Senior Mechanical Engineer, Plumbing

DPR•Austin, TX

About The Position

The Senior Mechanical Engineer – Plumbing is responsible for the design, development, and delivery of plumbing engineering solutions throughout all phases of project execution. This role leads the preparation of plumbing system drawings, specifications, calculations, and technical documentation while ensuring compliance with applicable plumbing codes, industry standards, and project requirements. Working with increasing independence, the Senior Mechanical Engineer serves as a technical leader for plumbing system design, collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to develop coordinated, constructible building systems. The role supports successful project execution through technical leadership, construction administration, scope management, quality assurance, and risk evaluation while delivering innovative, sustainable, and code-compliant plumbing solutions.

Requirements

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.
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.

Nice To Haves

Active NCEES Record for licensure maintenance preferred.

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 where applicable.
Participate in professional development activities and contribute to continuous improvement of engineering standards, design processes, and technical best practices.