Principal Mechanical Engineer

KBR, Inc.; Newcastle City Council; Hybrid; AUD 220,000 - 300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Industry‑leading salaries

20 days annual leave + extra 13 days?

Flexible work arrangements (WFH)

Salary packaging and novated leases

Professional membership fees

Job summary

KBR, Inc. in Australia seeks a Principal Mechanical Engineer to lead the design and delivery of mechanical building services for Defence facilities.

You will mentor engineers and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams from concept through to commissioning, ensuring technical excellence and compliance with Defence requirements. The role requires deep expertise in HVAC and energy‑efficient design, with a track record of managing large, complex projects and strong stakeholder engagement with

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent required.
• Baseline Security Clearance preferred or ability to obtain one.
• Demonstrated experience in mechanical building services within Defence or government sectors.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and delivery of mechanical building services 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/heating water, building automation, and energy‑efficient design.
• Act as the lead mechanical discipline engineer on major multidisciplinary projects with compliance to Defence requirements and Australian Standards.
• Manage mechanical deliverables, resources, budgets and programme requirements to achieve successful outcomes.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with Defence clients, project stakeholders, contractors and external consultants.
• Prepare and review technical reports, specifications, calculations and design documentation.
• Mentor and support engineers, designers and graduates in technical development and best practice.
• Collaborate with electrical, civil, structural and other disciplines to deliver integrated solutions.

Skills

Mechanical building services

HVAC design

Defence & security standards

Stakeholder engagement

Project leadership

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Chartered Engineer (CPEng) eligibility

Job description

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.

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.

Benefits include:

• 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

Our people are the heart of everything we do. We are dedicated to creating work environments in which every member of our team of teams feels safe, supported, respected, trusted and valued, and where each person is given opportunities to belong, connect and grow.