Lead Data Center Mechanical Engineer

Harbor Compute; United States; On-site; USD 190,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Equity

Unlimited PTO

Job summary

Harbor Compute seeks a Data Center Mechanical Engineer to set the mechanical standard for all campuses, from concept through commissioning. You will own design standards for air and liquid cooling, collaborate with electrical, controls, and operations teams, and mentor junior engineers.

Expect 25% travel to project sites and close coordination with the Chief Infrastructure Officer. You will lead energy-efficient cooling design, specify chilling plants, and define redundancy strategies to meet

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering.
• 12+ years of mechanical engineering experience, including 7+ years in mission-critical or data center environments.
• Hands‑on experience designing or deploying liquid cooling for high‑density racks.
• Deep knowledge of chilled water plants, heat rejection and controls sequences.
• Proficiency with CFD tools and design software; experience with commissioning.

Responsibilities

• Lead mechanical design for new campuses and expansions, including cooling plants.
• Define mechanical design standards and reference architectures for the portfolio.
• Design and specify liquid cooling systems for high-density AI deployments.
• Define redundancy strategies and drive efficiency targets.
• Perform load calculations, hydraulic analysis and CFD modeling.
• Direct engineers of record, design consultants and vendors through major equipment selection.
• Support construction and commissioning and capture lessons learned.

Skills

Mechanical design

Project leadership

Commissioning support

Problem solving

Effective communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering

Tools

6SigmaDCX

Ansys

Revit

AutoCAD

Navisworks

Job description

About Harbor Compute

Harbor Compute builds, owns, and operates the data centers that power frontier AI, turning land, energy, and engineering into usable AI infrastructure. We do so responsibly and in partnership with the communities where we build, with energy strategies that strengthen power resilience, economics that allow host communities to share in the upside, a focus on local suppliers whenever possible, and siting and design shaped by local input.

About Harbor Compute

Harbor Compute builds, owns, and operates the data centers that power frontier AI, turning land, energy, and engineering into usable AI infrastructure. We do so responsibly and in partnership with the communities where we build, with energy strategies that strengthen power resilience, economics that allow host communities to share in the upside, a focus on local suppliers whenever possible, and siting and design shaped by local input.

About The Role

Frontier AI has pushed rack densities beyond what air alone can cool. The cooling plants and liquid cooling systems behind our campuses determine how much compute each one can support; as our Data Center Mechanical Engineer, you'll set the mechanical standard for every campus we develop. You'll own the mechanical basis of design from concept through commissioning, covering air and liquid cooling across our portfolio. You'll work with electrical, controls, structural, IT, construction and operations teams, and with the engineers of record, consultants and vendors who deliver the work. You'll also serve as the technical authority on mechanical systems and mentor junior engineers. In your first year, success looks like a portfolio-wide mechanical standard in place and our first campuses designed and commissioned against it. You'll report to the Chief Infrastructure Officer and travel about 25% of the time to project and vendor sites.

What you’ll do

• Lead mechanical design for new campuses and expansions, including chilled water, evaporative, closed-loop and economizer-based cooling plants
• Own the mechanical basis of design, standards and reference architectures for the portfolio, in line with ASHRAE 90.4 and TC 9.9, IMC/IBC, NFPA and local AHJ requirements
• Design and specify liquid cooling systems (direct-to-chip, CDUs, rear-door heat exchangers, facility water loops) for high-density AI/GPU deployments
• Define redundancy strategies (N, N+1, 2N, concurrent maintainability) and drive PUE and WUE targets through equipment selection, controls sequences and heat-rejection strategy
• Perform and review load calculations, hydraulic analysis and CFD modeling for white space and plant areas
• Direct engineers of record, design consultants and vendors, from drawings and submittals through major equipment selection (chillers, CRAHs/fan walls, dry coolers, pumps, CDUs) and factory witness testing
• Support construction and integrated commissioning (L1–L5), including sequence-of-operations validation and failure-mode testing, and feed lessons learned back into design standards

What you’ll bring

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering
• 12+ years of mechanical engineering experience, including 7+ years in mission-critical or data center environments on multi-MW hyperscale, colocation or large enterprise projects
• Hands‑on experience designing or deploying liquid cooling for high‑density racks (30–100+ kW/rack)
• Deep knowledge of chilled water plants, heat rejection, economization and controls sequences, and of ASHRAE thermal guidelines and relevant codes
• Proficiency with CFD tools (e.g. 6SigmaDCX, Ansys) and design tools (Revit, AutoCAD, Navisworks)
• Experience supporting commissioning and resolving issues in live facilities, and managing consultants and vendors while explaining trade‑offs clearly to executives

Nice to have

• Professional Engineer (PE) license
• Experience with heat reuse or modular/prefabricated mechanical systems
• Background in both design consulting and owner/operator roles

Compensation

The base salary range for this role is expected to be $190,000 – $260,000. The starting salary will be determined by job‑related knowledge, skills, experience, and market location, with consideration for market alignment and internal equity. In addition to base salary, our total rewards package includes equity and a comprehensive benefits program, based on eligibility.

Benefits

• Health insurance, fully covered: Harbor pays 100% of premiums for you and your family.
• Your choice of carrier: Choose from national carriers such as Aetna, Cigna, Blue Cross Blue Shield and UnitedHealthcare, with plans that vary by deductible, out-of-pocket maximum, network and coverage level. Availability varies by state.
• Big-company plan options: We offer insurance through a Professional Employer Organization (PEO), which gives our growing team access to the range of plans usually found at much larger employers.
• Unlimited PTO: We trust you to know when you need to rest and recharge. Plan time off with your manager around the needs of your team.

Harbor Compute is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome people of all backgrounds and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected status. If you need an accommodation at any point in the hiring process, let us know.