Mechanical Engineer, Data Center Design Engineering

Meta; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 173,000 - 245,000; Full time

Job summary

Meta is seeking a Mechanical Engineer to own next-gen liquid cooling and thermal systems for data centers, from concept through construction. You will set technical direction, mentor engineers, and drive programs delivering megawatts of compute capacity while balancing cost, efficiency, and speed.

You will lead hydronic and HVAC designs, collaborate with CSLA, Electrical, and Controls teams, and work on prefabricated solutions and modular components for scalable, resilient facilities.

Qualifications

• Experience communicating technical decisions in writing and in presentations to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Experience leading large-scale mechanical design programs from concept through construction.
• 10+ years of mechanical engineering for mission-critical facilities or data centers.
• Expertise in liquid cooling, chiller plant design, and hydronic systems.
• BS in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent practical experience.
• Experience with SD/DD/CD/CA design delivery phases.

Responsibilities

• Lead and/or assist on new data center product designs, balancing cost, efficiency, delivery, and sustainability.
• Own mechanical systems strategies including liquid cooling from concept through construction.
• Drive airside and hydronic system design for CDU, valves, fans, chillers, drycoolers, and towers.
• Develop design docs and manage execution across SD, DD, CD, CA for self builds, leases, and retrofits.
• Collaborate with CSLA, Electrical, Connectivity & Controls to optimize integrated designs.
• Partner with Energy & Water Modeling to evaluate environmental impacts and sustainability targets.
• Coordinate with Hardware engineering on rack-level thermal requirements and site delivery.
• Support commissioning, testing, and handover; manage changes and risk.
• Represent Owners' interests on large capital programs and field projects.

Skills

Liquid cooling

Chiller design

Hydronic systems

Data center design

Mentoring engineers

Technical communication

Project leadership

Vendor management

Education

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

BMS/EPMS integration

Job description

Summary:

Meta's AI infrastructure is scaling faster than anything the data center industry has designed for. We need a Mechanical Engineer who can own the next generation of liquid cooling and thermal systems - from first concept through construction - at a scale no one else is building. You will serve as the design authority for novel systems, defining technical approaches where established standards may not yet exist.This is a small, expert team where your decisions directly shape what gets built. You'll set technical direction across hydronic and thermal systems, mentor engineers around you, and drive programs that deliver megawatts of compute capacity. Our current focus areas include:- Technical Roadmap - Charting the path for next-generation mechanical systems and emerging technologies- Programmatic Designs - Develop future data center designs- Owner Furnished Equipment - Develop, maintain, optimize and manage risk of critical mechanical equipment.- Design Localization - Lead the implementation of the programmatic designs for site-specific conditions and support construction administration for self build and leases.

Required Skills:

Mechanical Engineer, Data Center Design Engineering Responsibilities:

1. Lead and/or assist on new data center product designs, integrating technological advancements while balancing cost, efficiency, time-to-delivery, and sustainability

2. Own data center product mechanical systems strategies and infrastructure designs — including liquid cooling, chiller plant design, and heat rejection systems — from concept through construction administration

3. Drive the design and development of airside and hydronic systems including CDU, Valve Train, Fan Coils, Central Chiller Plants, Drycoolers, and Cooling Towers

4. Develop design documentation and drive design execution across all design and delivery phases (SD, DD, CD, CA) for self builds (greenfield), lease facilities and retrofit projects

5. Work closely with CSLA, Electrical, Connectivity & Controls Engineering teams to achieve holistic product designs optimized for cost, construction speed, operational efficiency, and long-term flexibility

6. Collaborate with cross-functional teams on prefabricated (DFSMA) solutions and modular component offerings (Building Block strategy) to be embedded into new design products

7. Partner with Energy & Water Modeling teams to evaluate environmental impacts, WUE optimization, and sustainability targets

8. Collaborate with Controls Engineering to ensure integrated mechanical control strategies and system-level optimization

9. Collaborate with Hardware engineering to align rack-level thermal and mechanical requirements (power density, coolant flow/pressure, temperature limits) with facility mechanical system design

10. Manage and hold EoR teams accountable on deliverables and performance

11. Prepare RFPs, analyze award recommendations, manage contracts, review change orders, VE proposals, shop drawings, submittals, RFIs

12. Participate in factory tests, onsite testing, commissioning, quality checks throughout project lifecycle

13. Balance short-term delivery priorities while tracking industry standards and emerging trends to drive long-term strategy with the Engineering Tech Strategy team

14. Perform research and develop analysis on new technologies, alternate materials, and liquid enablement solutions — building models of cost and environmental impact

15. Support R&D initiatives and pilot programs for next-generation mechanical systems through the Research Lab

16. Evaluate and advance reliability/availability engineering practices to reduce downtime risk and improve system readiness

17. Drive design-to-break-ground program schedules while working closely with design and construction teams to ensure milestones and completion dates are on track

18. Lead and oversee change management of applicable systems and drive towards resolution

19. Represent Meta's interests as Owner's Rep on self-performed and leased facility projects

20. Partner with Site Selection on assigned site due diligence and master planning projects

21. Work with design engineers and field teams on new design types so they can correctly apply them to specific projects

22. Support operations on knowledge sharing, handover and deployment planning to ensure smooth transitions from design to live operations

23. Provide technical guidance on commissioning, startup sequencing, and system validation

24. Able to travel up to 25% of the time

Minimum Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications:

1. Experience communicating technical decisions in writing and in presentations to both technical and non-technical audiences (e.g., design reviews, executive briefings, RFI responses)

2. Experience leading large-scale mechanical design programs from concept through construction

3. 10+ years of experience in mechanical engineering for mission-critical facilities or data centers

4. Demonstrated expertise in liquid cooling systems, chiller plant design, and/or hydronic system design

5. Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent practical experience

6. Experience with all phases of design delivery (SD, DD, CD, and CA)

Preferred Qualifications:

Preferred Qualifications:

1. Track record of mentoring engineers and building team capability

2. Demonstrated ongoing AI skill development (e.g., prompt/context engineering, agent orchestration) and staying current with emerging AI technologies

3. PE license (Mechanical)

4. Experience adhering to and implementing responsible, ethical AI practices (e.g., risk assessment, bias mitigation, quality and accuracy reviews)

5. Demonstrated ability to integrate AI tools to optimize/redesign workflows and drive measurable impact (e.g., efficiency gains, quality improvements)

6. Experience representing Owners' interests on large capital programs

7. Experience with prefabricated/modular construction methodologies (DfSMA)

8. Electrical/MEP integration depth — ability to work across disciplines holistically

9. Hardware engineering thermal (HWE-Thermal) background — thermal design validation and product reliability

10. Experience with operations and deployment handover for data center mechanical systems

11. Controls system fluency — understanding of BMS/EPMS integration and mechanical controls logic

12. Background in R&D or piloting new mechanical technologies in production environments

13. Familiarity with advanced tooling, simulation, or AI-driven design optimization

14. Experience in availability and reliability engineering for critical infrastructure

15. Experience with acoustics/noise engineering and regulatory compliance for mechanical equipment

Public Compensation:

$173,000/year to $245,000/year + bonus + equity + benefits

Industry:

Internet

Equal Opportunity:

Meta is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affcience Action employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, sexual stereotypes, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law. Meta participates in the E-Verify program in certain locations, as required by law. Please note that Meta may leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies in connection with applications for employment.

Meta is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities in our recruiting process. If you need any assistance or accommodations due to a disability, please let us know at [e-mail].