Principal Mechanical Engineer - Building Services

AECOM; Melbourne; Hybrid; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work

Purchased leave

Public holiday flex

Learning opportunities

Study leave

Global opportunities

Job summary

AECOM in Melbourne is seeking a seasoned Principal Mechanical Engineer to lead high-profile, multidisciplinary projects across defence and data‑centre sectors. You’ll bring technical expertise, commercial awareness and a collaborative approach to deliver complex, impactful solutions.

If you’re ready to shape major projects across Australia and mentor local and national teams while delivering design excellence, we’d love to hear from you.

Qualifications

• 10+ years experience within a Building Services consultancy, or significant senior‑level design experience in Mechanical Services.
• Strong technical design experience across HVAC and mechanical engineering.
• Demonstrated experience delivering projects within the defence and/or data‑centre sectors.
• A strong track record in client management, project delivery and stakeholder engagement.
• The ability to manage competing priorities, communicate effectively and deliver against key project deadlines.
• A Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Building Services Engineering or a related discipline.
• Strong knowledge of Australian building services projects, codes and standards, with the confidence to share your expertise with clients, colleagues and emerging engineers.

Responsibilities

• Lead mechanical design and delivery for major client projects, from concept through to completion.
• Apply your extensive design experience to deliver innovative, practical and cost-effective solutions across projects of varying size, scope and complexity.
• Participate in technical reviews and design assurance, ensuring project deliverables meet the highest standards.
• Work collaboratively within multidisciplinary engineering teams, contributing to interdisciplinary reviews and project outcomes.
• Build strong relationships with clients and stakeholders, helping to drive successful project delivery.
• Mentor and develop junior engineers, sharing your technical knowledge and supporting the growth of our local and national teams.
• Undertake quality control reviews of design calculations, drawings and technical documentation.

Skills

Mechanical design

HVAC design

Client management

Stakeholder engagement

Team mentoring

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering

Job description

Company Description

Work with Us. Change the World.

At AECOM, we're delivering a better world. Whether improving your commute, keeping the lights on, providing access to clean water, or transforming skylines, our work helps people and communities thrive. We are the world's trusted infrastructure consulting firm, partnering with clients to solve the world’s most complex challenges and build legacies for future generations.

There has never been a better time to be at AECOM. With accelerating infrastructure investment worldwide, our services are in great demand. We invite you to bring your bold ideas and big dreams and become part of a global team of over 50,000 planners, designers, engineers, scientists, digital innovators, program and construction managers and other professionals delivering projects that create a positive and tangible impact around the world.

We're one global team driven by our common purpose to deliver a better world. Join us.

Job Description

Design the future. Lead with expertise. Make an impact.

Our Buildings & Places team in Melbourne is growing, and we’re looking for an experienced Principal Mechanical Engineer to join us.

This is an exciting opportunity to take a leading role in the delivery of high-profile, multidisciplinary projects across the defence and data‑centre sectors. You’ll bring your technical expertise, commercial awareness and collaborative approach to projects that are complex, challenging and built to make a difference.

If you’re ready to take the next step in your career, work alongside some of the best in the industry and have the opportunity to shape major projects across Australia, we’d love to hear from you.

What you’ll be doing

As a Principal Mechanical Engineer, you’ll play a key role in delivering high-quality engineering solutions across a diverse portfolio of projects. Your day-to-day will include:

• Lead mechanical design and delivery for major client projects, from concept through to completion.
• Apply your extensive design experience to deliver innovative, practical and cost-effective solutions across projects of varying size, scope and complexity.
• Participate in technical reviews and design assurance, ensuring project deliverables meet the highest standards.
• Work collaboratively within multidisciplinary engineering teams, contributing to interdisciplinary reviews and project outcomes.
• Build strong relationships with clients and stakeholders, helping to drive successful project delivery.
• Mentor and develop junior engineers, sharing your technical knowledge and supporting the growth of our local and national teams.
• Undertake quality control reviews of design calculations, drawings and technical documentation.

Don’t meet every requirement? That’s okay. We value diverse experience and transferable skills, and we encourage you to apply if you believe you could be a great fit.

Due to the nature of our projects, Australian Citizenship is required. Previous or current Australian Government defence security clearance will be highly regarded.

Qualifications

What you’ll bring

We’re looking for an experienced mechanical engineer who combines strong technical capability with a collaborative, client‑focused approach.

Ideally, you’ll have:

• 10+ years experience within a Building Services consultancy, or significant senior‑level design experience in Mechanical Services.
• Strong technical design experience across HVAC and mechanical engineering.
• Demonstrated experience delivering projects within the defence and/or data‑centre sectors.
• A strong track record in client management, project delivery and stakeholder engagement.
• The ability to manage competing priorities, communicate effectively and deliver against key project deadlines.
• A Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Building Services Engineering or a related discipline.
• Strong knowledge of Australian building services projects, codes and standards, with the confidence to share your expertise with clients, colleagues and emerging engineers.

Additional Information

Why you’ll love working with us

We believe great people do their best work when they have the flexibility, support and opportunities to grow.

You’ll have access to:

• Flexible working arrangements, including hybrid work, alternative start and finish times and job sharing options.
• Up to 6 weeks of additional annual leave each year through our purchased leave program.
• Flex public holidays - swap Easter or other public holidays for days that better suit you.
• Continuous learning and development, including lunch‑and‑learns and professional development courses.
• Financial assistance for further study, plus 5 days of paid study leave.
• Global career opportunities and the chance to work on major projects with talented teams across Australia and around the world.

At AECOM, we are committed to maintaining a secure and trustworthy recruitment process and take any fraudulent hiring activity seriously. To support this commitment, all newly hired employees are required to attend an in‑person Day 1 onboarding at an AECOM office location as a condition of employment.

AECOM acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the lands on which we, our clients and our communities live and work around Australia. We pay our respects to their cultures and to their Elders — past, present, and emerging. We are committed to connecting to Country in our work through meaningful engagement with First Nations peoples and businesses. Find out more about our Australian Reconciliation Action Plan here: https://aecom.com/au/our-vision-for-reconciliation/.

About AECOM

AECOM is the world’s trusted infrastructure consulting firm, delivering professional services throughout the project lifecycle – from advisory, planning, design and engineering to program and construction management. On projects spanning transportation, buildings, water, new energy and the environment, our public- and private‑sector clients trust us to solve their most complex challenges. Our teams are driven by a common purpose to deliver a better world through our unrivaled technical and digital expertise, a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion, and a commitment to environmental, social and governance priorities. AECOM is a Fortune 500 firm and its Professional Services business had revenue of $16.1 billion in fiscal year 2025. See how we are delivering sustainable legacies for generations to come at aecom.com and @AECOM.

Freedom to Grow in a World of Opportunity

You will have the flexibility you need to do your best work with hybrid work options. Whether you’re working from an AECOM office, remote location or at a client site, you will be working in a dynamic environment where your integrity, entrepreneurial spirit and pioneering mindset are championed.

You will help us foster a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion – a safe and respectful workplace, where we invite everyone to bring their whole selves to work using their unique talents, backgrounds and expertise to create transformational outcomes for our clients.

AECOM provides a wide array of compensation and benefits programs to meet the diverse needs of our employees and their families. We also provide a robust global well‑being program. We’re the world’s trusted global infrastructure firm, and we’re in this together – your growth and success are ours too.

Join us, and you’ll get all the benefits of being a part of a global, publicly traded firm – access to industry‑leading technology and thinking and transformational work with big impact and work flexibility. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we believe in each person’s potential, and we’ll help you reach yours.