Senior Mechanical Engineering Designer

Hoffman & Hoffman Inc•Nashville, TN

About The Position

The Senior Mechanical Engineering Designer leads the design and documentation of building automation and HVAC control systems from submittal through startup. The role owns hardware submittals, controls drawings, controller programming, operator graphics, and database creation for commercial, institutional, and industrial projects. The designer combines knowledge of mechanical HVAC systems with hands-on controls experience and serves as a technical resource and mentor to engineers, designers, and field technicians. The position is mainly office-based, with occasional job-site visits for surveys, startup, and commissioning. Some travel may be required, and occasional extended hours may be needed to meet project deadlines. A valid driver's license is required.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related field, or equivalent technical experience.
At least 7 years of experience in building automation, HVAC controls design, or mechanical systems engineering, including at least 3 years at a senior or lead level.
Proven experience preparing hardware submittals and controls drawings for commercial HVAC projects.
Hands-on programming, graphics, and database experience on one or more BAS platforms.
Solid understanding of HVAC equipment, psychrometrics, and PID control loops.
Working knowledge of BACnet, Modbus, and IP networking.
Proficiency in AutoCAD and/or Visio and Microsoft Office.
Strong communication, organization, and problem-solving skills.
Valid driver's license.

Nice To Haves

Professional Engineer (PE) license or EIT certification.
Tridium Niagara 4 certification or manufacturer platform certifications.
Experience with energy management, analytics, or commissioning processes.
Familiarity with ASHRAE standards and Guideline 36 sequences.
Experience in mission-critical, healthcare, higher-education, or industrial facilities.

Responsibilities

Prepare complete hardware submittal packages, including bills of material, product data sheets, valve and damper schedules, sequences of operation, and network riser diagrams.
Review mechanical plans and specifications to select controllers, sensors, valves, actuators, dampers, and related devices.
Respond to engineer and owner review comments and manage resubmittals through approval on schedule.
Develop controls drawings using AutoCAD, Visio, or the company's standard design tools, including system schematics, wiring diagrams, panel layouts, point lists, and network architecture.
Write and refine sequences of operation to meet specification, code, and energy requirements.
Maintain drawing standards, revision control, and as-built documentation.
Create, test, and debug controller programs for HVAC equipment, including air handlers, VAV systems, chillers, boilers, pumps, and cooling towers.
Integrate third-party equipment over BACnet, Modbus, LonWorks, and other open protocols.
Bench-test programs before deployment and support field commissioning and troubleshooting.
Design operator workstation graphics, including floor plans, equipment graphics, navigation, alarm displays, and dashboards, consistent with company and customer standards.
Build and configure system databases, including point naming, device addressing, trends, alarms, schedules, and histories.
Set up network configuration, user access, and backups for front-end servers and supervisory controllers.
Act as the senior technical resource on assigned projects and coordinate with project managers, mechanical contractors, consulting engineers, and field technicians.
Mentor junior designers and engineers and perform peer reviews of drawings, programs, and graphics.
Estimate design hours, track deliverables against the project schedule, and recommend process improvements and standards.