Principal, Facility Engineering

The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory•Cambridge, MA

12d•$100,000 - $275,000•Onsite

About The Position

Draper is an independent, nonprofit research and development company headquartered in Cambridge, MA. The 2,000+ employees of Draper tackle important national challenges with a promise of delivering successful and usable solutions. From military defense and space exploration to biomedical engineering, lives often depend on the solutions we provide. Our multidisciplinary teams of engineers and scientists work in a collaborative environment that inspires the cross-fertilization of ideas necessary for true innovation. The Principal Facilities Engineer serves as the organization’s highest-level technical authority for facility infrastructure systems, including mechanical, electrical, plumbing (MEP), HVAC, building automation, and critical utility systems supporting laboratory and manufacturing operations. This role provides strategic leadership for facility engineering standards, infrastructure reliability, long term capacity planning, and capital investment strategy, ensuring alignment with organizational objectives and operational continuity. This position operates across two core areas of responsibility that represent enterprise-level engineering needs: capital projects (Capex) delivery and internal facility engineering support. An incumbent in this role may be assigned to lead and govern Capex initiatives, including design validation, engineering reviews, request for information (RFI) resolution, commissioning oversight, and end to end execution of high impact infrastructure and equipment projects. In parallel, an incumbent may provide advanced internal engineering support for facilities operations, including resolution of complex technical issues, evaluation of system performance and support of laboratory, production and facility infrastructure requirements. Assignment to focus area will be determined by management based on organizational needs. This position includes periodic field investigations and facility assessments. The incumbent must be able to access mechanical spaces, rooftops, utility areas and other facility locations requiring ladder climbing, stair navigation and inspection activities.

Requirements

Expert knowledge of facility infrastructure systems, including mechanical, electrical, plumbing (MEP), HVAC, building automation, and critical utility systems.
Demonstrated ability to lead large-scale capital projects, infrastructure programs and multidisciplinary engineering initiatives.
Advanced knowledge of engineering design principles, facility lifecycle management, asset reliability and infrastructure planning.
Strong leadership, project management, stakeholder engagement and influencing skills.
Expert knowledge with CAD software, engineering analysis tools, building management systems, and Microsoft Office applications.
Working knowledge of laboratory, manufacturing, data center and other critical facility environments including code compliance and ASHRAE standards.
Physical capability to lift, carry, position and safely use ladders and inspection equipment to perform field investigations, facility assessments and infrastructure inspections. (field work ~10‑20%)
Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related engineering discipline required.
4 Years or more of Credited Institution Experience
Minimum 10 years of progressive responsibility facilities engineering experience required.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting laboratory, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, biotechnology or other highly regulated environments preferred.

Responsibilities

Serve as the technical authority and subject matter expert for all facility infrastructure systems, including mechanical, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, building automation and critical utility systems.
Develop and implement long-term facility infrastructure strategies that align with organizational growth, operational requirements and business objectives.
Lead the planning, prioritization, and execution of complex, high-value capital projects and infrastructure programs from concept development through commissioning and operational handoff.
Provide strategic engineering guidance to senior leadership regarding facility investments, risk mitigation, capacity planning and infrastructure modernization.
Resolve highly complex multidisciplinary engineering issues and lead root cause investigations for significant facility system failures.
Establish, maintain and continuously improve facility engineering standards, design criteria, specifications, and best practices with ensuring compliance with applicable codes and regulations.
Lead and influence cross-functional teams, contractors, consultants and external partners to achieve project and operational objectives.
Evaluate emerging technologies and industry trends to drive innovation, reliability improvements, sustainability initiatives, and operational efficiencies.
Oversee engineering reviews for facility modifications, expansions and equipment installations to ensure compliance.
Serve as primary engineering representative for interactions with regulatory agencies, auditors, architects, engineering firms, contractors and key external partners.
Conduct field investigations, facility assessments and infrastructure inspections.
Mentor engineering personnel and influence organizational policies, engineering practices and strategic decision-making related to facility infrastructure and operations.