Principal Mechanical Engineer

AECOM; Croydon; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

AECOM in Croydon is seeking a Principal Mechanical Engineer to lead MEP and multi-disciplinary teams on UK/Europe projects. This role requires strong communication with clients and architects, and hands-on design and mentoring for junior engineers.

You will oversee heating, cooling, ventilation and control systems, with familiarity in Revit BIM workflows. Expect travel within the South East and occasional broader UK activity.

Qualifications

• Degree in mechanical or building services engineering, Chartered preferred.
• Minimum of 6 years of experience in mechanical building services design.
• Experience with heating and cooling pipework systems, ventilation and control systems.
• Experience leading multi-disciplinary design teams and liaising with clients and architects.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and manage small project teams.
• Serve as discipline Lead engineer on mid- to large-size projects.
• Provide technical input to studies and design for staff.
• Provide technical direction for studies and design efforts.
• Present technical solutions to clients.
• Perform quality control reviews of work by junior engineers.
• Participate in development of technical proposals.
• Provide estimates for engineering budget and schedule; oversee resources on large projects.
• Attend design team and coordination meetings as required.
• Input to pre-qualification and selection of contractors; respond to tender queries.
• Attend tender interviews and site inspection meetings.
• Liaise with Architects, Cost Consultants and other Design Consultants.
• Identify and meet client requirements.
• Be familiar with BIM design process and lead projects designed in Revit.

Skills

Leadership

MEP design

Communication

Project management

Mentoring

Education

Degree in mechanical/building services

Tools

Autodesk Revit

BIM software

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

Job Summary:

Our Building Services team are seeking a Principal Mechanical Engineer to join the Building Services Design Consultant Engineering team based in our Croydon office to lead MEP and multi-disciplinary teams on small and medium sized projects, lead the mechanical discipline on large projects, and to provide technical training and mentoring to junior engineers.

About the role:

We are seeking an enthusiastic self‑motivated person who has excellent written and verbal communication skills and who wants to make a difference in the mechanical field of building services as well as being involved with all other disciplines. We are specifically looking to appoint a Principal Mechanical Engineer who has knowledge and experience in relevant areas, is familiar working closely with clients & Architects to deliver major UK, European & Worldwide projects.

We are seeking an enthusiastic self‑motivated person who has excellent written and verbal communication skills and who wants to make a difference in the mechanical engineering field of building services as well as being involved with all other disciplines. We are specifically looking to appoint a mechanical engineer who has a minimum of 6 years of experience in mechanical building services design, is familiar working closely with clients & Architects to deliver major UK, European & Worldwide projects. Design experience and knowledge is required for heating and cooling pipework systems, ventilation systems and control systems. We have a number of in‑house digital tools which the engineer will be trained to use. Experience in using building services engineering software, Autodesk Revit, and the ability to train junior engineers are all essential.

About the Office & team:

The Croydon MEP team currently consists of approx. 16 engineers, with the intention of growing over the next few years.

The team works very closely with our St Albans and London offices and the candidate may be required to work in these offices from time to time and resources being shared both ways to ensure teams are supported when needed.

The Croydon office MEP team have an established track record of successfully delivering local and regional projects. Some of our flagship work in recent years include;

No 1 Knightsbridge, One Braham, Sackville House, Lots Road Powerhouse, London Ambulance Services South London 11 Control Centre; Tower Bridge; London Power Tunnel 2; Snowdonia VIP Cable Tunnel to name but a few. We are also working on a number of public and private sector decarbonisation schemes.

Job Responsibilities:

• Co‑ordinate and manage small project teams on small projects
• Serve as discipline Lead engineer on mid‑to large‑ size projects
• Provide specialised technical input to studies and design for staff's specific area of expertise
• Provide technical direction for studies and design efforts
• Present technical solutions to clients
• Perform quality control reviews of work developed by junior engineers
• Participate in development of technical proposals
• Provide estimates for the engineering budget and schedule and oversees technical resources to meet requirements on large projects
• Attend design team and coordination meetings where required.
• Input to pre‑qualification and selection of contractors, respond to tender queries, comment and review tender returns.
• Attend tender interviews with the project manager. Attend site inspection meetings.
• Obtain the necessary information both internally and externally from Architects, Cost Consultants and other Design Consultants for the design to proceed.
• Liaise with clients, professional organizations, contractors, suppliers, sub‑contractors and other design team members.
• Identify and meet effectively the requirements and expectations of clients.
• Be familiar with the BIM design process and be capable of leading projects designed in Revit

Minimum Requirements:

• Work experience within a similar consultancy or other relevant business
• Willingness to travel to clients and sites across the South East of England and occasionally further afield
• Be able to regularly base yourself within the AECOM Croydon office in order to ensure face‑to‑face contact time with your team
• A strong technical understanding of building services
• The ability to work accurately, independently and efficiently, and to take ownership of projects
• Effective communication skills and be a team worker
• Significant track record of leading multi‑disciplinary design teams on multiple projects simultaneously
• Experience in project and client management within a defined fee budget and program, including managing team resources and interfacing with other disciplines
• Mentoring and support skills for the engineers and technicians in the team
• Experience in identifying and winning new work and building client relationships
• Ability to speak fluently and communicate effectively in written reports and oral presentations

Qualifications

Degree educated in mechanical or building services engineering or related discipline, ideally Chartered or at least with qualifications leading to this.

Existing BPSS or SC preferred

Sole UK National preferred

Additional Information

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.

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 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, benefits and well‑being programs to meet the diverse needs of our employees and their families. 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.

We are a Disability Confident Employer and will offer an interview to applicants who have a disability or long‑term condition, who meet the minimum/essential criteria for the role.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Work Location Model: Hybrid