Plumbing Design Engineer

Utopiadesign; South Africa; Remote; ZAR 1,000,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Global exposure

International team

Remote collaboration

Luxury standards

Job summary

Utopia is seeking a senior plumbing design professional to own the design of plumbing, drainage, and fire systems for luxury villas and boutique hotels worldwide. You will collaborate with architects, interior designers, and engineers to translate design intent into buildable documentation and BIM models.

Proficiency in Revit and AutoCAD, strong communication skills, and experience in hospitality projects are essential.

Qualifications

• Design plumbing, drainage, and fire systems for luxury villas and hotels
• Coordinate with architects, interior designers, and engineers
• Produce detailed drawings and technical documentation in BIM

Responsibilities

• Lead detailed drawings and system specifications with BIM support
• Perform load calculations and system sizing for performance
• Oversee equipment selection aligning with sustainability goals
• Guide value engineering to balance cost, quality, and performance
• Review deliverables from third‑party designers and surveyors

Skills

BIM coordination

Communication

English proficiency

Project collaboration

Education

Degree in Mechanical/Civil/Building Eng (plumbing)

Tools

Revit

AutoCAD

Job description

About The Company

Utopia is an ultra-luxury hospitality and lifestyle brand creating a global ecosystem of properties and experiences. We develop private villa retreats in beautiful locations around the world, each with high-end service. Utopia also offers a wider ecosystem of leisure experiences and services available both to those staying on property and to external visitors. Utopia designs and builds its properties in-house. Our projects span the full journey: from concept and architecture to construction, interiors, landscape, guest experience, and long-term operation. For architects and designers, this means contributing on properties from the ground up, with the ability to influence how each place is planned, built, and experienced. For hospitality professionals, it means collaborating with a brand where service is personal, attentive, and built around each guest's stay. We’re a young, ambitious team with high standards and a hands‑on approach. We value strong ideas, practical thinking, attention to detail, and people who are ready to take ownership of their part of each project. If you’re interested in architecture, design, hospitality, or guest experience, we invite you to explore opportunities with Utopia.

About The Role

You'll take ownership of plumbing and fire-fighting system design for Utopia's boutique hospitality projects — villas and hotels across luxury markets worldwide. You'll translate design intent into coordinated, build-able plumbing documentation, working closely with architects, interior designers, structural engineers, and the FF&E procurement team.

Responsibilites

• Design plumbing, drainage, and fire-fighting systems for luxury villas and boutique hotels, ensuring compliance with local building codes and industry standards
• Collaborate closely with architects, interior designers, and other engineers to integrate systems seamlessly into the overall project
• Participate in spatial coordination with the architectural and structural model to secure design intent and a high-end user experience
• Lead the development of detailed drawings, technical documentation, and system specifications using Revit and AutoCAD, with support from BIM modelers
• Perform load calculations and system sizing to optimize performance
• Oversee equipment selection, ensuring alignment with project requirements and sustainability goals
• Provide input during value engineering discussions to balance cost, quality, and performance
• Supervise design development and review deliverables from third-party designers, consultants, and surveyors

Requirements

• Degree in Mechanical, Civil, or Building Engineering with a concentration in plumbing, drainage, pool, and storm drainage systems
• 5 to 10 years of experience in design consultancy or with a general contractor
• Experience working on low-rise residential and hospitality projects — private homes and villas, hotels and resorts
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Proficiency in Revit and AutoCAD
• Professional level of English, written and verbal

Nice to have

• Fluent in Spanish
• Experience with tropical or Caribbean hospitality projects

We Offer

• Global project exposure. Contribute to luxury hospitality projects across Europe, Africa, and Latin America.
• A truly international team. Collaborate across cultures, disciplines, and time zones with people bringing diverse perspectives and expertise.
• Remote collaboration. This opportunity is fully remote, giving you the flexibility to contribute from wherever suits you best.
• Exposure to luxury standards and materials. Engage with elevated design references, premium finishes, and globally inspired concepts.

By submitting this application, I agree that my personal data will be collected, processed, and retained by the company solely for the purposes of managing and assessing my candidacy.