Senior Mechanical Engineer - Data Centers

SSOE Group; Saint Paul (MN); Hybrid; USD 130,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Ownership opportunities

Hybrid/remote work option

Annual bonus

Comprehensive benefits

Professional development and training

Generous PTO and paid holidays

Job summary

SSOE Group is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer - Data Centers to lead mechanical design for data center facilities and AI factory projects across North America. You will collaborate with in-house engineering and architecture teams to meet standards from scope development to commissioning and startup.

The role emphasizes leadership, high-tech systems, and a pathway to ownership in an employee-owned firm, with a hybrid or remote work option and competitive compensation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from an accredited program.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license with ability to register in additional states.
• Minimum 12 years of mechanical engineering experience, data center design preferred.
• Experience with HVAC, plumbing, fire protection, and related mechanical systems.
• Knowledge of local building codes and international standards.
• Experience using Revit for design modeling.
• Strong leadership and communication skills.
• Valid driver’s license and passport for travel.

Responsibilities

• Act as mechanical discipline lead on data center projects with multi-location teams.
• Ensure scope, schedule, and budget adherence for medium to large projects.
• Create plans, drawings, and models for piping, HVAC, and related systems.
• Maintain clear client and team communication; coordinate with other disciplines.
• Oversee quality reviews and manage changes in scope or schedule.
• Meet with contractors to discuss design and construction aspects; conduct field verifications.
• Mentor junior staff and contribute to proposals and staffing plans.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Team management

Client engagement

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering

PE License

Tools

Revit

Job description

SSOE is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer - Data Centers who will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of data center facilities and high-performance AI factory design.

In this role, you will work closely with an exceptional and fully integrated staff of in-house engineering and architecture teams to ensure that these critical projects meet and exceed industry standards from scope development to commissioning and start-up. SSOE brings decades of experience in power-intensive, high-tech, and mission-critical environments throughout North America, making us an excellent choice for your next career move.

Why Join SSOE and Elevate Your Career?

At SSOE, you’ll work with amazing colleagues and be part of something big! We’ve consistently been named a “ Great Place to Work” and are experiencing the most successful years in our history. Along with industry-leading salary compensation, you’ll be eligible to purchase shares in the company — shares that have significantly outperformed the S&P and Dow averages.

What We Offer

• A hybrid or fully remote work schedule option for this role, providing you with the flexibility to achieve work-life balance while excelling in your career.
• Competitive Salary: $130k - $170k / year depending on location, education, experience, and certifications.
• Bonus and Incentives: Eligibility for our annual target bonus/incentive program based on company and individual performance and goals.
• Ownership Opportunities: As an employee-owned firm, we offer ownership opportunities to all employees at the associate level and above. This senior associate level role will allow you to become a shareholder of SSOE.
• Comprehensive Benefits: Health, dental, and vision insurance, life insurance, 401k retirement savings plan (with company matching), professional development and training, generous PTO, and paid holidays.

Additional Perks

• Continuous Learning: Embrace a culture of perpetual learning where curiosity is celebrated, innovative ideas are welcomed, and your career growth aspirations are fully supported.
• Career Stability: A diversity of market sectors, project types, and geographic locations that help insulate your career from economic ups and downs.
• Career Advancement: Embark on a structured career journey with abundant opportunities for growth and advancement.
• Holistic Compensation: A holistic approach to compensation and benefits that supports your physical and mental health, encourages work-life balance, and empowers your career advancement and financial success.

SSOE - The Best of Both Worlds

At SSOE, Our Growth Trajectory Allows Us To Offer The Opportunities Normally Associated With a Large Firm While Embracing The Collaborative And Supportive Culture Often Found In Smaller Firms. As a Member Of The SSOE Team, You Will Work On Exciting And Diverse Projects For Fortune 100 Clients Around The Globe, Supported By The Best Technology For The Task At Hand. You Will Experience Our Employee-centric Culture That Strives To Offer a Healthy Balance, Flexible Working Arrangements, Direct Access To Leadership At All Levels, And a Mindset Of Continuous Learning. Once You Experience The SSOE Difference, You’ll Understand The Why Behind Our Metrics

• 28% - of our employees have been with SSOE for 10 years or more.
• 15% - percentage of employees with tenure exceeding 15 years.
• 99% - our CEO’s approval rating on Glassdoor
• 99% - portion of our clients who say they would recommend us to a colleague

AI and Innovation

At SSOE, we don’t just talk about the future, we build it. As a leader in industry AI adoption, we empower our team to work smarter by providing responsible access to the industry leading AI Large Language Models, vibe-coding platforms, and securely integrating advanced tools into every role. From day one, you’ll receive the training and support needed to leverage AI as a core tool for enhancing productivity, sparking creativity, and streamlining complex workflows.

Responsibilities

Primary Responsibilities

• Acts as a mechanical discipline project lead in a multi-discipline design team, overseeing a multi-location production team, with strong client engagement skills.
• Responsible for the performance of the team to contracted scope, schedule, and budget on medium- to large-sized data center design projects. Manage technical resources to accomplish project objectives .
• Generate comprehensive technical project plans, specifications, drawings, and models aligned with industry standards and client requirements for piping, HVAC, plumbing, fire protection systems, and related mechanical building systems, including clean/dry rooms.
• Maintain effective communication with project team members and with the client.
• Coordinate work with other disciplines.
• Use engineering and design software and equipment to perform engineering tasks.
• Responsible for the completeness, accuracy, and timeliness of the work.
• Responsible for overall quality management of the team. Performing quality reviews of project deliverables to ensure accuracy, conformance to codes, specifications, design criteria, and conformance to good engineering practices.
• Participate in managing change for deviations in scope, schedule, or professional services for the discipline.
• Meet with contractors to discuss technical aspects of project design and construction.
• Conduct field verification and site walks to identify , validate , resolve, and integrate solutions into design packages.
• Resolve design issues on site during construction, as necessary.
• Provide leadership, guidance, monitoring/ coaching less experienced staff.
• Participate in proposal preparation activities to establish scope of services, effort hour estimator(s), exclusions/clarifications, deliverables, and staffing/work plans to align with project schedule.
• Travel required .

Qualifications

What You’ll Need on Day One

• Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from an accredited university program.
• PE (Professional Engineer’s) License with the ability to become registered in additional states.
• At least 12 years of mechanical engineering experience. Experience in designing data center facilities is required .
• Demonstrated knowledge or experience with designs containing HVAC, chilled/condenser water/liquid cooled systems, air handling systems, hot/cold aisle containment, utility piping and plumbing systems a nd other similar mechanical building systems .
• Knowledge of relevant local building codes and international standards to ensure compliance.
• Experience working with Revit.
• Strong leadership and communication skills .
• Valid driver’s license.
• Valid passport for occasional project-related international travel.