Mechanical Design Engineer

Actalent; Lexington (KY); On-site; USD 50,000 - 73,000; Full time

Job summary

Actalent in Lexington, KY is seeking a Mechanical Design Engineer to lead full-cycle mechanical construction projects with a focus on HVAC, plumbing, and piping for commercial and industrial facilities. The role blends hands-on project management with detailed mechanical design to meet specs, budgets, schedules, and safety.

This position requires 5+ years in related design work, proficiency in AutoCAD and Revit, and strong knowledge of codes and standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline is required.
• 5+ years designing HVAC, plumbing, and piping systems for commercial or industrial projects.
• Experience in mechanical construction, design-build, or consulting engineering environments is preferred.
• Proficiency with AutoCAD for mechanical design and drafting; proficiency with Revit for BIM and coordination.
• Strong knowledge of mechanical codes, standards, and construction practices.

Responsibilities

• Manage multiple mechanical construction projects simultaneously from design through closeout.
• Maintain and monitor general conditions, work scope, and specifications for contracts/subcontracts.
• Collaborate with field labor supervision to plan, organize, and schedule project work.
• Ensure compliance with licensing and regulatory requirements on all projects.
• Create and manage schedules of values, budgets, and cost code schedules.
• Coordinate and oversee design of HVAC, plumbing, and piping systems to meet codes and client requirements.
• Coordinate materials, equipment, and subcontracts with proper documentation and records.
• Work with safety leadership to implement proper safety policies on all projects.
• Communicate with clients, field teams, and project managers to provide updates and resolve issues.
• Use AutoCAD and Revit to develop, update, and maintain mechanical drawings and models.
• Review and improve design and construction documents based on codes and practices.
• Maintain project documentation including drawings, specs, submittals, and change orders.
• Participate in site visits to verify field conditions and ensure constructibility.

Skills

Bachelor's degree

HVAC design experience

Plumbing design experience

Piping design experience

AutoCAD

Revit

Codes knowledge

Project management

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering

Tools

AutoCAD

Revit

Job description

Job Description

The Mechanical Design Engineer manages multiple full-cycle mechanical construction projects, from initial design through completion, with a focus on HVAC, plumbing, and piping systems for commercial and industrial facilities. This role combines hands‑on project management with detailed mechanical design work, ensuring projects meet technical specifications, budget, schedule, and safety requirements while collaborating closely with field teams and stakeholders.

Job Title: Mechanical Design Engineer

The Mechanical Design Engineer manages multiple full-cycle mechanical construction projects, from initial design through completion, with a focus on HVAC, plumbing, and piping systems for commercial and industrial facilities. This role combines hands‑on project management with detailed mechanical design work, ensuring projects meet technical specifications, budget, schedule, and safety requirements while collaborating closely with field teams and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Manage multiple mechanical construction projects simultaneously, overseeing all phases from design and planning through execution and closeout.
• Maintain and monitor general conditions, work scope, and specifications for project contracts and subcontracts before, during, and upon completion of each project.
• Collaborate with field labor supervision to plan, organize, and schedule project work, ensuring alignment with project goals and timelines.
• Ensure full compliance with applicable state and federal licensing and regulatory requirements on all assigned projects.
• Create and manage project schedules of values, project budgets, and cost code schedules to track progress and financial performance.
• Coordinate and oversee the design of HVAC, plumbing, and piping systems for commercial and industrial projects, ensuring designs meet codes, standards, and client requirements.
• Effectively purchase and coordinate materials, equipment, and subcontracts, maintaining ongoing controls, documentation, and records.
• Work closely with safety leadership to ensure proper safety policies, procedures, and methods are implemented and followed on all assigned projects.
• Communicate regularly with clients, field teams, and project managers to provide updates, address issues, and ensure project objectives are met.
• Use AutoCAD and Revit to develop, update, and maintain mechanical design drawings and models.
• Apply strong knowledge of mechanical codes, standards, and construction practices to review, verify, and improve design and construction documents.
• Organize and maintain project documentation, including drawings, specifications, submittals, and change orders.
• Participate in site visits for managed projects to verify field conditions, support coordination, and ensure designs are constructible and implemented as intended.

Essential Skills

• Bachelors degree in a relevant discipline is required.
• At least 5 years of experience designing HVAC, plumbing, and piping systems for commercial or industrial projects.
• Experience in mechanical construction, design-build, or consulting engineering environments (preferred but strongly beneficial).
• Proficiency with AutoCAD for mechanical design and drafting.
• Proficiency with Revit for building information modeling and coordination.
• Strong knowledge of mechanical codes, standards, and construction practices.
• Mechanical design engineering experience within industrial and commercial construction environments.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects concurrently while maintaining quality and meeting deadlines.
• Excellent communication skills for coordinating with clients, field teams, and project managers.
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to address design and construction challenges effectively.
• Solid organizational skills for managing documentation, schedules, budgets, and project priorities.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience with HVAC design for commercial and industrial facilities.
• Experience with plumbing design, including coordination with architectural and structural elements.
• Experience with piping design for mechanical systems in commercial or industrial projects.
• Experience in mechanical construction, design-build, or consulting engineering environments is preferred.
• Ability to collaborate in a highly team-oriented, collaborative environment.
• Comfort working on projects ranging in size from approximately $100,000 to $7 million.
• Interest in ongoing learning and professional development in mechanical design and construction.
• Ability to build strong working relationships with internal teams and external partners.

Work Environment

This role is based onsite in an office located in Lexington, providing close collaboration with design, project management, and field support teams. The position includes regular site visits to active project locations, typically assigned based on project size and geographic location, to review field conditions, support coordination, and ensure design intent is achieved. Projects range in size from approximately $100,000 to $7 million and span commercial and industrial mechanical construction, including HVAC, plumbing, and piping systems. The work environment emphasizes a family-oriented, loyal culture where employees receive learning and development opportunities and benefit from a highly collaborative atmosphere in which team members actively support one another to ensure projects are completed successfully.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Lexington, KY.

Pay And Benefits

The pay range for this position is $36.06 - $52.88/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms.

If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: Medical, dental & vision Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital 401(k) Retirement Plan Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) Short and long-term disability Health Spending Account (HSA) Transportation benefits Employee Assistance Program Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Lexington,KY.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Oct 18, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email [e-mail] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.