Principal Mechanical Engineer

Aldwych Consulting; Leeds; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

9-day fortnight

Hybrid working

25 days leave

Private medical cover

EV salary sacrifice

Stock options

Professional development

Networking groups

Career progression

Job summary

Aldwych Consulting seeks a Principal Mechanical Engineer to lead complex data centre and mission critical projects from Leeds with hybrid working. You will manage mechanical design from concept to completion, coordinating with internal teams and external consultants to ensure high technical and commercial standards.

The role requires substantial experience in building services, data centres, and leading multidisciplinary projects, plus strong client-facing and stakeholder management abilities.

Qualifications

• Strong technical knowledge of mechanical/building services engineering.
• Significant experience delivering complex Data Centre projects.
• Experience leading design teams and multidisciplinary projects.
• Strong client-facing and stakeholder management skills.
• Commercial awareness, including project cost and risk management.
• Excellent communication and organisational skills.
• Chartered status, or a clear pathway towards chartership, would be advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Lead the mechanical design delivery of significant and complex projects.
• Take ownership of technical quality, design objectives and project delivery.
• Establish and manage design briefs with clients and project stakeholders.
• Lead and coordinate multidisciplinary design teams.
• Manage, prioritise and support project engineers and specialist teams.
• Represent the consultancy at client and project meetings.
• Build and maintain strong client relationships.
• Identify potential project and procurement risks and support commercially successful delivery.
• Ensure designs and deliverables meet the required technical, quality and programme standards.

Skills

Mechanical/building services

Data Centre experience

Project leadership

Client management

Cost & risk management

Communication skills

Multi-priority management

Tools

Revit

Navisworks

AutoCAD

Job description

Principal Mechanical Engineer - Data Centre & Mission Critical Leeds | Hybrid Working | 9-Day Fortnight

I'm currently working with a leading engineering consultancy that is looking to appoint a Principal Mechanical Engineer to join its growing Data Centre & Mission Critical team in Leeds.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced mechanical/building services engineer to take a senior technical and project leadership position, working on some of the most complex and technically demanding projects across the UK, Ireland and Europe.

The Opportunity

You’ll take a leading role in the delivery of major Data Centre and Mission Critical projects, overseeing mechanical design from initial concept through to completion. The role offers exposure to a broad range of technically challenging environments, including:

• Data centres and critical facilities
• Live plant upgrades
• Data halls and close-control environments
• Financial-sector and trading-floor environments
• Critical engineering infrastructure
• Due diligence and assessment of existing facilities

As Principal Engineer, you’ll act as a key technical point of contact for clients and project teams. You’ll lead internal design teams, coordinate with other disciplines and external consultants, and ensure projects are delivered to a high technical and commercial standard.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the mechanical design delivery of significant and complex projects.
• Take ownership of technical quality, design objectives and project delivery.
• Establish and manage design briefs with clients and project stakeholders.
• Lead and coordinate multidisciplinary design teams.
• Manage, prioritise and support project engineers and specialist teams.
• Represent the consultancy at client and project meetings.
• Build and maintain strong client relationships.
• Identify potential project and procurement risks and support commercially successful delivery.
• Ensure designs and deliverables meet the required technical, quality and programme standards.

What We're Looking For

You’ll ideally be an experienced Senior/Principal Mechanical Engineer with a strong background in building services and demonstrable experience within the Data Centre or Mission Critical sector. We’re particularly interested in candidates who can demonstrate:

• Strong technical knowledge of mechanical/building services engineering.
• Significant experience delivering complex Data Centre projects.
• Experience leading design teams and multidisciplinary projects.
• Strong client-facing and stakeholder management skills.
• Commercial awareness, including project cost and risk management.
• Excellent communication and organisational skills.
• The ability to manage multiple priorities and demanding project programmes.
• Experience with Revit, Navisworks and AutoCAD.
• Chartered status, or a clear pathway towards chartership, would be advantageous.
• A genuine interest in developing others and sharing technical expertise.

Benefits & Package

The role comes with a strong overall benefits package designed to support both career development and work-life balance, including:

• 9-day fortnight - giving you a regular additional day off while maintaining your full-time role.
• Hybrid and flexible working arrangements.
• 25 days' annual leave, increasing with length of service.
• Private medical cover.
• Electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme.
• Stock/share options.
• Extensive professional and technical development opportunities.
• Opportunities to get involved in a range of community, networking and social groups.
• A supportive environment focused on career progression, technical development and employee wellbeing.

Why Consider It?

This is more than a pure design position. It’s an opportunity to take technical ownership of major mission-critical projects, work directly with high-profile clients and play a key role in the continued growth of a specialist Data Centre team.

You’ll be joining a highly experienced and collaborative engineering environment, with opportunities to work on technically challenging projects across the UK and internationally.

The 9-day fortnight, hybrid working and strong benefits package make this particularly attractive for an experienced engineer looking for a senior position that offers both technical challenge and a good work-life balance.

Aldwych Consulting values diversity and promotes equality. No terminology in this advert is intended to discriminate against any of the protected characteristics that fall under the Equality Act 2010. We encourage and welcome applications from all sections of society and are happy to discuss reasonable adjustments and/or additional arrangements as required to support your application.

Candidates must be eligible to live and work in the UK.

For the purposes of the Conduct Regulations 2003, when advertising permanent vacancies we are acting as an Employment Agency, and when advertising temporary/contract vacancies we are acting as an Employment Business.