Mechanical Design Manager; Remote

Mechanical Design Manager (Remote) - United States

Decima International is a professional services company, providing project management and controls services to clients in the United States and the Middle East. Our mission is to become the premier professional services provider across all industry sectors we are engaged in. To accomplish this, Decima International’s founders established a simple yet powerful formula: approach each client engagement as a partnership, create an environment that attracts the most talented professionals and allows them to flourish, and regulate growth to maintain excellence in our service standards.

Decima offers long‑term career opportunities where employees work with major clients on complex, high‑profile projects, with plenty of room for professional growth.

We are currently seeking a Mechanical Design Manager to support multiple data center projects for a leading global technology client. This role is client‑facing and requires strong communication, organization, engineering expertise, and the ability to manage several projects across different regions. Experience in hyperscale data centers, mechanical design, and mission‑critical systems is essential. The role also includes mentoring team members and helping build lasting client relationships and new business opportunities.

• Owner Advocacy & Oversight
  • Act as the owner's trusted mechanical engineering authority, ensuring all designs meet program requirements, operational goals, and long‑term reliability.
  • Review and approve consultant design packages (concept, SD, DD, IFP, IFC).
  • Provide critical evaluation of proposed solutions, identifying gaps, risks, or value‑engineering opportunities that protect the owner's interests. Lead technical negotiations with designers, contractors, and equipment vendors.
• Technical Leadership
  • Evaluate mechanical system architectures for resiliency, efficiency, scalability, and maintainability.
• Oversee Key Mechanical Systems
  • Data center cooling (CRAH/CRAC, chilled water, DX, evaporative cooling)
  • Hydronics and fluid distribution
  • Heat rejection systems
  • Airflow and pressurization
  • Smoke exhaust and other life‑safety systems
  • Validate design calculations, equipment selections, and modeling outputs.
• Design Governance & Management
  • Drive the design review process, ensuring alignment with codes, standards, and the owner's design basis.
  • Coordinate interdisciplinary design integration across MEP, CSA, controls, etc. Ensure all mechanical design deliverables are complete, coordinated, and construction‑ready.
  • Maintain design logs, review matrices, risk registers, and decision documentation.
• Construction & Commissioning Support
  • Provide design‑intent interpretation during construction and ensure contractors' work aligns with approved drawings and specifications.
  • Support submittal reviews, RFIs, and field issue resolution to ensure alignment with design intent.
  • Evaluate all mechanical‑related change order requests from contractors and vendors on behalf of the Owner.
  • Verify whether the proposed change is due to design development, unforeseen conditions, scope gaps, or contractor means and methods.
  • Assess technical validity.
  • Identify alternate solutions or mitigation options that protect the Owner's interests.
  • Lead technical negotiations with designers and contractors to resolve discrepancies and minimize unnecessary change costs.
  • Ensure documentation is clear, justified, and compliant with contractual requirements.
  • Participate in commissioning planning, witness mechanical system testing, and validate that installed systems meet performance and reliability requirements.
• Stakeholder Alignment
  • Work closely with program management, operations, construction, and finance teams to ensure that mechanical solutions meet functional and business objectives.
  • Communicate engineering decisions and recommendations to leadership clearly and effectively.

• Required Qualifications:
  • 10+ years of mechanical design experience, with 5+ years on mission‑critical projects as an owner rep, design manager, or consulting lead.
  • Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering.
  • Strong understanding of ASHRAE, NFPA, Uptime Institute, and…