Senior Project Engineer – Mechanical, Data Centre Retrofit

Jobtailor; Dublin; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Jobtailor is seeking an experienced mechanical engineer to lead the design and delivery of upgrades in live data centre environments. You will manage retrofit strategies, tie-ins to live systems, outages, and resilience planning while overseeing technical due diligence and tender documentation.

With 8+ years in building services and chartered status, you will drive multi-million-euro MEP projects, liaise with hyperscale clients, and mentor junior staff, contributing to proposals and strategic

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering.
• Chartered Engineer status or working towards Chartership.
• 8+ years in building services engineering, 3+ years in data centre/mission-critical projects.
• Experience in live, brownfield data centre upgrades and phased refurbishments.
• Proven track record managing multi-million-euro MEP projects from concept to completion.
• Strong knowledge of Irish/EU building regulations; LEED/BREEAM is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and delivery of mechanical building services upgrades in live data centre environments.
• Develop retrofit strategies including tie-ins to live systems and outage planning.
• Conduct technical due diligence of facilities and capacity unlock assessments.
• Prepare design drawings, schematics, schedules, reports and tender docs.
• Manage scope, budget, programme and contracts; mitigate risks in live environments.
• Liaise with clients, contractors and vendors to achieve goals with zero disruption.
• Drive QA and governance across projects per live-environment protocols.
• Mentor junior engineers and support development within retrofit workstream.
• Support business development through proposals and client presentations.
• Champion innovation in retrofit delivery models and continuous improvement.
• Lead phasing strategy for live cooling and HVAC upgrades.

Skills

Project Management

Client Liaison

Team Mentoring

Quality Assurance

Education

Bachelor's or Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering

Chartered Engineer Status

Tools

AutoCAD

Revit MEP

Bluebeam

Microsoft Office

IES/HAP

Job description

• Lead the design and delivery of mechanical building services upgrades within live data centre environments, including M&E upgrades, capacity increases, technology refreshes, phased refurbishments, and lifecycle replacements.


• Develop and manage retrofit-specified design strategies, including tie-ins to live systems, redundancy planning, outage and staging strategies, and resilience design.


• Conduct or oversee technical due diligence of existing data centre facilities, including capacity unlock assessments (power, cooling, and white space).


• Prepare and review detailed design drawings, schematics, schedules, technical reports, and tender documentation.


• Manage project scope, budget, programme, and contracts - identifying and mitigating scope creep, risks, and live-environment constraints.


• Liaise directly with clients (hyperscale, colocation, and enterprise operators), contractors, and vendors to ensure project goals are achieved with zero operational disruption.


• Drive quality assurance and governance across all assigned projects, adhering to WAP/PTW protocols in live environments.


• Mentor and support the development of junior engineers and graduate staff within the retrofit workstream.


• Support business development by contributing to proposals, client presentations, and technical strategies for retrofit opportunities across EMEA.


• Champion innovation in live-environment engineering and contribute to the continuous improvement of Ethos' retrofit delivery model.


• Lead phasing strategy for live cooling and HVAC upgrades, ensuring continuity of critical mechanical infrastructure throughout delivery.

Requirements

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline.


• Minimum 8 years' experience in building services engineering, with at least 3 years focused on data centre or mission-critical projects.


• Demonstrable experience working in live, operational data centre environments - including brownfield upgrades, M&E replacements, or phased refurbishments.


• Chartered Engineer status (or actively working towards Chartership) with Engineers Ireland or equivalent.


• Proven track record managing multi-million-euro MEP projects from concept to completion.


• Strong understanding of Irish and EU building regulations; knowledge of LEED/BREEAM and the EU Energy Efficiency Directive is an advantage.


• Strong expertise in mechanical systems design for live data centre environments, including chilled water plant, CRAC/CRAH upgrades, air handling units, in-row cooling, and fire suppression systems.


• Experience delivering M&E upgrades within operational facilities - including tie-ins to live plant, outage management, and resilience planning.


• Proficient in AutoCAD, Revit MEP, Bluebeam, and Microsoft Office; working knowledge of IES, HAP, or similar mechanical analysis tools is advantageous.


• Strong knowledge of CIBSE, ASHRAE, BS, IS, and EN standards applied in retrofit and live-environment contexts.


• Understanding of PUE optimisation and cooling efficiency improvements to meet EU Energy Efficiency Directive targets and client ESG requirements.


• Familiarity with commissioning and integration of mechanical systems within live, mission-critical facilities.

Core Competencies

Demonstrates expertise in mechanical systems design and project management within live data centre environments, focusing on M&E upgrades, resilience planning, and compliance with building regulations. Proven ability to lead teams, mentor junior engineers, and drive innovation in retrofit delivery models.

Highest-signal resume keywords

• Mechanical Systems Design


• Project Management


• Chartered Engineer Status


• M&E Upgrades Experience


• Building Regulations Knowledge

ATS Optimization Keywords

Hard Skills

• Mechanical Engineering


• Data Centre Engineering


• Retrofit Design Strategies


• Capacity Unlock Assessments


• Outage Management


• Resilience Planning


• PUE Optimisation


• Cooling Efficiency Improvements

Soft Skills

• Client Liaison


• Team Mentoring


• Quality Assurance

Certifications & Qualifications

• Chartered Engineer Status


• Bachelor's or Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering

Industry Keywords

• Building Services Engineering


• Live Data Centre Environments


• M&E Replacements


• LEED


• BREEAM


• EU Energy Efficiency Directive


• CIBSE


• ASHRAE


• BS Standards


• EN Standards

Tools & Technologies

• AutoCAD


• Revit MEP


• Bluebeam


• Microsoft Office


• IES


• HAP