Early Career Mechanical Engineer - Facilities HVAC Systems, Onsite

What Your Job Will Be Like

We are seeking a Mechanical Engineer to join our team to support the operation, maintenance, and sustainment of mechanical systems. The ideal candidate will contribute to lifecycle asset management planning, reliability‑centered maintenance, and design review activities. This role requires strong analytical skills, a solid understanding of mechanical systems, and the ability to apply engineering principles to support system reliability and operational excellence.

On any given day, you may be called on to:

• Develop and provide technical system requirements for both design and operation of mechanical systems.
• Develop and apply outage, inspection, acceptance, and commissioning procedures for systems and components.
• Support Lifecycle Asset Management through gathering operational and maintenance asset data to assess overall component and system‑level performance.
• Provide design scoping and oversight for building, facility, and process mechanical equipment, water treatment systems, water conservation systems, controls, components. Integrate these mechanical systems for safe, reliable, and efficient operations that comply with code, contractual requirements, performance‑based design, and mission requirements.
• Provide computerized modeling of systems and designs testing regimes, analyze data and balance loads, and ensure reliability throughout the lifecycle including obsolescence‑ and reliability‑centered planning.
• Research, test, and implement new and innovative techniques and equipment to save energy, conserve water usage, and reduce costs in utility and building mechanical systems.
• Assess capabilities, capacities, and condition of existing mechanical components, equipment, systems, and associated controls and make recommendations for improvements.
• Perform systems analyses of mechanical systems and subsystems.
• Perform investigative analyses to determine causes and origins of mechanical system failures.
• Perform analysis and testing using the principles of thermodynamics and fluid mechanics to enable design and construction of efficient and effective mechanical systems for facilities and infrastructure support, including HVAC, natural gas, and process fluid distribution systems.
• Conduct/lead/support reliability‑centered maintenance activities on mechanical systems and components.
• Provide predictive maintenance analysis support for vibration and acoustic analysis and control.
• Enable design, construction, and full commissioning of automated controls for mechanical systems.

Due to the nature of the work, the selected applicant must be able to work onsite.

$87,400 - $168,800

* Salary range is estimated, and actual salary will be determined after consideration of the selected candidate's experience and qualifications, and application of any approved geographic salary differential.

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or in relevant field; or equivalent combination of relevant education and experience. A higher‑level degree (MS, PhD) in relevant discipline may also be considered in lieu of Bachelor's degree.
• Experience with data analytics techniques and/or RCM maintenance strategies.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE L-level security clearance.

• Knowledge of and experience with mechanical systems, fluid mechanics, water chemistry, and materials properties.
• Ability to perform system modeling, including fluid flow, acoustic analysis, psychometric analysis, energy and heat transfer, energy conservation analysis, and other duties required to ensure safe, reliable, and efficient mechanical systems.
• Understanding of various mechanical, electrical, and systems controls documents, including specifications, drawings, schematics, maintenance and operation procedures, and design standards.
• Ability to maintain and assess the condition of mechanical infrastructure assets, including boilers, cooling towers, chillers, air handlers, compressors, and provide operational solutions.
• Ability to prepare and propose specification changes, procedures, and update tactical and strategic plans.
• Knowledge and understanding of applicable standards and codes.
• Ability to size and configure equipment for major maintenance and replacement efforts associated with building, infrastructure, and facility mechanical systems.
• Experience and demonstrated skill in conducting research, investigating alternative solutions, and recommending solutions on efficiency and reliability problems that affect building systems and infrastructure.
• Able to obtain a Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Certificate and Professional Engineer (PE) license.
• Ability to model behaviors that reflect Sandia's core values.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status and any other protected class under state or federal law.