ReqID: SAN00010Z
At Arup, you belong to an extraordinary collective - in which we encourage individuality to thrive. Our strength comes from how we respect, share and connect our diverse experiences, perspectives and ideas.
You will have the opportunity to work on technically challenging and socially impactful projects that matter - to Arup, to your career, to our clients, and to the communities they serve. Our San Francisco and Oakland-based team is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer to support mission-critical data center projects. Arup is recognized for delivering innovative, high-performance, and sustainable solutions for clients across the United States and globally.
In this role, you will design and implement state-of-the-art mechanical systems for mission-critical facilities, addressing challenges in energy efficiency, decarbonization, resiliency, and operational reliability. Your work will have a tangible impact on the performance and sustainability of these critical facilities. Arup offers a global network of experts, tools, and systems to support you in delivering integrated solutions that meet both the owners' objectives and the design team's goals, helping lead the data center industry toward a sustainable and resilient future.
This role can sit in San Francisco or Oakland
The opportunity
· Lead mechanical engineering design for mission-critical data center projects, including chilled-water and DX cooling systems, airside distribution, CRAH/CRAC configurations, thermal management strategies, and high-efficiency hydronic plant systems.
· Coordinate closely with electrical, ICT, structural, and fire/life safety teams-as well as project managers-to deliver fully integrated, resilient, and scalable data center designs.
· Assist, supervise, and mentor team members; provide timely feedback, recognition, and technical guidance to support a high-performance engineering culture.
· Maintain strong client relationships with hyperscale, colocation, and enterprise data center clients, ensuring successful project delivery and repeat business.
· Prepare drawings, specifications, technical reports, basis-of-design documents, and presentation materials, incorporating sustainable and high-availability design strategies consistent with industry standards (ASHRAE TC 9.9, Uptime Institute, etc.).
· Present technical material for both technical and non-technical audiences, including design workshops, client reviews, and internal knowledge-sharing sessions.
· Participate in local and national mission-critical or data center professional associations to stay current with industry trends.
· Own quality standards, commercial metrics, risk identification, and client engagement for assigned projects.
The skills
· Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Architectural Engineering required.
· Minimum 6 years of professional experience designing HVAC systems, with at least 2-3 years focused on data center or mission-critical facilities (cooling plant design, thermal modeling, redundancy planning, airside/hydronic design).
· Proficiency in Revit MEP; experience with CFD modeling, load calculations, and mechanical system modeling a plus.
· Strong interpersonal and communication skills essential for multidisciplinary, fast-paced project environments.
· Confident presentation skills for colleagues and clients at all levels; strong commercial and financial awareness.
· Ability to prioritize effectively, manage competing deadlines, and stay organized in a dynamic project landscape.
Professional Engineering (PE) license is a plus; data-center-specific certifications or coursework (Uptime, ASHRAE, DCEP, etc.) are a plus.
Please note that all applicants must apply directly via the job portal. If this role is not quite what you are looking for, but you are interested in other opportunities for a future with purpose, please sign up to our where you will be kept up to date with roles suitable for you to shape a better world.
What we offer you
At Arup, we care about each member's success, so we can grow together.
Guided by our values, we provide an attractive total reward package that recognizes the contribution of each of our members to our shared success. As well as competitive, fair and equitable pay, we offer a career in which all of our members can belong, grow and thrive - through benefits that support health and wellbeing, a wide range of learning opportunities and many possibilities to have an impact through the work they do.
We are owned in trust on behalf of our members, giving us the freedom, with personal responsibility, to set our own direction and choose work that aligns with our purpose and adds to Arup's legacy. Our members collaborate on ambitious projects to deliver remarkable outcomes for our clients and communities. Profit Share is a key part of our reward, enabling members to share in the results of our collective efforts.
Benefits at Work - At Arup, we have a comprehensive and valuable benefits program that works for our employees and their families while keeping costs low. These benefits provide health and welfare security for you as well as paid time off for rest and renewal. As a member of Arup, everyone shares in our success through a global profit share scheme (payments are dependent on the firm's financial performance). Our Global Profit Share Plan (paid bi-annually) provides an opportunity for you to share in the success of the Firm. As a valued employee of Arup, you can also choose to participate in our 401(k) plan with up to 10% company match to help you save for your future
Flexible Working - We believe that flexible arrangements create a more inclusive way of working that supports our diversity and the wellbeing of our people. Options for alternative schedules and the ability to work outside of the office for a portion of your workweek are available
San Francisco Hiring Range - The good faith base salary hiring range for this job if performed in San Francisco is $122,500 to $148,450 per year. This range is commensurate with experience, educational background, and skill level. Benefits are not included in the base salary. Please note hiring ranges for candidates performing work outside of San Francisco will differ.
Different People, Shared Values
Arup is an equal opportunity employer that actively promotes and nurtures a diverse and inclusive workforce. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, regardless of age (within legal limits), gender identity or expression, marital status, disability, neuro@type or mental health, race or ethnicity, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, and whether you're pregnant or on family leave. We are an open environment that embraces diverse experiences, perspectives, and ideas - this drives our excellence.
Guided by our values and alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, we create and contribute to equitable spaces and systems, while cultivating a sense of belonging for all. Our internal employee networks support our inclusive culture: from race, ethnicity and cross-cultural working to gender equity and LGBTQ+ and disability inclusion - we aim to create a space for you to express yourself and make a positive difference. Discover more about life at Arup at.
Our Application Process
We will be reviewing our candidates for this position on a rolling basis. Once you have applied you will be evaluated and potentially moved on to the next round, at which point a member of the talent resourcing team will reach out to you directly.
Arup is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, spouse of a protected veteran, or disability.
Stay safe online. Recruitment fraud is on the rise, and Arup's name, logo, and branding have been used in fraudulent job advertisements. Arup will never ask for bank information as part of our recruitment process.
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