Principal Mechanical Engineer

Black & White Engineering; Manchester; On-site; GBP 85,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Technical leadership

High-profile projects

Project influence

Professional development

Mentoring opportunities

Collaborative culture

Job summary

Black & White Engineering is recruiting a Principal Mechanical Engineer to lead the mechanical building services design for cutting-edge data centre projects. You will shape cooling and HVAC strategies, mentor engineers and drive technical excellence across international deployments.

You will influence key design decisions, coordinate with multidisciplinary teams and external stakeholders, and set the standard for energy-efficient, reliable infrastructure.

Qualifications

• Strong mechanical engineering design experience in building services or mission-critical environments.
• Expertise in cooling, HVAC design, and mechanical building infrastructure.
• Ability to lead technical delivery and provide design assurance.
• Experience coordinating with multidisciplinary teams and external stakeholders.
• Strong understanding of standards, quality requirements and best practices.
• Ability to mentor junior and intermediate engineers.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical delivery on complex data centre projects.
• Provide design assurance across mechanical systems.
• Coordinate with multidisciplinary teams and external stakeholders.
• Mentor and develop junior engineers.
• Influence design decisions and energy-efficient solutions.

Skills

Mechanical design

HVAC design

Cooling systems

Leadership

Mentoring

Stakeholder coordination

Standards compliance

Tools

BIM

Job description

Shape complex mechanical solutions for some of the world's most advanced data centre projects. As a Principal Mechanical Engineer, you will play a leading technical role in the delivery of major data centre developments, providing expertise across mechanical building services design and engineering. You'll influence key design decisions, support project teams and help ensure the highest standards of technical excellence across a growing portfolio of international projects.

Working across the full project lifecycle, you'll contribute to the design and coordination of critical cooling and HVAC systems, plant selection strategies and energy-efficient solutions. You'll collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, mentor engineers and help drive consistent engineering quality across multiple projects.

What's in it for you

• Technical leadership
• High-profile projects
• Project influence
• Professional development
• Mentoring opportunities
• Collaborative culture

In addition, you will also join a community that focuses on learning and development through regular knowledge-sharing sessions and investment in accredited professional courses. You can set the pace for your own development, and whatever path you choose, you will receive the right support.

Essential Skills & Experience

• Strong mechanical engineering design experience within building services or mission-critical environments
• Expertise in cooling systems, HVAC design and mechanical building infrastructure
• Ability to lead technical delivery and provide design assurance on complex projects
• Experience coordinating with multidisciplinary engineering teams and external stakeholders
• Strong understanding of engineering standards, quality requirements and best practice
• Ability to mentor and support the development of junior and intermediate engineers

About Black & White Engineering

Black & White Engineering is a multi-award-winning engineering consultancy with more than 1,300 employees across the UK, Europe, Middle East, Asia Pacific and North America.

We specialise in the full spectrum of engineering design consultancy for the data centre sector, including Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing (MEP), Civil & Structural, Design Management, Sustainability, BIM, Power Systems and other infrastructure-related services.

Our engineering approach is grounded in practicality, technical excellence and operational efficiency. With rapid growth across regions, many colleagues have progressed from engineering roles into leadership positions — your future development is supported and recognised.

Ready to lead the delivery of world-class mechanical engineering solutions?