrastructure projects. As a senior member of our Building Services team, you will lead the design and delivery of mechanical systems for complex Defence facilities, working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams from concept development through to construction and commissioning. This role combines technical excellence, project leadership, and client engagement, requiring a strong understanding of mechanical building services systems, Defence project requirements, and the delivery of complex infrastructure projects. You will play a key role in mentoring engineers, ensuring high-quality project outcomes, and building trusted relationships with both internal and external clients and key stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design and delivery of mechanical building services solutions across Defence and secure infrastructure projects, from concept through to detailed design and construction support.
• Provide technical leadership for mechanical systems including HVAC, ventilation, chilled and heating water systems, building automation interfaces, specialist Defence facility services, and energy‑efficient design solutions.
• Act as the lead mechanical discipline engineer on major multidisciplinary projects, ensuring technical excellence, quality, and compliance with Defence requirements, Australian Standards, and relevant project specifications.
• Manage mechanical project deliverables, resources, budgets, and programme requirements to achieve successful project outcomes.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with Defence clients, project stakeholders, contractors, and external consultants.
• Prepare and review technical reports, specifications, calculations, design documentation, and engineering assessments.
• Mentor and support engineers, designers, and graduates, fostering technical development and engineering best practice.
• Collaborate with electrical, civil, structural, hydraulic, and other specialist disciplines to deliver integrated and practical engineering solutions.

Ideal Experience

The ideal candidate will bring deep expertise in mechanical building services design, a passion for solving complex engineering challenges, and experience delivering projects within Defence, government, or other mission‑critical environments. Extensive experience delivering mechanical building services projects within ideally the Defence market, however we would also consider experience across government, infrastructure, transport, health, or other complex built environment sectors. Proven experience working within multidisciplinary project teams and managing technical delivery on large‑scale projects. Strong knowledge of mechanical building services systems, HVAC design principles, and Defence infrastructure requirements. Experience delivering projects involving complex mechanical systems, sustainability outcomes, and technically challenging operational environments. Excellent stakeholder engagement, communication, and project management skills. Ideally holds a Baseline Security Clearance, or has the ability to obtain and maintain one. Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering (or equivalent). Chartered Engineer (CPEng) or the ability to obtain chartership.

Benefits

• Industry leading salaries reviewed annually.
• 20 Days of annual leave per year + the ability to accrue an additional 8 hours every 4 weeks (33 days in total)
• Flexible work arrangements (start/finish times, WFH, Flex time)
• Salary packaging and novated leases
• Paid professional membership fees
• Life/Health insurance discounts
• Employee stock purchase plans
• Paid parental leave
• Personal career development plans
• Growth and promotion opportunities

Why KBR?

https://kbr.foleon.com/is-australia/who-we-are/who-we-are This position gives you the opportunity to continue KBR's success in delivering major Defence, Transport and Infrastructure projects. At KBR, we value you – here’s how. While our people are busy delivering leading science, technology, and engineering solutions, we’re committed to providing them with a supportive, trusting environment and benefits that enable them to thrive and continue doing what they do best.

KBR — Delivering Solutions, Changing the World. KBR brings together the best and brightest to deliver science, technology and engineering solutions that help governments and companies around the world accomplish their most critical missions and objectives. In everything we do, we are guided by our ONE KBR Values: We Value Our People – We create diverse, inclusive environments in which each person can feel safe, respected and valued, and where everyone has opportunities to grow and reach their full potential. We Deliver – We are uncompromising in our commitment to deliver innovative, high-quality, technology‑led solutions for our customers and exceptional, sustainable value for all our stakeholders. We Are People of Integrity – We value honesty, trust, courage, fairness, prudence and tenacity. We believe doing what’s right for the planet, the communities where we work, and our people is good for business. We Empower – We empower our people with a shared purpose, the right tools and the supportive culture they need to be proactive decision-makers, to be adaptive to change, and to succeed. We Are a Team of Teams – We have a will to succeed, but we value the achievements of our team of teams over individual accomplishments. Our collective focus makes us a better, stronger, more effective company. We have also embedded environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles in every business operation and corporate function. Not only are we committed to operating safely, sustainably and equitably, but we are also committed to using our capabilities and expertise to help our customers accomplish their sustainability goals. Worldwide, KBR employs a diverse workforce approximately 29,000 people strong, with customers in more than 80 countries and operations in 40 countries. At KBR, We Deliver.

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