Mechanical Practice Director, Building Engineering

HDR; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

HDR is seeking a senior Mechanical Engineering leader to guide the Building Mechanical practice across North America. You will shape strategy, mentor staff, and drive cross-disciplinary collaboration to deliver high‑impact, multi‑discipline projects that advance sustainable design and digital delivery.

You will oversee design quality, champion talent development, and partner with multiple HDR business groups to raise the practice’s profile through awards, publications, and industry leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.
• 10+ years of experience in related field.
• Registered Professional Engineer (NA) or Chartered Engineer (EMEA/APAC).
• Aligned with Associates track for professional growth. Aspirations towards Principal Professional Associate level.
• Significant design experience related to large, multi-discipline, complex buildings.
• History of exceptional leadership performance and performance on project delivery.
• Recognized technical expert within the local, national, global industry.
• Known throughout HDR, by competitors, by clients, by industry talent.
• History of receiving technical industry awards, technical publishing, presenting, and/or leadership opportunities with societies and technical organizations.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and organizational skills.

Responsibilities

• Drive the community of practice.
• Partner with key stakeholders to identify and develop a network of Technical Experts/Subject Matter Experts as needed to support the HDR enterprise spanning all business groups.
• Drive a service minded culture – be a key leader in establishing capabilities that support the enterprise spanning all business groups in exceptional project execution.
• Develop and implement a mentoring and succession strategy for technical expertise.
• Develop and implement communication strategies to tie the North American and global community of professionals together for knowledge sharing.
• Create communities of practice like “practice groups” around special skills and/or emerging services.
• Technical excellence.
• Implement strategy for development and maintenance of project delivery tools, standards, recommended practices, and workflows.
• Partner with Digital Delivery on digital content and workflows.
• Drive quality throughout the program, perform design quality control reviews, and lead quality initiatives, in support of a strong quality-oriented culture.
• Assist in ensuring project teams are leveraging subject matter experts to optimize project delivery – including providing design oversight and leading teams of experts on the most complex and challenging projects.
• Thought leadership and elevating the practice.
• Foster a culture of innovation and advance innovation within the practice.
• Provide critical/strategic pursuit and interview support related to respective discipline as needed, and/or identify other qualified staff within discipline including key client engagement and development of technical scope and fee.
• Recruit and retain the best talent.
• Establish HDR as the recognized market leader in the mechanical discipline among clients and competitors.
• Strengthen HDR’s technical profile through industry awards, publications, speaking engagements, and leadership roles in professional societies and technical organizations.
• Strategy and growth.
• Lead development of a comprehensive vision and strategy for respective discipline with the mission of establishing the practice as the best in the world in the next year, 3, 5, and 10 years.
• Identify, prioritize, and implement strategies for greatest opportunities to influence growth across the business.
• Facilitate alignment amongst key stakeholders around strategy.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Organizational skills

Technical expertise

Mentoring

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Master's or PhD in Mechanical Engineering

Job description

HDR is seeking a senior Mechanical Engineering leader to guide the Building Mechanical practice across North America. You will shape strategy, mentor staff, and drive cross-disciplinary collaboration to deliver high‑impact, multi‑discipline projects that advance sustainable design and digital delivery.

You will oversee design quality, champion talent development, and partner with multiple HDR business groups to raise the practice’s profile through awards, publications, and industry leadership.