Senior Mechanical Engineer

Aurecon; Tauranga; Hybrid; NZD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Aurecon is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer to deliver sustainable mechanical solutions across energy, fuels, chemicals, water, and food & beverage sectors in New Zealand. Based in Tauranga, with flexibility to work across NZ offices, you will lead multidisciplinary teams and drive decarbonisation initiatives.

You will shape strategy, grow client partnerships, mentor emerging talent, and support bids while delivering high-quality projects from concept through commissioning.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering (Washington Accord).
• 7+ years’ senior mechanical engineering experience.
• Design management across multidisciplinary projects.
• Strong client relationship building and opportunity identification.
• Excellent project management and communication skills.
• Experience with hygienic and pressure piping design is preferred but not essential.

Responsibilities

• Lead small to medium projects delivering on client expectations.
• Oversee cost estimation, budgeting, design coordination, procurement, and commissioning.
• Mentor junior team members and grow the Energy & Industrial portfolio.
• Support bids and business development activities.
• Embed decarbonisation and energy-efficient design into projects.

Skills

Mechanical design

Project leadership

Client relationship mgmt

Communication skills

Education

BEng (Mech) - Washington Accord

Job description

Senior Mechanical Engineer – Energy & Industrial

At Aurecon, we are optimistic about the future. We are thinkers, solvers, and collaborators who work with our clients to deliver the infrastructure and assets that strengthen communities and create a sustainable future.

We’re looking for a Senior Mechanical Engineer to deliver sustainable mechanical solutions across the Fuels, Chemicals, Water, and Food & Beverage sectors. You’ll shape strategy, lead multidisciplinary teams, strengthen client partnerships across Aotearoa and Australia, and mentor emerging talent in a high-performing, innovation-led environment. This role is ideally based in Tauranga; however, we’re open to candidates across our New Zealand offices for the right person.

What you’ll do

As a Senior Mechanical Engineer, you’ll lead the delivery of innovative mechanical solutions across energy, resources, manufacturing, dairy, and food & beverage projects. Working closely with clients and multidisciplinary teams, you’ll support sustaining capital projects in New Zealand while contributing to our growing decarbonisation portfolio. You’ll also help grow our pipeline by identifying opportunities, strengthening client relationships, and supporting successful bids in line with our Energy & Industrial plan.

Key aspects of the role:

• Lead Projects: Take charge of small to medium-sized projects, ensuring delivery meets client expectations and business objectives.


• Manage the project lifecycle: Oversee cost estimation, budgeting, design coordination, procurement, construction management, commissioning and handover.


• Inspire and guide: Mentor and coach junior team members, fostering their growth and enabling the team to deliver exceptional results for our clients.


• Drive commercial outcomes: Build trusted client relationships, support business development activity, and contribute to winning work across our priority sectors.


• Shape sustainable outcomes: Embed decarbonisation, energy-efficient design, and emerging best practice into project delivery.

You’ll take ownership of meaningful projects, grow your leadership skills, and help shape the future of our Energy & Industrial business.

What you’ll bring

The ideal candidate will bring strong mechanical engineering experience across dairy, food and beverage, clean-industry, industrial manufacturing, ideally in New Zealand.

Alongside this, you will have the following:

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering (Washington Accord)


• Proven experience in a similar senior mechanical engineering role, ideally with 7+ years’ experience


• Design management experience, including coordinating multidisciplinary projects and working with a broad range of engineering disciplines


• Demonstrated success building client relationships, identifying opportunities, and contributing to winning work


• Excellent project management and communication skills.


• Experience with hygienic and pressure piping design (including pipe stress analysis) is preferred but not essential

How we support your growth

We believe your career should be a rewarding adventure. You’ll tackle complex infrastructure and industrial challenges in an environment that supports your ambitions and holds quality, care, and collaboration at the centre of how we work. Recognised by the AFR as a Best Place to Work in 2026, we embrace diverse perspectives and give you the opportunity to make a meaningful impact.

Who we are

Aurecon is an engineering consultancy with more than 6,000 people across Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand and Asia. In Aotearoa, our Energy & Industrial team is deeply engaged in projects that drive decarbonisation, support renewable energy transition, and uplift advanced industrial practices. You’ll be joining a team that values curiosity, initiative, and a genuine desire to shape a more sustainable, resilient future.

Ready for your next adventure?

We’d love to hear from you.

We are an equitable-opportunity employer that values diverse perspectives and the contribution that every one of our people makes to our culture. Put simply, we want you to bring your whole self!

Our hiring decisions are made by people, not AI. We’re most interested in your individual thinking and experiences—so please ensure your application reflects your authentic perspective.

Te whakahā i ngā whakaaro | Breathing life into our ideas, thoughts, views

Kia māia, kia kaha, mahi tahi | Be bold, be strong, work as one