Associate Principal – Technical Mechanical Leader

Arup; San Francisco, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 183,000 - 244,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Profit Share

401(k) with company match

Flexible Working

Health and Welfare Benefits

Paid Time Off

Job summary

Arup in San Francisco seeks an Associate Principal – Technical Mechanical Leader to expand our life sciences footprint. This senior role leads mechanical design for labs, R&D and pharmaceutical facilities, acting as Engineer of Record and primary client liaison.

You will mentor teams, manage multi-project programs, contribute to proposals, and align delivery with strategic goals while advancing sustainable design and cutting-edge engineering in a dynamic Bay Area market.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.
• Valid California PE license.
• 15+ years in mechanical design for built environment.
• 10+ years delivering Life Sciences projects as Engineer of Record.
• Experience leading project teams and mentoring engineers.
• Strong client relationship management and communication skills.
• Proven ability to manage budgets, schedules, and resources.
• Familiarity with business development and proposal efforts.
• Experience integrating sustainable design strategies.
• Experience across multidisciplinary project teams.
• Exposure to Life Sciences codes and standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead and deliver mechanical design for Life Sciences projects as Engineer of Record.
• Manage multiple concurrent projects: planning, resourcing, scheduling, budgeting.
• Serve as primary technical contact for clients and collaborators.
• Provide mentorship and technical guidance to project teams.
• Partner with leadership to align projects with strategic goals.
• Represent Arup at industry events and grow client relationships.
• Support business development through proposals and sector knowledge.
• Integrate sustainable design principles into projects.
• Negotiate contracts and engagement terms to minimize risk.
• Engage with Science Leader and Business Development Lead for key accounts.

Skills

Leadership

Mentoring

Client relations

Budgeting

Project management

Communication

Cross-disciplinary collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical engineering

Job description

Associate Principal – Technical Mechanical Leader

Joining Arup
Arup’s purpose, shared values, and collaborative approach have set us apart for over 80 years, guiding how we shape a better world.

We are seeking an Associate Principal – Technical Mechanical Leader with extensive science sector experience based out of our San Francisco office - a strategic, high-impact role focused on expanding Arup’s presence and technical leadership in the Bay Area’s dynamic life sciences market. This leader will work with our West-coast science business leader to drive growth in one of the nation’s top three life sciences hubs, supporting Arup’s ambitious regional and national targets and strengthening relationships with leading biotech and pharmaceutical clients.

*This role is based in San Francisco*

The opportunity:

• Lead and deliver mechanical engineering design for medium to large-scale Life Sciences projects (laboratories, R&D, pharmaceutical facilities) as Engineer of Record.
• Manage multiple concurrent projects, including planning, resourcing, scheduling, budgeting, and ensuring high-quality delivery.
• Serve as the primary technical point of contact for clients and collaborators, facilitating meetings, presentations, and design discussions.
• Provide mentorship and technical guidance to project teams, fostering collaboration, innovation, and excellence.
• Partner with the West Science Leader and senior leadership to align projects with broader business goals and strategic initiatives.
• Actively participate in industry events, representing Arup as a speaker or panelist, and engage with key clients and partners to grow the opportunity pipeline.
• Support business development efforts by leveraging sector knowledge, supporting proposals, and nurturing client relationships.
• Integrate sustainable design principles and innovative engineering solutions into projects.
• Negotiate project contracts and conditions of engagement to optimize delivery and minimize risk.
• Regularly engage with our Science Leader and Business Development Lead to establish key client relationships and target accounts.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical engineering required.
• Valid Professional Engineering license in California.
• 15+ years of experience in mechanical engineering design for the built environment.
• 10+ years delivering medium to large-scale Life Sciences projects as Engineer of Record.
• Demonstrated experience leading project teams and mentoring engineers.
• Strong client relationship management and communication skills.
• Proven ability to manage project budgets, schedules, and resources.
• Familiarity with business development processes and ability to contribute to proposal efforts.
• Experience integrating sustainable design strategies into mechanical engineering solutions.
• Experience working across multidisciplinary project teams.
• Exposure to national standards and codes relevant to Life Sciences facilities.

Preferred:

• Experience in science-focused industry events and forums.
• Exposure to strategic planning and business growth initiatives.

What we offer you

At Arup, we care about each member’s success, so we can grow together.

Guided by our values, we provide an attractive total reward package that recognizes the contribution of each of our members to our shared success. As well as competitive, fair and equitable pay, we offer a career in which all of our members can belong, grow and thrive – through benefits that support health and wellbeing, a wide range of learning opportunities and many possibilities to have an impact through the work they do.

We are owned in trust on behalf of our members, giving us the freedom, with personal responsibility, to set our own direction and choose work that aligns with our purpose and adds to Arup’s legacy. Our members collaborate on ambitious projects to deliver remarkable outcomes for our clients and communities. Profit Share is a key part of our reward, enabling members to share in the results of our collective efforts.

Benefits at Work - At Arup, we have a comprehensive and valuable benefits program that works for our employees and their families while keeping costs low. These benefits provide health and welfare security for you as well as paid time off for rest and renewal. As a member of Arup, everyone shares in our success through a global profit share scheme (payments are dependent on the firm’s financial performance). Our Global Profit Share Plan (paid bi-annually) provides an opportunity for you to share in the success of the Firm. As a valued employee of Arup, you can also choose to participate in our 401(k) plan with up to 10% company match to help you save for your future

Flexible Working - We believe that flexible arrangements create a more inclusive way of working that supports our diversity and the wellbeing of our people. Options for alternative schedules and the ability to work outside of the office for a portion of your workweek are available

San Francisco Hiring Range - The good faith base salary hiring range for this job if performed in San Francisco is $183,200 to $244,250 per year. This range is commensurate with experience, educational background, and skill level. Benefits are not included in the base salary. Please note hiring ranges for candidates performing work outside of San Francisco will differ.

Different People, Shared Values

Arup is an equal opportunity employer that actively promotes and nurtures a diverse and inclusive workforce. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, regardless of age (within legal limits), gender identity or expression, marital status, disability, neurotype or mental health, race or ethnicity, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, and whether you’re pregnant or on family leave. We are an open environment that embraces diverse experiences, perspectives, and ideas – this drives our excellence.

Guided by our values and alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, we create and contribute to equitable spaces and systems, while cultivating a sense of belonging for all. Our internal employee networks support our inclusive culture: from race, ethnicity and cross-cultural working to gender equity and LGBTQ+ and disability inclusion – we aim to create a space for you to express yourself and make a positive difference. Discover more about life at Arup at www.arup.com/careers/your-life-at-arup .

Our Application Process

We will be reviewing our candidates for this position on a rolling basis. Once you have applied you will be evaluated and potentially moved on to the next round, at which point a member of the talent resourcing team will reach out to you directly.

Arup is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, spouse of a protected veteran, or disability.

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