Senior Mechanical Engineer, Plumbing

About the role

The Senior Mechanical Engineer – Plumbing leads the design, development, and delivery of plumbing engineering solutions throughout all phases of project execution. This role serves as a technical leader for plumbing system design, collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to develop coordinated, constructible building systems while ensuring compliance with applicable codes, industry standards, and project requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and production of plumbing engineering deliverables, including drawings, specifications, calculations, hydraulic analyses, and technical documentation throughout the project lifecycle.
• Design domestic water, sanitary waste and vent, storm drainage, natural gas, medical gas, specialty piping, and other plumbing systems in accordance with applicable codes, standards, and project requirements.
• Perform plumbing system sizing and hydraulic calculations, fixture unit analyses, equipment selection, and utility demand evaluations.
• Coordinate plumbing system layouts with HVAC, structural, architectural, electrical, fire protection, and civil disciplines to ensure fully integrated and constructible building designs.
• Prepare and review coordinated 2D drawings and 3D models using computer-aided design (CAD) and Building Information Modeling (BIM) platforms.
• Review plumbing engineering deliverables to ensure compliance with project quality standards, coordination requirements, constructability expectations, and applicable plumbing codes.
• Lead construction administration activities, including reviewing shop drawings and submittals, responding to Requests for Information (RFIs), conducting site visits, evaluating field conditions, and supporting commissioning and project closeout activities.
• Collaborate with architects, engineers, contractors, utility providers, authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs), and project stakeholders to develop coordinated and cost-effective plumbing solutions.
• Assist project managers with scope management, budgeting, scheduling, technical risk evaluation, and quality control related to plumbing system design.
• Apply sound engineering judgment to resolve complex plumbing design challenges while balancing performance, maintainability, sustainability, and lifecycle costs.
• Support the evaluation and implementation of sustainable water management strategies, including water conservation, rainwater harvesting, graywater reuse, and other high-performance building initiatives.
• Participate in professional development activities and contribute to continuous improvement of engineering standards, design processes, and technical best practices.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Provides mentorship and technical guidance to junior engineers and designers while supporting professional development and knowledge sharing.
• May lead project-specific engineering teams and coordinate plumbing engineering work assignments to support successful project delivery.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering (or equivalent engineering discipline with a plumbing engineering focus) required.
• 6+ years of experience in plumbing engineering for commercial, institutional, healthcare, industrial, or mission-critical building projects required.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license required.
• Active NCEES Record for licensure maintenance preferred.
• Demonstrated experience designing domestic water, sanitary, storm, natural gas, medical gas, specialty piping, and other plumbing systems for commercial building projects.
• Strong understanding of the International Plumbing Code (IPC), Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC), NFPA standards, local jurisdictional requirements, and applicable building codes.
• Proficiency with plumbing engineering calculations, hydraulic analysis, CAD/BIM software, and industry-standard engineering design tools.
• Experience coordinating plumbing systems within multidisciplinary BIM environments and participating in clash detection and constructability reviews.
• Strong knowledge of construction administration practices, submittal review, field coordination, and project delivery methods.
• Excellent analytical, communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to effectively manage multiple projects and priorities while working independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.

About the company

DPR Construction is a forward-thinking, self-performing general contractor specializing in technically complex and sustainable projects for the advanced technology, life sciences, healthcare, higher education, and commercial markets. Founded in 1990, DPR is a private, employee-owned company that has grown into a multi-billion-dollar family of companies with offices around the world. The company is recognized as a great place to work by leading news organizations like U.S. News and World Report, Forbes, Fast Company, and Newsweek.