Mechanical Engineer

UT-Battelle; Oak Ridge (TN); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

UT-Battelle seeks a Mechanical Engineer to lead design and oversight for data center facilities at ORNL. You will oversee mechanical systems, review design documents, and support construction, commissioning, and turnover within scope, schedule, and budget.

The role requires coordinating with operations, construction teams, vendors, and design professionals to deliver reliable, energy-efficient cooling and piping solutions for mission-critical data center environments.

Qualifications

• BS in Mechanical Engineering from an ABET-accredited program.
• Experience designing cooling and piping systems for facilities.
• Ability to coordinate design with operations, construction, and vendors.

Responsibilities

• Oversee mechanical design and provide oversight for data center projects.
• Review documents, change orders, calculations, and specifications for construction.
• Support planning, design, construction, commissioning, and turnover of mechanical systems.
• Coordinate with design teams, vendors, and operations to resolve issues.
• Contribute to design reviews ensuring scope, cost, and schedule alignment.

Skills

Mechanical design

Data center experience

Cross-functional coordination

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Job description

Overview

The Laboratory Modernization Division (LMD) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is seeking qualified applicants for the position of Mechanical Engineer, with experience in the design, construction, and operation of mechanical systems supporting data centers. The selected candidate will provide engineering and design oversight for facility-level process cooling systems and subsystems, including the interfaces between those systems and specific High Performance Computing platforms. This role includes providing technical and field oversight for construction on a new data center facility at ORNL. This position resides within the New Facility Construction Group within the Laboratory Modernization Division, which is part of the Facilities & Operations (F&O) Directorate.

Major Duties/Responsibilities

• Oversee and perform mechanical engineering and design oversight for data center projects including review and approve mechanical design documents, change orders, material requisitions, calculations, studies, and specifications for construction or procurement use.
• Support planning, design, construction, commissioning, and turnover of mechanical systems for mission-critical data center facilities within scope, schedule, budget, and available funding.
• Develop and review project definitions, conceptual mechanical system designs, scopes of work, methods of accomplishment, design documents, specifications, cost estimates, schedules, and construction/procurement packages.
• Review contractor proposals, including architectural, engineering, and/or construction proposals, to ensure alignment with scope intent and objectives.
• Coordinate technical issue resolution with the design team, Design and Project Management, construction representatives, operations staff, vendors, and others as appropriate.
• Conduct design reviews to ensure documents, including drawings, specifications, data sheets, and cost estimates, align with scope requirements and meet project objectives.
• Collaborate with ORNL utilities, facility automation, operations, maintenance, and safety subject matter experts to ensure complete and coordinated installations.
• Proactively identify and resolve potential design and construction issues, including safety, cost, schedule, quality, code compliance, configuration control, operability, maintainability, and constructability concerns.
• Deliver ORNL’s mission by aligning behaviors, priorities, and interactions with our core values of Impact, Integrity, Teamwork, Safety, and Service. Promote equal opportunity by fostering a respectful workplace – in how we treat one another, work together, and measure success.

Basic Qualifications

• BS degree in Mechanical Engineering or other relevant discipline from an ABET-accredited institution.
• A minimum of five years of experience in design. Experience developing cooling and piping system designs, including cooling system component sizing, system controls, and subsystem design integration.
• Experience supporting design, design reviews, construction oversight, field inspections, commissioning, testing, and technical issue resolution for facility electrical systems.
• Demonstrated ability to work with operations, construction, facilities, and/or maintenance teams and coordinate field system tie-ins in a co-occupancy environment involving operations, construction contractors, vendors, and other stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to create, organize, and manage project documents from conception to completion, including closeout and as-built documentation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional Engineer registration in the State of Tennessee or the ability to obtain registration.
• A minimum of eight years of experience in design, design management, and/or construction management of multiple disciplines.
• Experience performing constructability reviews, options analysis, and conceptual engineering to address construction conditions not anticipated during project design.
• Experience coordinating design and construction work in the field and in sensitive mission-critical facility settings such as energy plants, utility rooms, research laboratory spaces, or similar environments.
• Knowledge of Intelligence Community Directive (ICD) 705 standards for the construction, accreditation, and maintenance of Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities (SCIFs)

Special Requirements

• Work involves various physical requirements and working conditions. As such, a pre-hire physical will be required after offer.
• This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a Secret Compartmented Information (SCI) clearance from the Department of Energy. As such, this position is a Workplace Substance Abuse (WSAP) testing designated position. WSAP positions require passing a pre-placement drug test and participation in an ongoing random drug testing program. In addition, due the SCI, you may also be subject to random polygraph testing.
• Visa Sponsorship: Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

About ORNL

As a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science national laboratory, ORNL has an impressive 80-year legacy of addressing the nation’s most pressing challenges. Our team is made up of over 7,000 dedicated and innovative individuals! Our goal is to create an environment where a variety of perspectives and backgrounds are valued, ensuring ORNL is known as a top choice for employment. These principles are essential for supporting our broader mission to drive scientific breakthroughs and translate them into solutions for energy, environmental, and security challenges facing the nation.

ORNL offers competitive pay and benefits programs to attract and retain individuals who demonstrate exceptional work behaviors. The laboratory provides a range of employee benefits, including medical and retirement plans and flexible work hours, to support the well-being of you and your family. Employee amenities such as on-site fitness, banking, and cafeteria facilities are also available for added convenience.

Other benefits include the following: Prescription Drug Plan, Dental Plan, Vision Plan, 401(k) Retirement Plan, Contributory Pension Plan, Life Insurance, Disability Benefits, Generous Vacation and Holidays, Parental Leave, Legal Insurance with Identity Theft Protection, Employee Assistance Plan, Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Savings Accounts, Wellness Programs, Educational Assistance, Relocation Assistance, and Employee Discounts.

This position will remain open for a minimum of 5 days after which it will close when a qualified candidate is identified and/or hired.

ORNL is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants, including individuals with disabilities and protected veterans, are encouraged to apply. UT-Battelle is an E-Verify employer.