MEP Project Manager

DCS Engineering; Cardiff; On-site; GBP 54,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

DCS Engineering is seeking an experienced MEP Project Manager to lead major data centre projects across Europe. You will manage mechanical, electrical and public health packages from pre-construction to handover, coordinating with clients, consultants, and main contractors.

Ideal candidates have 5+ years in MEP PM, strong contractor management, and familiarity with European standards and IST commissioning. Occasional European travel is required alongside Cardiff base.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years' experience in MEP project management on large/complex projects.
• Deliver data centre/mission-critical projects and coordinate across Europe.
• Experience with MV/LV, UPS, generators and chilled water systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead MEP activities from design through commissioning and handover.
• Oversee MEP contractors and vendors delivering HVAC, electrical, fire protection and ELV systems.
• Ensure safety, programme, budget and quality compliance on projects.
• Coordinate design documentation and IST commissioning strategies.

Skills

MEP project management

stakeholder management

contractor oversight

communication skills

multisite coordination

Education

Degree in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering

Tools

Primavera P6

MS Project

BMS/SCADA systems

Job description

• Location: Cardiff (Occasional European Travel)
• Contract: Permanent
• Salary: Up to £90,00 (DOE)

About the Role

We are recruiting an experienced MEP Project Manager to support the delivery of major mission-critical data centre projects across Europe.

The successful candidate will take responsibility for the delivery of mechanical, electrical and public health (MEP) packages from pre-construction and design coordination through installation, commissioning and handover.

This is a technically demanding role requiring strong MEP project management experience, excellent contractor and stakeholder management skills, and previous experience working within data centre or other mission-critical environments.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage MEP activities across data centre projects from design through to commissioning and handover.
• Oversee MEP contractors, subcontractors and specialist vendors delivering mechanical, electrical, BMS, fire protection and ELV systems.
• Ensure works are delivered safely, on programme, within budget and to the required quality standards.
• Monitor progress against project programmes and implement mitigation measures where required.
• Manage MEP change control and associated commercial impacts.
• Review and coordinate MEP design documentation, including HVAC, UPS, generators, MV/LV distribution, cooling, containment and fire protection systems.
• Oversee the installation, integration, testing and commissioning of mission-critical systems.
• Support and drive commissioning strategies, including Integrated Systems Testing (IST).
• Act as a key interface between clients, consultants, main contractors and MEP subcontractors.
• Chair technical coordination meetings and resolve design and installation interface issues.
• Provide regular reporting on programme, risk, cost and quality.
• Ensure compliance with relevant European standards, regulations and HSE requirements.
• Identify project risks and implement appropriate mitigation strategies.
• Support QA/QC processes and ensure project documentation is maintained to the required standards.

Candidates should have:

• Minimum 5 years' experience in MEP Project Management, ideally within large-scale or technically complex projects.
• Proven experience delivering data centre, mission-critical or similarly complex MEP projects.
• Previous experience working on projects within European markets.
• Strong understanding of mechanical and electrical building services.
• Experience with MV/LV systems, UPS and generator systems.
• Strong knowledge of chilled water and air-cooled systems, including CRAH/CRAC units.
• Experience with BMS / SCADA systems.
• Understanding of fire detection and suppression systems.
• Strong commissioning, testing and handover experience.
• Experience managing multiple contractors and specialist subcontractors.
• Strong understanding of programme, commercial, risk and quality management.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.

Qualifications & Experience

• Degree qualified in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Building Services Engineering or a related discipline.
• Experience working on Tier III / Tier IV or other mission-critical facilities would be highly desirable.
• Previous experience with Integrated Systems Testing (IST) would be advantageous.
• Familiarity with Uptime Institute standards would be advantageous.
• Experience working with FIDIC contracts or equivalent European construction frameworks would be beneficial.
• Proficiency with project management software such as Primavera P6 or MS Project.
• Strong written and verbal English communication skills; additional European languages would be advantageous.