Senior Associate, Data Center Mechanical Engineering

aresmgmt; Bellevue (WA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/Dental/Vision benefits

401(k) with company match

EAP and commuter benefits

Job summary

Ares Management is seeking a Senior Associate to lead mechanical design for North America data center projects, ensuring reliable cooling, robust controls, and scalable systems across multiple sites.

You will collaborate with internal teams and external consultants to align with global standards and deliver high-quality designs, while supporting regional deployment and technical RFP responses.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering required.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license required.
• 7+ years of mechanical engineering experience in data center or mission-critical projects.
• Strong knowledge of cooling plants, chilled water, heat rejection and air distribution systems.
• Familiarity with industry standards, codes, and regulatory requirements.
• Experience leading design development and multi-disciplinary coordination.

Responsibilities

• Develop mechanical design strategies for North America data center projects.
• Coordinate with civil, architectural, structural, and MEP teams.
• Review mechanical designs for compliance with standards and project requirements.
• Evaluate cooling strategies to meet reliability and energy goals.
• Support regional implementation of mechanical infrastructure strategies.

Skills

Mechanical design

CFD modeling

Hydronic simulation

Load calculation

Controls integration

Technical communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering

PE license

Tools

CFD software

Hydronic tools

Load calculation tools

Energy modeling software

Job description

Over the last 20 years, Ares’ success has been driven by our people and our culture. Today, our team is guided by our core values – Collaborative, Responsible, Entrepreneurial, Self-Aware, Trustworthy – and our purpose to be a catalyst for shared prosperity and a better future. Through our recruitment, career development and employee‑focused programming, we are committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive work environment where high‑performance talent of diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives can build careers within this exciting and growing industry.

Job Description

As the Senior Associate, Data Center Mechanical Engineering (North America), you will support the development and implementation of mechanical design strategies for data center projects across the North America region. This role focuses on ensuring that mechanical systems are designed to meet customer requirements, operational needs, and program objectives for safety, reliability, scalability, and speed to market.

You bring strong technical expertise in mechanical systems for data centers, combined with a practical understanding of design execution, constructability, and operations. You will work closely with internal teams and external consultants to ensure high‑quality, coordinated mechanical designs are delivered across multiple concurrent projects.

In addition to regional responsibilities, you will contribute to the evolution of global mechanical design standards and strategies in collaboration with our Global leads and peers across Japan, EMEA, and South America—leveraging North America project experience and innovations to inform global best practices.

Responsibilities

• Support development and implementation of mechanical design strategies for North America data center projects, including cooling plants, heat rejection systems, chilled water systems, condenser water systems, air distribution systems, and associated controls interfaces.
• Collaborate with design management and consultant teams to ensure mechanical systems are fully coordinated and integrated with all disciplines (civil, architectural, structural, mechanical, plumbing, fire protection & life safety, controls, and security).
• Provide technical guidance and perform design reviews of mechanical systems to ensure compliance with company standards, industry codes, and project requirements.
• Support evaluation of cooling strategies and system configurations to meet customer requirements, reliability objectives, energy performance goals, and constructability considerations.
• Collaborate with project teams and utility or infrastructure stakeholders, as applicable, to support regional implementation of mechanical infrastructure strategies.
• Support sales engineering team in the preparation of technical responses for customer RFPs, including mechanical design narratives, system concepts, and solution development.
• Support evaluation and selection of mechanical equipment, technologies, and vendor solutions in alignment with program objectives.
• Collaborate with construction and operations teams to ensure mechanical designs support efficient construction, commissioning, maintainability, and long‑term operations.
• Identify risks related to mechanical system design, constructability, coordination, and schedule, and proactively support mitigation strategies.
• Stay informed on advancements in mechanical engineering and data center cooling technologies, and recommend improvements to enhance performance, efficiency, and reliability.
• Contribute to the development and continuous improvement of global mechanical design standards, specifications, and best practices in coordination with international peers.
• Participate in cross‑regional collaboration efforts to align on design approaches and share lessons learned across the global portfolio.

Skills & Experience

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• Professional Engineering (PE) license.
• 7+ years of relevant experience in mechanical engineering for data center, mission‑critical, or similarly complex infrastructure projects.
• Strong knowledge of mechanical systems including cooling plants, chilled water systems, heat rejection systems, air distribution systems, and controls integration for mission‑critical environments.
• Familiarity with industry standards, codes, and regulatory requirements.
• Experience supporting design development and coordination with multi‑disciplinary teams.
• Understanding of reliability, redundancy, and maintainability principles as applied to data center mechanical systems.
• Understanding of mechanical analytics tools, including load calculation, CFD modeling, and hydronic simulation modeling software.
• Strong analytical, problem‑solving, and technical communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast‑paced project environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working on hyperscale or high‑density data center projects.
• Experience with availability/reliability modeling.
• Familiarity with construction methodologies, cost considerations, and project execution for mechanical systems.
• Experience with prefabrication or modular design approaches.
• Experience participating in client‑facing technical discussions and solution development.

Reporting Relationships

Head of Design & Innovation, NA & Global, Ada

Compensation

The anticipated base salary range for this position is listed below. Total compensation may also include a discretionary performance‑based bonus. Note, the range takes into account a broad spectrum of qualifications, including, but not limited to, years of relevant work experience, education, and other relevant qualifications specific to the role.

$140,000.00 - $160,000.00

The firm also offers robust Benefits offerings. Ares U.S. Core Benefits include Comprehensive Medical/Rx, Dental and Vision plans; 401(k) program with company match; Flexible Savings Accounts (FSA); Healthcare Savings Accounts (HSA) with company contribution; Basic and Voluntary Life Insurance; Long‑Term Disability (LTD) and Short‑Term Disability (STD) insurance; Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and Commuter Benefits plan for parking and transit.

Ares offers a number of additional benefits including access to a world‑class medical advisory team, a mental health app that includes coaching, therapy and psychiatry, a mindfulness and wellbeing app, financial wellness benefit that includes access to a financial advisor, new parent leave, reproductive and adoption assistance, emergency backup care, matching gift program, education sponsorship program, and much more.

There is no set deadline to apply for this job opportunity. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the search is no longer active.