Principal Mechanical Engineer - Thermal Projects

aes; Texas; Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

The AES Corporation is seeking a Principal Mechanical Engineer - Thermal Projects to provide subject matter expertise and technical leadership for the mechanical design and engineering of thermal power generation projects in development, construction, and operation.

Responsibilities include technical oversight of third-party engineering, design reviews, procurement specification preparation, and other technical support activities.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in thermal power generation facilities.
• Deep knowledge of gas turbines, HRSGs, and steam cycles.
• Strong leadership, communication, and project execution skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop, review, and support engineering for gas turbines, HRSGs, fuel-gas systems, cooling, water treatment, HVAC, piping, and balance-of-plant.
• Prepare and review design criteria, calculations, drawings, specifications, data sheets, technical reports, cost estimates, and scopes of work.
• Coordinate interfaces with civil, structural, electrical, mechanical, controls, environmental, operations, construction, and commissioning disciplines.
• Review EPC, consultant, OEM, and vendor work products for compliance with project requirements, codes, standards, contracts, and deliverables.
• Perform technical studies, equipment selection, design optimization, constructability, and value-engineering evaluations.
• Support procurement through technical bid evaluations, vendor-document review, FAT, and issue resolution.
• Provide field engineering support and ensure installation conforms to approved documents, quality requirements, and safe work practices.

Job description

Are you ready to be part of a company that's not just talking about the future, but actively shaping it? Join The AES Corporation, the largest US-based global power company with a team of 8,300 employees across 12 countries.

AES has been ranked #1 by BloombergNEF in renewable energy sales to corporations in the US and Americas for five consecutive years, providing electricity for millions of people worldwide.

We are proud to foster a strong workplace culture, earning prominent positions in Great Place to Work™ rankings across the markets where we operate. AES was also named one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for the 13th consecutive year in 2026, highlighting our dedication to integrity, transparency, and responsible business practices.

Our spirit of innovation continues to earn industry recognition. AES is the only seven-time winner of the Edison Electric Institute's Edison Awards in the twenty-first century, a distinction honoring global leadership in advancing the electric power industry.

If you're ready to be part of a company that's not just adapting to change, but driving it, AES is the place for you. We're not just building a more sustainable future , we're powering it.

The Principal Mechanical Engineer - Thermal Projects will be responsible for providing subject matter expertise and technical leadership for the mechanical design and engineering of thermal power generation projects in development, construction, and operation. Responsibilities include technical oversight of third-party engineering, design reviews, contract document development and negotiation, procurement specification preparation, and other technical support activities.

The Principal Mechanical Engineer will join a team of project engineers reporting to the Director of Engineering and will serve as the mechanical subject matter expert supporting thermal projects across the portfolio. Additional responsibilities include mentoring and training other Engineers, directly supporting projects as a subject matter expert, providing technical guidance and resolving complex mechanical engineering issues, driving innovation within the team, and driving institutional change within the wider organization.

The successful candidate will have a depth of experience in the development, analysis, and design of thermal generation facilities, including gas turbines, reciprocating internal combustion engine (RICE) power plants, combined-cycle facilities, simple-cycle generation, cogeneration systems, hybrid thermal generation projects, heat recovery steam generators (HRSGs), steam turbines, and associated thermal balance-of-plant systems. Experience with related technologies and infrastructure, including natural gas and LNG systems, electrical interconnections, battery energy storage systems (BESS), microgrids, renewable energy integration, and data center power solutions, is highly desirable. Experience with other generation technologies including renewable energy, nuclear, hydroelectric, or emerging energy technologies is a plus. Excellent communication, task management, and planning skills are needed, in addition to technical depth and breadth.

Key Responsibilities

Project Execution

• Develop, review, and support engineering for gas and steam turbines, HRSGs, fuel-gas systems, cooling systems, water treatment, compressed air, fire protection, HVAC, piping, pumps, heat exchangers, and mechanical balance-of-plant.
• Prepare and review design criteria, calculations, drawings, specifications, data sheets, technical reports, cost estimates, and scopes of work.
• Coordinate interfaces with civil, structural, electrical, mechanical, controls, environmental, operations, construction, and commissioning disciplines.
• Review EPC, consultant, OEM, and vendor work products for compliance with project requirements, codes, standards, contracts, and expected deliverables.
• Perform technical studies, equipment selection, design optimization, constructability, and value-engineering evaluations.
• Support procurement through technical bid evaluations, vendor-document review, inspections, factory testing (FAT), and issue resolution.
• Provide field engineering support and review installation for conformance with approved documents, quality requirements, and safe work practices.
• Investigate design, fabrication, construction, software, and commissioning issues and develop practical technical resolutions.
• Support project schedule, budget, risk, interface, and management-of-change activities.
• Support mechanical completion, Site Acceptance Testing (SAT), testing, energization, commissioning, startup, performance verification, and turnover.
• Maintain technical baselines, redlines, approved changes, test records, and as-built documentation.
• Prepare training and operating information and transfer knowledge to project and plant personnel.
• Capture lessons learned and improve standards, templates, and reference