Associate Director, HVAC; Hybrid

Role Overview

The Associate Director of HVAC provides owner-side leadership and technical governance for the design, integration, and delivery of HVAC and mechanical infrastructure supporting large biopharmaceutical capital projects. This role serves as the design authority for HVAC and mechanical systems, ensuring that the systems meet manufacturing requirements, GMP standards, reliability expectations, and regulatory compliance. The incumbent provides oversight of EPC contractor engineering activities and ensures effective integration between process systems, utilities, automation, and facility infrastructure.

Key systems of responsibility include HVAC, mechanical equipment, and facility support systems required for pharmaceutical and biologics manufacturing capital projects of total value greater than $2B. The role also supports implementation of technology with AI and digital innovation teams such as the Factory of the Future. The incumbent reports to the Director of Engineering in the Operations Transformation organization.

• Serve as the owner’s senior engineering leader and design authority for HVAC and mechanical systems.
• Lead the owner’s utilities and mechanical engineering team and provide technical oversight of engineering contractors’ design activities related to these disciplines.
• Establish engineering standards and execution strategies for utilities and mechanical systems.
• Provide governance and oversight for the design of GMP‑critical and non‑critical HVAC and mechanical systems such as HVAC systems for clean rooms and controlled environments, air‑handling units and environmental control systems, mechanical equipment supporting manufacturing operations, mechanical piping systems, fire suppression, and fire and heat detection systems.
• Develop overall facility HVAC classification philosophy, pressure cascades and control philosophy, critical HVAC equipment including HEPA filtration, airflow concepts, and AHU coverage of classified and non‑classified areas.
• Drive review and selection of vendors and contractors for HVAC and mechanical systems.
• Actively review specifications, RFP or bid packages for equipment, integrated skids or systems, construction, installation and commissioning and qualification scope, including technical and commercial bid analysis and technical recommendations.
• Adopt a cradle‑to‑grave approach for HVAC and mechanical systems, including vendor deliverables review and approval, participation in FAT and SAT, installation and startup on site.
• Ensure system design meets GMP, reliability, and operational requirements in addition to supporting contamination control, reliability, and maintainability.
• Ensure proper integration between process systems, clean and black utilities, automation, and facility infrastructure.
• Define system boundaries and system architecture including commissioning boundaries.
• Support energy‑efficiency and sustainability objectives, especially focusing on technology‑assisted pressure and air supply control.
• Actively participate and contribute to multidisciplinary engineering design reviews.
• Review engineering deliverables including system descriptions, calculations, and specifications.
• Ensure compliance with global engineering standards and project performance requirements.
• Review and approve contractor design packages and technical deliverables.
• Resolve complex technical issues during all project phases.
• Support startup readiness and facility operational readiness.
• Drive transformation across all phases of the projects to deliver best‑in‑class technology, increase efficiency in execution to reduce overall project timeline by up to 20% from baseline, and introduce AI and digitalization in various aspects of project management and development.

Monitor and control the cost and schedule of HVAC systems and vendor‑supplied hardware and software to ensure adherence to project budgets and timelines.

• BS in Engineering or equivalent technical degree;
  Master’s degree in Engineering preferred.
• 12+ years of experience as a HVAC and mechanical principal engineer or lead across multiple technologies.
• Proven leadership experience in HVAC and…