Senior Mechanical Engineer

Reade Recruitment; Southampton; On-site; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A recruitment agency seeks a Senior MEP Engineer to spearhead the delivery of crucial data centre projects in the UK. The ideal candidate will have over a decade of experience in MEP systems for mission-critical environments, ensuring compliance, coordinating design stages, and managing procurement. Responsibilities include leading complex commissioning efforts and maintaining strong relationships with stakeholders. This role promises competitive compensation and career growth opportunities in a dynamic sector.

Benefits

Competitive salary and benefits package

Long-term career progression

Opportunity to work on high-profile projects

Qualifications

• 10+ years’ experience in MEP delivery on mission-critical or complex infrastructure projects.
• Proven experience delivering data centres or equivalent high-reliability environments.
• Experience managing complex commissioning and integrated systems testing.

Responsibilities

• Lead all MEP aspects of data centre projects including power distribution and cooling strategies.
• Manage and coordinate MEP consultants throughout all design stages.
• Oversee MEP procurement strategies and monitor construction progress.
• Lead commissioning, ensuring systems are validated and handed over.
• Act as a technical interface between clients, contractors, and operators.

Skills

10+ years’ experience in MEP delivery

Proven experience delivering data centres

Strong understanding of electrical and mechanical systems

Excellent stakeholder management skills

Experience managing complex commissioning

Education

Degree in Mechanical, Electrical, or Building Services Engineering

Chartered Engineer status (CEng / PE)

Job description

Job Title

Senior MEP Engineer / Senior MEP Manager – Data Centres

Location

Flexible / Project-based (depending on portfolio)

Reports To

Project Director / Technical Director

Role Overview

We are seeking an experienced Senior MEP professional to lead the mechanical, electrical, and public health (MEP) delivery of large-scale data centre developments. This role is critical to ensuring mission‑critical infrastructure is designed, coordinated, and delivered to the highest standards of reliability, resilience, and efficiency.

The successful candidate will provide technical leadership across the full project lifecycle — from concept and early‑stage design through procurement, construction, commissioning, and handover — working closely with clients, designers, contractors, and operations teams.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Leadership

• Lead all MEP aspects of data centre projects, including power distribution, UPS systems, generators, cooling strategies, BMS, fire systems, and resilience architecture.
• Ensure compliance with relevant codes, standards, and best practices (e.g. TIA-942, EN, IEC, ASHRAE, Uptime Institute principles).
• Review and challenge MEP designs to achieve optimal availability, redundancy, and energy efficiency (PUE).

Design Management

• Manage and coordinate MEP consultants throughout concept, schematic, detailed design, and IFC stages.
• Drive design decisions related to topology (N, N+1, 2N), scalability, and future expansion.
• Ensure full multidisciplinary coordination with structural, architectural, and civil teams.

Delivery & Construction

• Oversee MEP procurement strategies, including early contractor involvement and long‑lead equipment.
• Monitor construction progress, quality, and compliance with specifications.
• Resolve complex technical issues and manage change efficiently.

Commissioning & Handover

• Lead and coordinate Level 1–5 commissioning, IST, and integrated testing activities.
• Ensure systems are fully validated, documented, and handed over in line with client and operator requirements.
• Support operational readiness and smooth transition to facilities management.

Stakeholder & Commercial Management

• Act as a key technical interface between client, funders, contractors, and operators.
• Provide input into budgets, programmes, risk registers, and value‑engineering exercises (without compromising resilience).
• Support technical due diligence for acquisitions or new site developments.

Skills & Experience

Essential

• 10+ years’ experience in MEP delivery on mission‑critical or complex infrastructure projects.
• Proven experience delivering data centres, hyperscale facilities, or equivalent high‑reliability environments.
• Strong understanding of electrical and mechanical systems for high‑density loads.
• Experience managing complex commissioning and integrated systems testing.
• Excellent stakeholder management and leadership skills.

Desirable

• Degree in Mechanical, Electrical, or Building Services Engineering (or equivalent).
• Chartered Engineer status (CEng / PE or equivalent).
• Experience working with hyperscale, colocation, or edge data centre operators.
• Exposure to sustainability strategies, energy efficiency, and low‑carbon solutions.

Personal Attributes

• Decisive and technically confident, with a calm approach under pressure.
• Commercially aware, with a strong understanding of risk and programme drivers.
• Detail‑oriented yet capable of taking a big‑picture, system‑level view.
• Comfortable working in fast‑paced environments with demanding clients.

What We Offer

• Opportunity to work on high‑profile, critical infrastructure projects.
• Competitive salary and benefits package.
• Long‑term career progression within a growing data centre delivery platform.
• Exposure to end‑to‑end development, from greenfield sites to live environments.