Mechanical Department Manager

Barry-Wehmiller Companies Inc.; Clayton (MO); On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Professional development resources

Mentorship programs

First Year Experience program

Job summary

Barry-Wehmiller invites applications for a Department Manager – Mechanical in our Design Group. You will lead mechanical and utility design for GMP facilities, coordinate with cross-disciplinary teams, and ensure commissioning-ready documentation.

A PE license and 15+ years in regulated manufacturing are preferred, with travel for client engagements. This senior role offers growth within a globally connected engineering practice.

Qualifications

• Active PE license in at least one U.S. state and willingness to obtain licensure in others.
• 15+ years of mechanical engineering in regulated manufacturing (food, pharma, biotech).
• Experience with HVAC, plumbing, steam, and clean utility systems in GMP environments.
• Proficiency in BIM with Revit and AutoCAD; ability to coordinate across disciplines.
• Experience developing design docs and construction packages for regulated facilities.
• Travel willingness for client meetings and industry events.

Responsibilities

• Serve as Mechanical Engineer of Record with responsible charge and seal documents.
• Lead design and delivery of mechanical and utility systems for GMP facilities.
• Oversee calculations, system analysis, and BIM coordination across projects.
• Coordinate with vendors, process partners, and controls teams.
• Support validation-ready design practices and commissioning readiness.
• Provide construction-phase engineering support and site observations.
• Collaborate with architectural, structural, electrical teams for integrated systems.

Skills

PE license

15+ years experience

Regulated manufacturing

Revit

AutoCAD

Cross-disciplinary collaboration

Strong communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering

Master's degree preferred

Tools

Revit

AutoCAD

Job description

About Us

BW Design Group is a fully integrated architecture, engineering, construction, system integration, and consulting firm committed to helping our clients realize their most critical goals from Strategy to Commercialization. As the only firm born from a manufacturing technology company to become an independent and fully integrated firm, we combine deep domain expertise in the manufacturing environment with an approach that is built to serve the dynamic needs of our clients. Rooted in our distinct culture of Truly Human Leadership, we cultivate the leaders who will define tomorrow and partner with our clients in the food & beverage, life sciences, industrial, and advanced technology industries to build the future of manufacturing and technology. Barry-Wehmiller is a diversified global supplier of engineering consulting and manufacturing technology for the packaging, corrugating, sheeting and paper-converting industries. By blending people‑centric leadership with disciplined operational strategies and purpose‑driven growth, Barry‑Wehmiller has become a $3 billion organization with nearly 12,000 team members united by a common belief: to use the power of business to build a better world.

Who You’ll Work With

You will join one of our 45 offices in the US, be part of a committed team of over 1500 professionals, and work in teams and directly with our clients doing work that is shaping the world around us. You will be welcomed into a rapidly growing business and team and empowered to make an impact. You will be valued, cared for, and challenged on your path to becoming a world‑class professional consultant and surrounded by leaders who are committed to creating an environment that enables you to realize your own success and fulfillment. When you join Design Group as a Department Manager – Mechanical, you are joining a team that will challenge you and position you for growth. In this role, you will work with a team of industry experts to help the world’s leading companies solve their most difficult problems. You will join our Architecture/Engineering Process Practice and partner with seasoned leaders, technical specialists, and subject matter experts to deliver the highest quality solutions to our clients with consistency and accuracy.

What You’ll Do

• Serve as Mechanical Engineer of Record, maintaining responsible charge and sealing construction documents in compliance with applicable codes, industry standards, and regulatory requirements for food and pharmaceutical facilities.
• Lead the design and delivery of mechanical and utility systems supporting regulated manufacturing environments, including HVAC, plumbing, steam, process and clean utility systems, compressed air, chilled and hot water, wastewater, and process support utilities.
• Execute mechanical engineering across the full project lifecycle, from conceptual planning and feasibility through detailed design, construction documentation, and construction phase support for GMP regulated facilities and other mission‑critical facilities.
• Oversee engineering calculations, system analysis, and BIM coordination, leveraging Revit, AutoCAD, and mechanical analysis tools to ensure performance, reliability, operational resilience, constructability, and cross disciplinary integration across multiple projects and teams.
• Coordinate with equipment vendors, process partners, and controls teams to support equipment selection, utility coordination, refrigeration systems, and control strategies that meet operational and regulatory needs.
• Collaborate in support of validation ready design practices, ensuring mechanical systems, documentation, and design decisions are developed with commissioning, qualification, and operational readiness in mind.
• Design and oversee mechanical systems for controlled and hygienic environments, including temperature, humidity, pressurization, filtration, and contamination control strategies aligned with GMP, quality, and regulated documentation expectations.
• Provide construction phase engineering support, including site visits, field observations, and collaboration with contractors through RFIs, submittals, and issue resolution in regulated and mission critical environments.

What You’ll Bring

• Active Professional Engineer (PE) license in at least one U.S. state, with the ability and willingness to obtain licensure in additional states as required.
• 15+ years of mechanical engineering experience delivering food, beverage, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or other regulated manufacturing facilities, including HVAC, plumbing, steam, process and clean utility systems, compressed air, chilled and hot water, wastewater, and utility systems.
• Demonstrated experience supporting process and hygienic environments, including exposure to industrial refrigeration (ammonia, CO₂, or freon), dehumidification, temperature and humidity control, and contamination‑sensitive facility design.
• Strong technical proficiency in mechanical systems design and engineering analysis, with the ability to evaluate system performance, reliability, and constructability within regulated or mission‑critical environments.
• Proficiency in Revit and AutoCAD within a coordinated BIM environment, along with experience using HVAC and mechanical analysis tools to support complex, multidisciplinary design efforts.
• Experience developing technical specifications, design narratives, and construction documentation that support procurement, construction, and operational readiness in food and pharmaceutical facilities, aligned with GMP quality and regulated documentation expectations.
• Hands‑on experience providing construction‑phase engineering support, including site visits, field observations, and collaboration with contractors through RFIs, submittals, and issue resolution.
• Ability to collaborate across disciplines, including coordination with process, controls, architectural, structural, and electrical teams, to deliver integrated mechanical and utility systems aligned with quality, safety, and operational goals.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills with clients
• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering (required); master’s degree preferred
• Willing to travel for client meetings, training, and industry events

Our Culture and Commitment

Our culture and commitment to our people is what sets us apart. We foster an environment of mutual respect, integrity, and unconditional interest in the individual and collective success of our professionals. Our model and entrepreneurial mindset offer a rewarding, challenging, and highly flexible path.

Feel like you're on the path to becoming a Department Manager – Mechanical, but you're not quite there yet? We'd love to connect with you to see if we can take you from where you are today and grow you into a Design Group Engineering Consultant.

At Barry-Wehmiller we recognize that people come with a wealth of experience and talent beyond just the technical requirements of a job. If your experience is close to what you see listed here, please still consider applying. We know that our differences often can bring about innovation, excellence and meaningful work—therefore, people from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply to our positions.

Please let us know if you require reasonable accommodations during the interview process.

Barry-Wehmiller is an equal opportunity employer.

M/F/D/V This organization uses E-Verify.

Applicants may be subject to pre-employment screening which may include drug screening, reference checks, employment verifications, background screening and/or skills assessments.

Benefits

• Professional development resources and mentorships including our First Year Experience program, Individual Development Plans, and Career Path resources and tools.

Company: Design Group Throughout Barry-Wehmiller, we hold ourselves to a unique measure of success: by the way we touch the lives of people. It’s that vision that drives us in creating world‑class experiences and solutions for our customers and unites us around our common goal—to use the power of our business to build a better world.