Senior Mechanical Engineer - Thermal Projects Lead

AES Corporation; Texas; On-site; USD 180,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

AES Corporation is seeking a Principal Mechanical Engineer - Thermal Projects to lead mechanical design for gas turbines, HRSGs, and balance-of-plant across development, construction, and operation. You will mentor engineers, guide third-party partners, and drive innovative thermal solutions for diverse projects.

The role requires deep experience in thermal generation facilities, strong communication, and the ability to coordinate across disciplines within a large organization.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering or equivalent.
• Graduate degree in mechanical engineering preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop, review, and support engineering for gas and steam turbines, HRSGs, fuel-gas systems, cooling systems, water treatment, 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, 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, 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 designs.
• Travel to engineering offices, vendor facilities, and project sites as required.
• Review and evaluate major equipment performance guarantees, reliability guarantees, availability guarantees, operating constraints, heat rate performance, emissions requirements, and project design assumptions.
• Support fuel supply and infrastructure evaluations, including natural gas and LNG systems, in coordination with internal and external stakeholders.
• Support permitting and environmental activities by providing technical input related to plant design, equipment selection, operating profiles, and emissions characteristics.
• Support Operations/Asset Management teams to resolve mechanical and thermal technical issues at operating sites.

Skills

Mechanical design of thermal power

Gas turbines / RICE / CC

P&ID interpretation & vendor docs

Cross-functional team coordination

HRSGs & steam turbines experience

Communication & mentoring

Cost, risk, and value engineering

Procore

MS Office proficiency

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering or equivalent

Graduate degree in mechanical engineering

EIT or PE certification

Tools

Procore

MS Office Suite

Job description

AES Corporation is seeking a Principal Mechanical Engineer - Thermal Projects to lead mechanical design for gas turbines, HRSGs, and balance-of-plant across development, construction, and operation. You will mentor engineers, guide third-party partners, and drive innovative thermal solutions for diverse projects.

The role requires deep experience in thermal generation facilities, strong communication, and the ability to coordinate across disciplines within a large organization.