Mechanical Engineer (Data Center MEP Systems)
SpaceX · Texas, United States · Yesterday
On-siteInformation TechnologyFull-time
Responsibilities
- Design and specify mechanical cooling systems for data center facilities: chilled water plants, CRAH/CRAC units, air handling units, and cooling towers
- Own plumbing system design: domestic water, sanitary, storm drainage, makeup water, and process piping for cooling systems
- Evaluate and specify facility liquid cooling infrastructure (direct-to-chip, rear-door heat exchangers, immersion cooling)
- Perform heat load calculations, airflow modeling, and capacity planning to ensure design requirements are met
- Develop piping design, pump sizing, and hydraulic calculations for chilled water and condenser water loops
- Review and coordinate mechanical/plumbing drawings with architectural, electrical, structural, and fire protection disciplines
- Support commissioning of mechanical systems: functional performance testing, integrated systems testing (IST), and level 5 commissioning for critical cooling infrastructure
- Work directly with equipment vendors (chillers, CRAH units, pumps, cooling towers) on technical specifications and factory witness testing
- Troubleshoot operational issues in existing facilities — water treatment, pump cavitation, control valve failures, capacity shortfalls
- Support due diligence and technical evaluation for new site selection, including utility water availability and existing mechanical infrastructure condition
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related discipline
- 5+ years of experience in mechanical/plumbing design for mission-critical facilities, data centers, or comparable industrial environments
Preferred Skills And Experience
- Working knowledge of HVAC and hydronic system design: chilled water plants, cooling towers, air handling systems
- Experience with plumbing system design and code compliance (domestic water, sanitary, storm drainage)
- Ability to read and produce mechanical/plumbing construction documents, P&IDs, and equipment schedules
- Direct data center design or operations experience, ideally at hyperscale or colocation facility scale
- Experience with liquid cooling technologies: direct-to-chip, rear-door heat exchangers, or immersion cooling systems
- Familiarity with Uptime Institute Tier standards and ASHRAE TC9.9 data center thermal guidelines
- Commissioning experience, including functional performance testing (FPT) and integrated systems testing (IST)
- Experience with water treatment systems and makeup water strategy for evaporative cooling systems
- Knowledge of relevant codes: ASHRAE 90.1, IPC/UPC plumbing codes, NFPA where applicable
- Experience working alongside electrical and controls engineers to ensure integrated BMS/EPMS operation
- Comfort working in a fast-moving environment where facility capacity has to keep pace with compute deployment schedules