Senior Project Engineer – Mechanical (Data Centre Retrofit)

Ethos Engineering; Dublin; Hybrid; EUR 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible Fridays

9-day fortnight

Pension Scheme

Chartership support

Training & accreditation

Hybrid working

Job summary

Ethos Engineering seeks a Senior Project Engineer - Mechanical to lead live data centre upgrades, including M&E refurbishments, capacity increases and technology refreshes across EU markets.

You will design, specify and deliver mechanical systems, coordinating with clients, contractors and internal teams while ensuring zero operational disruption in live environments. Chartered engineer status is highly valued.

Qualifications

• Degree in Mechanical Engineering.
• 8+ years in building services/MEP with data centre focus.
• Experience with live facilities, brownfield upgrades or phased refurbishments.
• Chartered Engineer status or working toward Chartership.
• Strong knowledge of Irish/EU regulations; LEED/BREEAM a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead mechanical building services upgrades in live data centre environments.
• Develop retrofit design strategies, including outage planning and resilience design.
• Perform technical due diligence and capacity assessments (power, cooling, space).
• Prepare detailed 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 meet project goals without disruption.
• Drive QA and governance across projects following live-environment protocols.
• Mentor junior engineers and support business development through proposals.
• Lead phasing for live cooling/HVAC upgrades to keep critical infrastructure online.

Skills

Mechanical design

Live data centre

AutoCAD

Revit MEP

Bluebeam

PUE optimization

Stakeholder management

Project leadership

Education

Bachelor/MSc Mechanical Engineering

Chartered Engineer status or in progress

Tools

IES/HAP software

Bluebeam Revu

Microsoft Office

Job description

About the job

As a Senior Project Engineer - Mechanical, you will play a key role within Ethos’ Data Centre team, with a focus on retrofit projects across mission-critical data centre environments.

You’ll lead the design, specification and delivery of mechanical systems, ensuring projects are delivered safely, efficiently and to the highest technical standards. Working within live environments, you will help maintain continuity of operations while delivering high-quality engineering solutions. This role will also involve managing project delivery, mentoring junior engineers and acting as a key technical point of contact for clients and contractors across major European data centre markets.

Your day-to-day activities

• 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-specific 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.

About you

Technical Skills

• 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.

Experience & Qualifications

• 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.

Soft Skills

• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with confidence in client-facing settings.
• Strong organisational and problem-solving abilities, capable of managing multiple concurrent retrofit projects.
• Collaborative approach to working across multidisciplinary teams including mechanical, electrical, sustainability, and BIM disciplines.
• Proactive, detail-oriented mindset with a sharp focus on risk management and technical quality in live environments.
• Calm under pressure - able to make sound engineering decisions within constrained, operational environments.

Why Join Us?

At Ethos, we’re dedicated to fostering an environment that encourages both technical excellence and personal wellbeing.

We offer

• Flexible Fridays and a 9-day fortnight working schedule - enjoy every second Friday off to maintain work-life balance.
• A culture that values flexibility, learning, and teamwork, with clear progression pathways and support toward professional accreditation.
• Opportunities to work alongside some of the most experienced engineers in the industry, within a forward-thinking, technology-driven consultancy.

Benefits

• Flexible working times / Hybrid Working
• 20 days of holidays
• Pension Scheme
• Coverage for working travel out-of-pocket expenses
• Regular training, mentoring, and further college support
• Support for Chartership
• A professional subscription fee paid by the company
• Heavily subsidised social committee activities (5-a-side football, golf society, climbing club, and regular social events)

Company Description

Ethos is a team of collaborative and creative consultant engineers & professionals, leading data centre and energy infrastructure projects globally.

Our Charter

• We believe in strong human relationships
• We believe clear leadership lights the path
• We believe sustainability is non-negotiable
• We believe a can-do mindset can move mountains
• We believe in a relentless focus on delivery

Our Tagline

Performance Made Possible