Associate Director

Leap29; Dublin; Hybrid; EUR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Leap29 is assisting a leading international engineering consultancy in recruiting an Associate Director – Mechanical Engineering to drive growth in Dublin and Frankfurt and to lead complex data centre and mission-critical projects across Europe.

The role demands senior technical leadership, mentoring of Principal Engineers, and a strong background in HVAC, chilled water systems, resilience and critical infrastructure. Chartered Engineer status is preferred.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in Data Centres / Mission Critical environments.
• Strong mechanical engineering and building services design background.
• Proven technical leadership capability beyond pure management.
• Ability to mentor Principal Engineers and senior technical teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead delivery of complex hyperscale and mission-critical projects.
• Drive expansion and development of Dublin or Frankfurt office.
• Shape technical standards and engineering excellence across the business.
• Collaborate with internationally recognized specialists in the data centre sector.
• Provide mentoring and leadership to engineering teams and clients.

Skills

Data centre experience

Mechanical engineering

Technical leadership

Mentorship

HVAC/cooling systems

Stakeholder management

Education

Chartered Engineer (or working towards)

Job description

Associate Director – Mechanical Engineering (Data Centres)

Dublin, Ireland, Frankfurt, Germany | Permanent | Hybrid Working

Our client, a leading international engineering consultancy, is seeking an experienced Associate Director – Mechanical Engineering to help lead the growth of its Dublin and Frankfurt offices and support the delivery of major data centre and mission-critical projects across Europe.

This is a senior leadership position for a highly technical engineer who has progressed through design and project delivery into leadership. The successful candidate will act as a technical authority within the business, mentoring Principal Engineers, guiding engineering excellence, and building trusted relationships with global clients.

Key Requirements

• Extensive experience within Data Centres / Mission Critical environments.
• Strong mechanical engineering and building services design background.
• Proven technical leadership capability – not purely a management-focused profile.
• Ability to mentor and support Principal Engineers and senior technical teams.
• Deep understanding of critical cooling systems, HVAC, chilled water, resilience, and mission-critical infrastructure.
• Comfortable leading technical discussions with major global clients and stakeholders.
• Chartered Engineer (or working towards) preferred.

The Opportunity

• Lead the delivery of complex hyperscale and mission-critical projects.
• Play a key role in the expansion and development of the Dublin or Frankfurt office.
• Shape technical standards and engineering excellence across the business.
• Work alongside internationally recognised specialists in the data centre sector.
• Enjoy excellent career progression, professional development, and work-life balance.

If you're a senior mechanical engineering leader with a strong data centre background and are looking for an opportunity to influence both project delivery and business growth, we'd love to hear from you.