Mechanical Engineer, Data Center Design Engineering

Meta•Menlo Park, CA

About The Position

Meta's AI infrastructure is scaling faster than anything the data center industry has designed for. We need a Mechanical Engineer who can own the next generation of liquid cooling and thermal systems — from first concept through construction — at a scale no one else is building. You will serve as the design authority for novel systems, defining technical approaches where established standards may not yet exist. This is a small, expert team where your decisions directly shape what gets built. You'll set technical direction across hydronic and thermal systems, mentor engineers around you, and drive programs that deliver megawatts of compute capacity. Our current focus areas include: Technical Roadmap — Charting the path for next-generation mechanical systems and emerging technologies, Programmatic Designs — Develop future data center designs, Owner Furnished Equipment — Develop, maintain, optimize and manage risk of critical mechanical equipment, and Design Localization — Lead the implementation of the programmatic designs for site-specific conditions and support construction administration for self build and leases. Lead and/or assist on new data center product designs, integrating technological advancements while balancing cost, efficiency, time-to-delivery, and sustainability. Own data center product mechanical systems strategies and infrastructure designs — including liquid cooling, chiller plant design, and heat rejection systems — from concept through construction administration. Drive the design and development of airside and hydronic systems including CDU, Valve Train, Fan Coils, Central Chiller Plants, Drycoolers, and Cooling Towers. Develop design documentation and drive design execution across all design and delivery phases (SD, DD, CD, CA) for self builds (greenfield), lease facilities and retrofit projects. Work closely with CSLA, Electrical, Connectivity & Controls Engineering teams to achieve holistic product designs optimized for cost, construction speed, operational efficiency, and long-term flexibility. Collaborate with cross-functional teams on prefabricated (DFSMA) solutions and modular component offerings (Building Block strategy) to be embedded into new design products. Partner with Energy & Water Modeling teams to evaluate environmental impacts, WUE optimization, and sustainability targets. Collaborate with Controls Engineering to ensure integrated mechanical control strategies and system-level optimization. Collaborate with Hardware engineering to align rack-level thermal and mechanical requirements (power density, coolant flow/pressure, temperature limits) with facility mechanical system design. Manage and hold EoR teams accountable on deliverables and performance. Prepare RFPs, analyze award recommendations, manage contracts, review change orders, VE proposals, shop drawings, submittts, RFIs. Participate in factory tests, onsite testing, commissioning, quality checks throughout project lifecycle. Balance short-term delivery priorities while tracking industry standards and emerging trends to drive long-term strategy with the Engineering Tech Strategy team. Perform research and develop analysis on new technologies, alternate materials, and liquid enablement solutions — building models of cost and environmental impact. Support R&D initiatives and pilot programs for next-generation mechanical systems through the Research Lab. Evaluate and advance reliability/availability engineering practices to reduce downtime risk and improve system readiness. Drive design-to-break-ground program schedules while working closely with design and construction teams to ensure milestones and completion dates are on track. Lead and oversee change management of applicable systems and drive towards resolution. Represent Meta's interests as Owner's Rep on self-performed and leased facility projects. Partner with Site Selection on assigned site due diligence and master planning projects. Work with design engineers and field teams on new design types so they can correctly apply them to specific projects. Support operations on knowledge sharing, handover and deployment planning to ensure smooth transitions from design to live operations. Provide technical guidance on commissioning, startup sequencing, and system validation. Able to travel up to 25% of the time.

Requirements

Experience communicating technical decisions in writing and in presentations to both technical and non-technical audiences (e.g., design reviews, executive briefings, RFI responses).
Experience leading large-scale mechanical design programs from concept through construction.
10+ years of experience in mechanical engineering for mission-critical facilities or data centers.
Demonstrated expertise in liquid cooling systems, chiller plant design, and/or hydronic system design.
Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent practical experience.
Experience with all phases of design delivery (SD, DD, CD, and CA).
Track record of mentoring engineers and building team capability.
Demonstrated ongoing AI skill development (e.g., prompt/context engineering, agent orchestration) and staying current with emerging AI technologies.
PE license (Mechanical).
Experience adhering to and implementing responsible, ethical AI practices (e.g., risk assessment, bias mitigation, quality and accuracy reviews).
Demonstrated ability to integrate AI tools to optimize/redesign workflows and drive measurable impact (e.g., efficiency gains, quality improvements).
Experience representing Owners' interests on large capital programs.
Experience with prefabricated/modular construction methodologies (DfSMA).
Electrical/MEP integration depth — ability to work across disciplines holistically.
Hardware engineering thermal (HWE-Thermal) background — thermal design validation and product reliability.
Experience with operations and deployment handover for data center mechanical systems.
Controls system fluency — understanding of BMS/EPMS integration and mechanical controls logic.
Background in R&D or piloting new mechanical technologies in production environments.
Familiarity with advanced tooling, simulation, or AI-driven design optimization.
Experience in availability and reliability engineering for critical infrastructure.
Experience with acoustics/noise engineering and regulatory compliance for mechanical equipment.

Responsibilities

Own the next generation of liquid cooling and thermal systems — from first concept through construction — at a scale no one else is building.
Serve as the design authority for novel systems, defining technical approaches where established standards may not yet exist.
Set technical direction across hydronic and thermal systems, mentor engineers around you, and drive programs that deliver megawatts of compute capacity.
Chart the path for next-generation mechanical systems and emerging technologies.
Develop future data center designs.
Develop, maintain, optimize and manage risk of critical mechanical equipment.
Lead the implementation of programmatic designs for site-specific conditions and support construction administration for self build and leases.
Lead and/or assist on new data center product designs, integrating technological advancements while balancing cost, efficiency, time-to-delivery, and sustainability.
Own data center product mechanical systems strategies and infrastructure designs — including liquid cooling, chiller plant design, and heat rejection systems — from concept through construction administration.
Drive the design and development of airside and hydronic systems including CDU, Valve Train, Fan Coils, Central Chiller Plants, Drycoolers, and Cooling Towers.
Develop design documentation and drive design execution across all design and delivery phases (SD, DD, CD, CA) for self builds (greenfield), lease facilities and retrofit projects.
Work closely with CSLA, Electrical, Connectivity & Controls Engineering teams to achieve holistic product designs optimized for cost, construction speed, operational efficiency, and long-term flexibility.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams on prefabricated (DFSMA) solutions and modular component offerings (Building Block strategy) to be embedded into new design products.
Partner with Energy & Water Modeling teams to evaluate environmental impacts, WUE optimization, and sustainability targets.
Collaborate with Controls Engineering to ensure integrated mechanical control strategies and system-level optimization.
Collaborate with Hardware engineering to align rack-level thermal and mechanical requirements (power density, coolant flow/pressure, temperature limits) with facility mechanical system design.
Manage and hold EoR teams accountable on deliverables and performance.
Prepare RFPs, analyze award recommendations, manage contracts, review change orders, VE proposals, shop drawings, submittals, RFIs.
Participate in factory tests, onsite testing, commissioning, quality checks throughout project lifecycle.
Balance short-term delivery priorities while tracking industry standards and emerging trends to drive long-term strategy with the Engineering Tech Strategy team.
Perform research and develop analysis on new technologies, alternate materials, and liquid enablement solutions — building models of cost and environmental impact.
Support R&D initiatives and pilot programs for next-generation mechanical systems through the Research Lab.
Evaluate and advance reliability/availability engineering practices to reduce downtime risk and improve system readiness.
Drive design-to-break-ground program schedules while working closely with design and construction teams to ensure milestones and completion dates are on track.
Lead and oversee change management of applicable systems and drive towards resolution.
Represent Meta's interests as Owner's Rep on self-performed and leased facility projects.
Partner with Site Selection on assigned site due diligence and master planning projects.
Work with design engineers and field teams on new design types so they can correctly apply them to specific projects.
Support operations on knowledge sharing, handover and deployment planning to ensure smooth transitions from design to live operations.
Provide technical guidance on commissioning, startup sequencing, and system validation.