Lead Mechanical Engineer

About the role

Redtree Engineering specializes in engineering, project management, and construction support services across mission-critical facilities, power systems, industrial projects, and complex infrastructure. The role is 100% remote, U.S.-based, with no relocation or office requirement. Redtree is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer with deep power plant design experience to lead front-end planning, detailed design, and construction administration for power generation projects, with a focus on coal and natural gas-fired power plants, as well as associated balance of plant systems. This role covers the full engineering lifecycle, from front-end planning and preliminary design through final design, construction administration, and startup, and will work closely with multidisciplinary teams (electrical, civil, structural, PM/CM), equipment suppliers, and clients on both new-build and plant modernization/uprate projects. In addition to technical design work, this role plays a key part in growing the team, mentoring and training less experienced engineers, leading project teams (including supporting staff overseas as part of Redtree's global CSI network), and helping set technical direction and quality standards across mechanical scope.

Responsibilities

• Serve as technical lead for mechanical scope on assigned power generation projects, setting design direction and quality standards for the team.
• Bring deep, hands-on power plant design experience to bear on complex mechanical systems for coal, natural gas, and combined cycle generation facilities.
• Mentor, train, and develop less experienced engineers, including reviewing their calculations, drawings, and design decisions.
• Manage and lead teams of mechanical engineers to complete assigned activities, including workload planning and task delegation.
• Direct and support project teams and engineering staff overseas as part of Redtree's global CSI network, ensuring consistent design quality and coordination across time zones.
• Perform front-end planning, preliminary design, code analysis, and detailed design for mechanical systems at coal and natural gas fired generation facilities and associated balance of plant systems.
• Design and size mechanical equipment and piping systems, including pumps, blowers, tanks, and vessels, along with hydraulic calculations and valve/pipe material selection.
• Develop and review P&IDs for pumps, vessels, and tanks.
• Support air quality control systems and effluent limitation guideline (ELG) management for generation facilities.
• Prepare final design packages, including bidding documents and specifications, for compliance with applicable mechanical and building codes, industry standards, and client specifications.
• Coordinate with electrical, civil, structural, and project management teams to ensure integrated, constructible designs.
• Support construction administration and startup activities, primarily through remote review of compliance submittals, technical direction, and resolution of construction issues, with occasional site visits as needed.
• Support proposal development, scoping, and schedule estimation for new project pursuits.
• Contribute to project documentation, drawing sets, and technical specifications throughout the project lifecycle (feasibility, preliminary engineering, detailed design, PM/CM, startup/commissioning).
• Lead development-support and owner's-engineer work, such as technical due diligence and design reviews, as needed.

Requirements

• Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license required.
• 12+ years of hands-on mechanical design experience specifically within the power generation industry, including coal, natural gas, gas-fired, and/or combined cycle power plants.
• Demonstrated track record designing balance-of-plant mechanical systems for power plants (piping, pumps, tanks, vessels, air quality/emissions systems).