Senior Mechanical Design Engineer

About the role

Plenty is looking for a Senior Staff Mechanical Design Engineer experienced in the design and construction of HVAC and thermal systems in mission critical and/or manufacturing applications to become part of our Engineering team. Our mission is to build and operate efficient, reliable and cost effective indoor farms which are essential to Plenty’s growth.In this role, you will own and manage end-to-end design, construction and operation of our farm mechanical and other support systems. You will be responsible for providing strategic leadership for a high impact infrastructure with technical complexity, while also being a technical lead/individual contributor for the Mechanical discipline. You will contribute deep knowledge and subject matter expertise related to HVAC and thermal systems including leading the design, modification, analysis, and supporting operation for our new and existing farms.

What you'll do

Collaborate with internal stakeholders to define project criteria to meet Plenty business and technical needs. This includes defining scope, specifying technical requirements as part of design criteria/ basis of design, and long lead equipment specification development, etc. for the Consultant/Contractor to develop project specific contract/construction documentation.

Manage external consultants/contractors to implement project requirements from concepts through contract/construction documents, and construction administration

Research new technologies related to HVAC design, equipment selection, and construction methods to drive innovation.

Perform independent engineering and cost analysis, including but not limited to calculations of HVAC loads, system energy-use, and process gas demand, etc.

Lead conceptual designs with Mechanical Engineering of Record (EOR) to ensure design options have been evaluated/vetted prior to proceeding with the final design option.

Conduct reviews of consultants’ engineering calculations, design drawings and specifications to identify design and scope gaps to minimize change orders in the field.

Review Contract/construction documentation including, but not limited to, building automation/management system design, including sequences of operation, instrumentation selection, process and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs) and panel drawings

Coordinate with contractors, equipment manufacturers, and commissioning agents in collaboration with Consultants/EORs to ensure proper equipment selection, quality installation, commissioning and testing to meet design intents.

Manage mechanical OFCI equipment/systems including leading technical requirement reviews with vendors, conducting specification compliant reviews and bid leveling with assistance from the Plenty Supply Chain team, and conducting factory witness testing.

Provide construction administration support to the project team including, but not limited to, responding to RFI’s, reviewing submittals/shop drawings, design change bulletins and associated design and construction fees/costs, participating in bid interviews and bid leveling efforts

Oversee HVAC system start-up and commissioning to ensure quality installation and the systems function as intended in the design.

Track and manage budgets for HVAC and thermal system scopes

Provide technical assistance for operations of HVAC systems, including chilled water plants, air handling systems, other refrigeration equipment, building management/automation, and controls systems

Provide solutions to fast paced projects with competing priorities. You must be able to prioritize your work to meet project demands without compromising the quality of your deliverables.

Respond to emergencies on an as needed basis.

Train and mentor other team members

Travel up to 25% of the time

Others duties as assigned - we’re a growing scale-up so you never know what you might get the opportunity to work on as we grow

What you’ll bring to the table

Bachelor’s Degree in engineering from ABET-accredited institution

Minimum 12 years’ related work in architecture, engineering & construction environments. A focus on dehumidification systems, data centers, or related processes is desirable.

Advanced understanding of mechanical engineering concepts, including thermodynamic and fluid dynamic principles. Sophisticated grasp of psychrometric principles and calculations.

Experience with design and construction processes in the selection of equipment, materials and the preparation and assembly of engineering design packages, calculations, and specifications.

Knowledge of industry standard practices, building codes, and thorough understanding of mechanical standards including ASHRAE guidelines.

Troubleshooting and analytical skills are required

PE and MSME are preferred, but not required.

Effective written and verbal skills to convey/communicate project requirements to internal and external project team members/partners