Principal Mechanical Engineer - Data Centers

SB Energy•Austin, TX

4h•$100,000 - $165,000•Onsite

About The Position

Do you want to work with high caliber professionals in a dynamic and growing company? Are you entrepreneurial, hard-working, and collegial? Join us at SB Energy, a leading company backed by SoftBank and Ares pairing cutting-edge innovation with best-in-class execution. Our Mission is to provide reliable, affordable energy at scale to support America’s growing energy demands. Headquartered in Redwood City, CA, SB Energy develops, builds, owns & operates some of the largest and most technically advanced energy and data center infrastructure projects in the United States. Since launching in 2019, the company has rapidly grown into a top-tier integrated platform with over 3 gigawatts (GW) in operation and a multi-GW pipeline of energy and data center infrastructure nationwide. SB Energy also utilizes its strong culture of innovation to identify and incorporate new technology into our projects, including our AI-based digital platform, to deliver energy infrastructure that is local, reliable, and matched to load. We are building the energy and technology future—today. Come join us in accelerating the energy transition to cleaner, more sustainable sources of power! Basic Function SB Energy is looking for a Principal Mechanical Engineer to be part of the Data Center Design & Engineering team that leads the standardization of products across SB Energy’s companywide portfolio. In this role, you will be responsible for the design development of large-scale industrial chiller plants and the development of associated standards and specifications to enable the establishment of a procurement program. Regular collaboration and coordination will be required with architects, other engineering disciplines, procurement, and facility operations teams. You will work with regional design and execution teams to ensure that new standards are established, existing standards are implemented, and any required enhancements are incorporated into standard designs and specifications. Knowledge of all aspects of mechanical engineering is required, including central utility plants, built-up mechanical rooms, packaged equipment, chilled water equipment and piping, DX systems, airside and water-side economization, humidity control, raised access floor plenums, and value engineering as they relate to designing state-of-the-art data centers. Knowledge in plumbing and fire protection design for data centers is helpful.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (or equivalent) from an accredited university or college.
7+ years of experience in large-scale industrial chiller plant system design and construction required (8–12 years preferred).
Data center and/or mission-critical experience required.
Experience with North American or European construction markets required.
Proficiency in AutoCAD, Excel, and Word, and CFD modeling software; familiarity with Revit, BIM, and Navisworks.
Solid understanding of critical cooling infrastructure within data centers.
Well-versed in building codes and ordinances.
National and international travel required, typically 10–15%, but may increase as business evolves.

Nice To Haves

Professional Engineer (P.E.) registration preferred.
Plumbing and fire protection infrastructure background within data centers preferred.

Responsibilities

Participate in the new product development process from inception to implementation and apply for and obtain patents to retain company IP.
Research and evaluate new vendors and products to achieve operational improvements, reduce project cost, and improve schedule.
Review and approve OFCI equipment submittals to ensure compliance with company specifications and coordinate details with other teams.
Coordinate with regional design execution teams to understand OPR deviations and lessons learned from projects.
Analyze whether OPR deviations and lessons learned from site-adapted projects can improve SB Energy standards and specifications.
Participate in creating and standardizing mechanical sequences of operations (SOOs) in coordination with internal automation teams.
Conduct value engineering analyses and provide system recommendations based on ROI and IRR analysis.
Identify and create tools and templates that add value to delivered products.
Standardize commissioning documentation for global application.
Work closely with Operations to balance cost-effective solutions and operational sustainability.
Optimize designs to meet company sustainability targets.
Utilize engineering analysis programs and professional judgment to analyze: Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) studies and rack layout optimization. Psychrometric chart evaluations and ASHRAE extreme design day temperature impacts. Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) and Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE) calculations.
Perform additional duties as assigned by management.

Benefits

100% Company-Paid Medical, Dental & Vision (for employees and dependents)
401(k) with Company Match
Generous Paid Time Off + 11 Paid Holidays
12 Weeks Paid Parental Leave
Life, AD&D & Long-Term Disability Coverage
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) for Medical, Dependent Care, Transit & Parking (with company contributions)
Mental, Physical & Social Wellness Support (with company contributions)
Flexible Work Arrangements & Hybrid Office Setup Benefits
Monthly Reimbursement for Phone, Internet & Data
Optional Legal & Pet Insurance Plans
Device Purchase Support