Senior Mechanical Design Engineer

kent data centres; Saudi Arabia; On-site; SAR 240,000 - 320,000; Full time

Job summary

Kent Data Centres in Riyadh is seeking a Senior Mechanical Design Engineer to lead the mechanical design of mission-critical data centre projects from feasibility and concept through schematic, detailed and IFC stages, ensuring compliance with Saudi regulations and international data centre standards.

The role covers chilled-water systems, CRAH/CRAC, piping, fire protection and BIM coordination, with a strong emphasis on energy efficiency, PUE targets and cross-disciplinary collaboration.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from a recognised university.
• Eligibility for registration with the Saudi Council of Engineers.
• Data centre certification such as Uptime Institute ATD, CDCP or CDCS is preferred.
• LEED accreditation or sustainability certification is an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Lead the mechanical design of data centre projects from feasibility through schematic, detailed and IFC design stages.
• Develop design philosophies, basis of design reports, calculations, equipment schedules and drawings.
• Design and evaluate cooling systems (chilled-water, air-cooled, water-cooled), CRAH/CRAC, containment and related distribution.
• Coordinate with electrical, architectural, structural, ICT, security and life-safety disciplines and lead BIM coordination.
• Perform load, hydraulic and ventilation calculations and ensure redundancy and reliability.
• Support energy-efficiency and PUE targets through modelling and optimisation.
• Prepare fuel storage and distribution systems for standby generators and fire-protection systems.
• Ensure compliance with Saudi Building Code, NFPA and international standards.

Skills

Technical leadership

Engineering judgement

Coordination

Problem solving

Attention to detail

Multicultural teamwork

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Saudi Council of Engineers eligibility

Tools

AutoCAD

Carrier HAP

Pipe Flow Expert

Elite Fire Software

Microsoft Office

Job description

Senior Mechanical Design Engineer - Data Centres

Riyadh

Join us. Unleash your energy within.

If you have world-class ambitions to reach the stars while keeping your feet on the ground, Kent Data Centres are the team for you. We've created a new breed of company - future-focused with reimagined ambition across all disciplines within the energy sector.

We love people who know their own potential and are not afraid to use it. We know that together, we’re far more than the sum of our parts. So, we celebrate people who want to grow and develop as we work together on some of the largest projects on the energy world stage.

OUR PURPOSE AND BELIEBS:

As Kent, we’re tackling the greatest challenge of our time - to bring our world the energy it needs in the most responsible way ever imagined.

It’s the energy of every member of our team driven by our beliefs that is making this happen. Whatever our skill, our language, or our culture. These beliefs define and direct us every day to be the very best - for ourselves, our clients, our key stakeholders, the communities we operate in and the planet:

We PLAY BIG

We thrive on EMOTIONAL AGILITY

We are FANATICAL ABOUT PERFORMANCE

We are built on INFINITE THINKING

SKILLS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Role Overview

The role requires strong technical experience in data centre cooling systems, HVAC, plumbing, fire protection and associated mechanical infrastructure. The candidate shall be capable of delivering designs from feasibility and concept stages through detailed design, tender and construction support while ensuring compliance with project requirements, Saudi regulations and international data centre standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the mechanical design of mission-critical data centre projects from feasibility and concept design through schematic, detailed and IFC design stages.
• Develop mechanical design philosophies, Basis of Design reports, technical calculations, equipment schedules, specifications and drawings.
• Design and evaluate chilled-water cooling systems, including air-cooled chillers, adiabatic air-cooled chillers, water-cooled chillers, cooling towers, pumps, heat exchangers and associated distribution systems.
• Design and evaluate CRAH, CRAC and Fan Wall Unit systems; primary and secondary chilled-water systems; thermal-storage systems; hot-aisle and cold-aisle containment; liquid-cooling systems including CDUs and secondary fluid networks; and ventilation, pressurisation and smoke-management systems.
• Perform cooling-load, hydraulic and ventilation calculations, including equipment selection, pipe sizing and duct sizing.
• Develop resilient mechanical system configurations in accordance with project redundancy requirements.
• Assess system availability, maintainability, concurrent maintainability and potential single points of failure.
• Support project energy-efficiency and PUE targets through system optimisation and energy modelling.
• Design diesel fuel storage and distribution systems for standby generators, including tanks, pumps, piping, fuel polishing, controls and autonomy calculations.
• Design plumbing systems, including domestic water, drainage, stormwater and equipment drainage, together with complete data centre fire-protection systems.
• Prepare calculations and specifications for fire pumps, sprinklers, pre-action and clean-agent systems in compliance with NFPA and Saudi Civil Defense requirements.
• Prepare mechanical single-line diagrams, schematics, layouts, plantroom arrangements and control philosophies.
• Coordinate mechanical designs with electrical, architectural, structural, civil, ICT, security and fire-and-life-safety disciplines.
• Lead mechanical BIM coordination and review Revit models to the required Level of Development.
• Review CFD analyses for data halls, plantrooms, generator yards and other critical areas.
• Prepare technical specifications, equipment data sheets, tender documents and contractor scopes of work.
• Conduct technical evaluations of vendors, manufacturers, specialist subcontractors and tender submissions.
• Review contractor shop drawings, material submittals, method statements, RFIs and technical deviations.
• Participate in design workshops, risk reviews, value-engineering exercises and client meetings.
• Coordinate with local authorities, licensed engineering offices, utility providers and other Authorities Having Jurisdiction in Saudi Arabia.
• Ensure compliance with the Saudi Building Code, Civil Defense, environmental, municipality and utility requirements.
• Support Uptime Institute TCDD certification, including technical responses and closure of review comments.
• Monitor assigned deliverables, resources and design programmes to ensure timely, high-quality submissions.

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE:

• Safe, resilient and maintainable mechanical designs that satisfy Tier III or Tier IV requirements and avoid single points of failure.
• Accurate, coordinated and compliant design deliverables issued on programme and to the required quality.
• Mechanical systems optimised to meet project energy-efficiency and PUE targets.
• Effective multidisciplinary, client, authority, vendor and Uptime Institute coordination with timely closure of comments.

YOUR EXPERIENCE:

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from a recognised university.
• Eligibility for registration with the Saudi Council of Engineers.
• Relevant data centre certification, such as Uptime Institute ATD, CDCP, CDCS or equivalent, is preferred.
• LEED accreditation or a recognised sustainability certification is an advantage.

Required Experience

• Minimum 10 years of mechanical design experience, including at least 2-3 years of direct data centre or mission-critical facility experience.
• Experience delivering mechanical designs through concept, schematic, detailed and IFC stages.
• Practical experience with Tier III or Tier IV data centre design requirements.
• Experience working on projects in Saudi Arabia or the GCC is strongly preferred.
• Previous consultancy or multidisciplinary engineering-design experience is preferred.

Technical Knowledge

The candidate should demonstrate strong knowledge of:

• ASHRAE standards and thermal guidelines for data processing environments.
• Saudi Building Code and applicable KSA authority requirements.
• NFPA standards and international fire-and-life-safety requirements.
• IPC, UPC, ASPE guidelines and other applicable international plumbing codes.
• SMACNA and relevant international mechanical design standards.
• Data centre cooling redundancy, resilience and fault-tolerant design principles.
• HVAC controls, BMS integration and mechanical system sequences of operation.
• Water treatment, flushing, pressure testing and commissioning requirements.
• Energy-efficient design, sustainability principles and PUE optimisation.

Software Skills

Proficiency in the following is required:

• Carrier HAP cooling-load software.
• AutoCAD.
• Pipe Flow Expert or equivalent hydraulic-calculation software.
• Elite Fire Software or equivalent fire-protection hydraulic-calculation software is preferred.
• Microsoft Office applications.

Behaviour/ Core Competencies:

• Strong technical leadership, engineering judgement and problem-solving skills.
• Effective multidisciplinary coordination and stakeholder communication.
• High attention to detail, quality and programme commitments.
• Ability to manage priorities and support junior engineers within a multicultural team.