Senior Mechanical Design Engineer

Brightpath Associates LLC; Fayetteville (AR); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Brightpath Associates LLC seeks a Lead or Senior Mechanical/Process Design Engineer to lead design of industrial process utilities, piping, plumbing, and HVAC for manufacturing facilities. Requires PE license and 10–20 years’ experience in facility mechanical design and process piping.

You will mentor juniors, interface with clients and vendors, and deliver design from concept through construction documents.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and PE license required.
• 10–20 years of experience in mechanical HVAC and piping design for industrial facilities.
• Strong knowledge of ASME codes and USDA/FDA/OSHA/ASHRAE standards.
• Ability to prepare and review engineering drawings, calculations, and construction documents.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; strong detail orientation.
• Capable of leading projects and mentoring junior engineers.

Responsibilities

• Lead mechanical and process utility design for industrial plants.
• Design utility piping, process piping, plumbing, and HVAC systems.
• Develop layouts and packages for air, steam, water, and wastewater systems.
• Perform calculations, sizing, and design evaluations.
• Prepare AutoCAD drawings and Revit models; review and coordinate documentation.
• Mentor engineers and designers; coordinate with clients and vendors.
• Conduct site visits and retrofit assessments; support project delivery on schedule.

Skills

HVAC piping

Piping design

ASME codes

Staff mentoring

Client coordination

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering

PE license in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

AutoCAD

Revit

Job description

Seeking a Lead or Senior Mechanical / Process Design Engineer to support and lead the design of industrial process utilities, piping systems, plumbing, and HVAC systems for manufacturing and processing facilities.

This role is ideal for an experienced mechanical engineer with PE license and a strong background in facility mechanical design, process utility piping systems, industrial piping, and process facilities and manufacturing environments. The successful candidate will lead mechanical design efforts, mentor junior engineers and/or designers, interface with clients and vendors, and deliver high-quality engineering solutions from concept through construction document.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead mechanical and process utility design for industrial and manufacturing facilities, with a preference for food and beverage processing experience.
• Design and engineer utility piping, process piping, plumbing, and HVAC systems for manufacturing plants.
• Develop layouts and engineering packages for compressed air, steam, condensate, pumps, process heating, chilled water, cooling tower systems, high- and low-pressure water, wastewater, vacuum, thermal fluid, and other plant utility systems.
• Perform engineering calculations, equipment sizing, system layouts, and design evaluations.
• Prepare and review AutoCAD 2D drawings and Revit 3D models for utility, plumbing, process piping, and HVAC systems.
• Lead mechanical design efforts and mentor other mechanical engineers and designers.
• Conduct field evaluations, site visits, and information gathering for retrofit, expansion, and new facility projects.
• Coordinate effectively with clients, vendors, contractors, project managers, and multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Deliver engineering work within agreed schedules, budgets, and quality expectations.
• Support continuous improvement through feedback, lessons learned, and design best practices.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license in Mechanical Engineering.
• 10–20 years of experience in mechanical HVAC and piping system design and engineering for industrial or manufacturing facilities.
• Strong experience with utility piping, process piping, plumbing, and HVAC systems.
• Experience designing systems such as compressed air, steam, condensate, chilled water, hot water, process water, wastewater, pumps, cooling towers, and thermal fluid systems.
• Strong working knowledge of ASME codes and relevant USDA, FDA, OSHA, and ASHRAE standards and guidelines.
• Ability to prepare, review, and coordinate engineering and drafting models, drawings, calculations, specifications, and construction documents.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to technical quality.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to manage priorities, meet deadlines, and support multiple projects.
• Strong work ethic, ownership mindset, and commitment to client service.

Preferred Experience

• Mechanical or process design experience in food and beverage manufacturing facilities.
• Experience with industrial plant expansions, facility upgrades, and utility infrastructure projects.
• Familiarity with sanitary design principles, hygienic piping, clean-in-place systems, or regulated production environments.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary coordination with process, electrical, structural, and controls teams.