Senior Director – Design, Mechanical Engineering | Hyperscale Data Centres – North America

Hunter Philips Executive Search; Arizona; On-site; USD 250,000 - 350,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Performance-based bonus

401(k) with 4% employer match

Full medical/dental/vision/life/disabl

PTO & sick leave

Equity participation (ESOP)

Job summary

Hunter Philips Executive Search is recruiting for a Senior Director – Design, Mechanical Engineering to lead the mechanical design vision for hyperscale campuses. You will set strategy, standards, and innovation across multi-gigawatt developments powering global compute environments.

The role requires 5–10 years in mechanical engineering within large-scale projects, leadership of MEP programmes, and expertise in HVAC systems. PE license is preferred; LEED a plus.

Qualifications

• 5–10 years in mechanical engineering for hyperscale or mission-critical projects.
• Experience leading large-scale MEP design programmes and prototyping.
• Expertise in HVAC, chilled water and heat rejection systems.
• Strong design management and innovation delivery capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead the mechanical design strategy for hyperscale campuses.
• Develop a 3–5 year mechanical design plan aligned with growth.
• Act as senior SME from concept through construction and commissioning.
• Define and maintain mechanical design standards and benchmarks.
• Direct HVAC and advanced cooling system designs for performance and sustainability.
• Oversee consultants/contractors for quality, schedule and scalability.
• Recruit, lead and grow a high-performing mechanical design team.
• Mentor engineering talent and drive capability growth.
• Champion next-gen cooling innovations (liquid-to-chip, modular, prefabricated).
• Collaborate across disciplines to align with commercial and sustainability targets.

Skills

Leadership

Mechanical design

Project management

Team leadership

Stakeholder management

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Master's degree preferred

Professional Engineer (PE) license preferred

LEED accreditation a plus

Tools

HVAC design tools

Chilled water systems design

Energy efficiency optimization

Job description

$Excellent + Bonus + Long-Term Incentives + Full Benefits Package

Are you ready to lead the mechanical design vision for the next generation of hyperscale and AI data centre campuses? Do you want to set strategy, standards, and innovation across multi-gigawatt developments that power the world’s most advanced compute environments? If you’re looking for a senior technical leadership role where your designs define the benchmark for performance, scalability, and sustainability - this is it.

The Company

A fast-scaling private data centre developer with over seven years of proven data centre development across the U.S. and Europe, they’re building high-performance campuses that power the world’s most demanding digital workloads.delivering next-gen infrastructure for global cloud, AI, and enterprise clients.Backed by long-term capital and decades of real estate and technology expertise, they combine speed, flexibility, and end-to-end control - from site acquisition through to operations. Now entering a new phase of growth, they’re hiring senior leaders to help drive delivery at scale.

The Role

As Senior Director – Design, Mechanical Engineering, you will:

• Lead the mechanical design strategy for hyperscale campuses
• Develop and execute a 3–5 year mechanical design strategy, aligning with business growth objectives, technology evolution, and global delivery goals.
• Serve as the senior mechanical SME from concept through detailed design, construction, and commissioning.
• Define and maintain mechanical design standards, prototypes, and performance benchmarks.
• Direct HVAC, chilled water, economisation, and advanced cooling system designs to meet performance and sustainability goals.
• Oversee consultant and contractor performance, ensuring technical quality, schedule, and scalability.
• Recruit, lead, and manage a high-performing mechanical design team - driving collaboration, accountability, and delivery excellence.
• Mentor and develop engineering talent to ensure capability growth and long-term team success.
• Champion next-generation cooling innovation, including liquid-to-chip, modular, and prefabricated solutions.
• Collaborate across disciplines to align mechanical design solutions with commercial, operational, and sustainability targets.

The Person

• 5–10 years’ experience in mechanical engineering within hyperscale, mission-critical, or large industrial projects.
• Proven leadership of large-scale MEP design programmes and prototype development.
• Expertise in HVAC, chilled water, and heat rejection systems; advanced cooling experience preferred.
• Strong grounding in design management, system optimisation, and innovation delivery.
• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering (Master’s preferred).
• Professional Engineer (PE) licence strongly preferred; LEED accreditation a plus.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and stakeholder management skills.
• A proactive, solutions-oriented mindset with the ability to drive outcomes in a fast-growing environment.

Salary & Benefits

• Competitive salary with a performance-based bonus program
• 401(k) with 4% employer match, fully vested upon enrollment
• 100% employer-paid medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance
• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) and sick leave
• Equity participation (ESOP) providing ownership in company growth and long-term value creation
• Executive-level progression and development opportunities within a rapidly scaling organisation