Mechanical Engineer, Data Centers - Remote (U.S.)

AECOM; Illinois; Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Paid time off

Flexible work options

Retirement savings plan

Employee stock purchase plan

Job summary

AECOM is seeking an experienced Mechanical Engineer for the Data Center and Mission Critical team in Illinois. The role focuses on designing HVAC systems tailored for data centers, requiring expertise in cooling systems and energy efficiency strategies.

This position offers remote work flexibility and occasional travel for client meetings. Minimum qualifications include a Bachelor’s degree and Professional Engineer registration. AECOM provides a comprehensive benefits package to support employee well-being.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of relevant experience or equivalent education.
• Experience with mechanical and electrical equipment in data centers.
• Master's degree or advanced coursework in HVAC or energy management preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop and design HVAC systems for data centers.
• Ensure efficient cooling and monitor energy consumption.
• Collaborate with other engineers on system integration.

Skills

Experience in mechanical engineering

Knowledge of HVAC systems

Data center design experience

Energy efficiency strategies

Education

Bachelor's degree related to engineering

Professional Engineer (P.E.) registration

Job description

Mechanical Engineer for the Data Center and Mission Critical team in the East region. The role is tailored for candidates with experience in the tech sector, mission‑critical data center industry, and knowledge of scale, speed, and consistency requirements.

Remote work is available with the flexibility of a remote schedule; the position may require occasional periodic travel for client meetings, key project milestones, or onsite collaboration, scheduled in advance.

All newly hired employees are required to attend an in‑person Day 1 onboarding at an AECOM office location as a condition of employment.

Responsibilities

• Develop and design heat rejection and HVAC systems specifically tailored for data centers, considering cooling load, future flexibility, phased construction, airflow management, humidity control, system redundancy, energy efficiency, and industry standards.
• Select appropriate air/water side cooling systems for data centers, including fan wall units, CRAC/CRAH, chilled water, DX systems, in‑row cooling, and containment solutions based on cooling requirements and equipment criticality.
• Conduct internal CFD simulations to optimize airflow distribution, analyze transient periods, identify hotspots, and ensure efficient cooling; also perform external CFD for buildings or campus‑wide to evaluate interactions between electrical and mechanical components and to support design day capacity criteria.
• Design HVAC systems with redundancy and fault‑tolerant features, incorporating backup cooling, automatic switchover mechanisms, and monitoring systems to enable continuous operation during equipment failure or maintenance.
• Perform heat load calculations for data centers, determine cooling requirements from IT equipment, power density, growth projections, and phasing; plan capacity to allow future expansions and measure HVAC loads for admin and common areas.
• Implement energy‑efficient HVAC design strategies, such as economizers, variable speed drives, energy recovery, and optimized airflow management to reduce consumption and support sustainability initiatives.
• Ensure data center air quality through appropriate filtration system design, air quality monitoring, particulate control, humidity regulation, and contaminant removal to protect sensitive IT equipment.
• Collaborate with electrical and mechanical engineers to integrate heat rejection and HVAC with electrical infrastructure, UPS, emergency power, fire suppression, and other critical systems.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with 6+ years of relevant experience, or equivalent experience and education.
• Experience installing and operating mechanical and electrical equipment in data centers.
• Professional Engineer (P. E.) registration required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical or HVAC engineering, or related field; a master's degree or advanced coursework in HVAC or energy management is advantageous.
• Knowledge of data center topology standards per Uptime Institute, TIA 942, ANSI/BICSI 002.
• Professional certifications such as Certified Energy Manager (CEM), Building Energy Modeling Professional (BEMP), or LEED accreditation.

• Relocation is not available for this position.
• Sponsorship is not available for this position.

Benefits may include medical, dental, vision, life, AD&D, disability, paid time off, leaves of absence, voluntary benefits, perks, flexible work options, well‑being resources, employee assistance program, business travel insurance, service recognition awards, retirement savings plan, and employee stock purchase plan, depending on employment status.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we believe in your potential and are here to help you achieve it. All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.