Lead Mechanical HVAC Design Engineer

Luxus•Hollywood, FL

1d•Onsite

About The Position

MG Engineering D.P.C. is seeking an accomplished Lead Mechanical HVAC Design Engineer to provide technical leadership and design oversight for complex building projects. This is a high-impact opportunity for an experienced mechanical engineer who can lead sophisticated HVAC designs, guide multidisciplinary project teams, mentor developing engineers, and collaborate directly with architects, owners, contractors, utilities, commissioning professionals, and public agencies. The Lead Mechanical HVAC Design Engineer will oversee projects from feasibility, due diligence, and conceptual planning through design development, construction documents, agency approvals, bidding, construction administration, commissioning, and closeout. The position requires advanced knowledge of airside and waterside HVAC systems, central heating and cooling plants, building automation, energy modeling, heat-load calculations, ventilation, smoke control, building electrification, energy-code compliance, and New York City regulatory requirements. The ideal candidate combines strong technical expertise with project leadership, quality control, client communication, interdisciplinary coordination, and team development.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Architectural Engineering, or a closely related discipline
Eight or more years of progressively responsible mechanical and HVAC design experience
Significant experience working within an MEP consulting engineering environment
Demonstrated experience leading mechanical design assignments and coordinating multidisciplinary teams
Strong technical knowledge of airside and waterside HVAC systems
Experience preparing mechanical drawings, specifications, calculations, schedules, reports, and agency submissions
Working knowledge of applicable mechanical, energy, building, fuel gas, fire, and ASHRAE requirements
Proficiency with Revit and AutoCAD
Experience with HVAC load-calculation software such as Trane TRACE, Carrier HAP, IESVE, or similar applications
Experience reviewing equipment submittals, controls packages, and construction RFIs
Ability to lead multiple projects and prioritize competing deadlines
Excellent technical writing, communication, organization, and leadership skills
Ability to conduct field surveys and participate in construction-phase site activities

Nice To Haves

Twelve or more years of mechanical HVAC design experience
Professional Engineer license in New York
EIT certification with active progress toward PE licensure may be considered for a candidate with strong leadership experience
Experience serving as Engineer of Record or senior mechanical technical reviewer
Advanced knowledge of New York City codes, agency filings, energy requirements, and construction practices
Experience designing central utility plants and complex heating and cooling infrastructure
Experience with healthcare, life sciences, laboratories, higher education, commercial high-rise, residential high-rise, hospitality, or mission-critical projects
Experience with building electrification, decarbonization, and Local Law 97 compliance strategies
Experience designing smoke-control and stair-pressurization systems
Experience leading formal QA/QC or peer reviews
Proficiency with energy modeling, computational fluid dynamics, or central plant optimization tools
Established relationships within the New York architecture, engineering, construction, institutional, or real estate market
Experience supervising engineers and developing future technical leaders
LEED AP, WELL AP, CEM, CPD, HBDP, BEMP, BCxP, or other relevant credentials

Responsibilities

Lead the planning, analysis, design, and documentation of HVAC systems for new construction, renovations, infrastructure upgrades, and building-repositioning projects
Establish project design criteria, system concepts, performance requirements, and engineering standards
Direct the preparation of mechanical drawings, specifications, calculations, equipment schedules, control sequences, and technical reports
Lead the design and evaluation of variable air volume, constant-volume air-handling, dedicated outdoor air, variable refrigerant flow and variable refrigerant volume, chilled-water, heating hot-water, steam and condensate, condenser-water, heat pump and heat-recovery, packaged rooftop and split, fan coil, and water-source heat pump systems
Lead the design of central utility plants, chillers, boilers, cooling towers, pumps, energy-recovery ventilation, laboratory ventilation and exhaust, healthcare HVAC, commercial kitchen ventilation, smoke-control and stair-pressurization, data room and mission-critical cooling, building automation and direct digital controls, and mechanical equipment for high-rise buildings
Evaluate HVAC alternatives based on first cost, lifecycle cost, energy performance, carbon emissions, resiliency, redundancy, maintainability, acoustics, indoor environmental quality, and available space
Perform or oversee heating- and cooling-load calculations, ventilation calculations, and outdoor-air requirements
Size and select air-handling units, chillers, boilers, cooling towers, pumps, heat exchangers, terminal units, fans, heat pumps, and specialty equipment
Prepare or review airflow and ventilation calculations, hydronic pipe sizing, duct sizing and pressure loss, pump head calculations, equipment schedules and selections, psychrometric analyses, energy-code calculations, equipment lifecycle and efficiency evaluations, pressurization and air-balance strategies, fuel-use and building-load analyses, and central plant capacity studies
Lead the evaluation and design of central heating and cooling infrastructure, including concepts involving chillers, boilers, heat pumps, cooling towers, heat exchangers, thermal storage, and pumping systems
Assess central plant performance, capacity, condition, and remaining useful life, and develop recommendations that balance capital investment, efficiency, resilience, maintenance, and long-term operating costs
Lead or support the conversion of fossil-fuel-based heating systems to electric or hybrid alternatives, and evaluate air-source, water-source, ground-source, and heat-recovery heat pump applications
Develop practical electrification strategies for new and existing buildings and analyze electrical-service implications in collaboration with the electrical engineering team
Support compliance strategies associated with New York City building-emissions requirements
Develop phased decarbonization plans that account for budgets, equipment life, occupancy, and building operations, and integrate heat recovery, energy recovery, thermal storage, and high-efficiency system concepts
Serve as the senior mechanical technical authority for assigned projects
Work closely with Project Managers to establish scope, schedule, budget, staffing, technical milestones, and deliverables
Direct the work of engineers, designers, energy professionals, and BIM/Revit staff, and delegate assignments based on project requirements, team capabilities, and development goals
Identify design, coordination, permitting, energy, and construction risks early and develop mitigation strategies that protect project quality, schedule, and financial performance
Ensure mechanical designs comply with the New York City Mechanical Code, Building Code, Energy Conservation Code, Fuel Gas Code, and Fire Code, the New York State Energy Conservation Construction Code, ASHRAE standards and guidelines, NFPA requirements, the International Mechanical Code when applicable, Local Laws and agency requirements, and owner-specific design standards
Support New York City Department of Buildings filings, submissions, objections, and approvals, and coordinate with FDNY, NYC Department of Environmental Protection, utilities, and other authorities having jurisdiction
Maintain working knowledge of requirements associated with Local Law 97, building emissions and benchmarking, energy-code compliance, building electrification, refrigerants, indoor air quality, smoke control, and special inspection and commissioning
Provide technical leadership for specialized HVAC environments including hospitals and outpatient facilities, laboratories and life-science facilities, cleanrooms and controlled environments, higher-education and research buildings, commercial high-rises, residential towers, hotels and entertainment venues, data rooms and critical facilities, museums and cultural institutions, kitchens and food-service facilities, and historic and landmark buildings
Design systems that address critical pressure relationships, filtration, humidity, temperature, ventilation, and redundancy requirements, applying relevant ASHRAE, FGI, CDC, USP, and owner-specific standards when required
Lead surveys and assessments of existing mechanical systems, including HVAC equipment, distribution systems, controls, ventilation, central plants, and utility infrastructure
Coordinate mechanical systems with electrical, plumbing, fire protection, fire alarm, architectural, structural, civil, lighting, technology, security, and specialty-consultant teams
Participate in BIM coordination and clash-detection reviews, and confirm that mechanical rooms, shafts, louvers, equipment clearances, access paths, and service spaces are properly incorporated
Coordinate electrical characteristics and emergency-power requirements for mechanical equipment, and coordinate drains, makeup water, gas, fuel oil, and condensate requirements with plumbing engineers
Coordinate fire and smoke dampers, smoke-control systems, and fire alarm interfaces
Develop HVAC control sequences and building automation system requirements, and coordinate control points, sensors, safeties, alarms, trending, scheduling, and system interfaces
Lead discipline-specific QA/QC reviews at major project milestones, reviewing drawings, specifications, calculations, reports, equipment selections, and agency submissions
Develop and maintain standardized details, calculation templates, specifications, design procedures, and quality-control checklists, and promote consistent engineering practices across project teams and offices
Integrate energy efficiency and sustainability goals into mechanical-system designs and support LEED, WELL, ENERGY STAR, Passive House, and other building-performance initiatives when applicable
Serve as a senior mechanical engineering contact for clients, architects, developers, owners, contractors, and consultants, and lead technical discussions during client meetings, presentations, and design workshops
Provide senior engineering leadership during bidding, construction, testing, commissioning, and closeout
Review equipment submittals, shop drawings, controls submittals, testing procedures, substitutions, and contractor proposals, and respond to requests for information and resolve unforeseen field conditions
Conduct site visits and field observations to evaluate construction progress and compliance, and participate in preconstruction meetings, coordination meetings, equipment startups, punch-list inspections, and commissioning activities
Coordinate with contractors, inspectors, commissioning providers, and authorities having jurisdiction, and review record drawings, operating manuals, training documentation, and closeout materials
Lead, mentor, and develop mechanical engineers, designers, and BIM/Revit staff, providing technical guidance on HVAC systems, codes, calculations, equipment selection, controls, specifications, and construction practices