M&E Design Lead

M&E Design Lead – Critical Infrastructure

Competitive Salary DOE + Package 

Full-Time | Permanent

M&E Design. Technical Leadership. Critical Infrastructure. Data Centres.

Pearson Whiffin Recruitment are currently recruiting for an experienced M&E Design Lead to join a specialist engineering team delivering complex critical infrastructure and data centre projects.

This is an excellent opportunity for a highly experienced Mechanical or Electrical Engineer looking to take technical ownership of multidisciplinary building-services design across high-value and technically demanding projects.

The successful candidate will act as the technical authority for the overall M&E solution, leading integrated design across mechanical, electrical, controls, fire and specialist systems from feasibility and tender stage through detailed design, construction, commissioning and final handover.

The Role

As M&E Design Lead, you will take overall responsibility for the technical integrity of project designs, while continuing to personally develop, review and approve engineering work within your own core discipline.

Responsibilities will include:

• Acting as technical lead for multidisciplinary M&E design
• Taking ownership of the overall technical solution across complex engineering projects
• Producing, reviewing and approving engineering design within your own qualified discipline
• Coordinating mechanical, electrical, controls, fire and specialist systems
• Developing integrated building-services design strategies
• Ensuring designs are technically robust, resilient, buildable and commercially appropriate
• Defining design scope, responsibilities, deliverables and technical requirements
• Working closely with clients to understand project objectives and develop appropriate technical solutions
• Supporting feasibility studies, site audits and technical assessments
• Developing tender and bid-stage engineering solutions
• Reviewing client specifications, drawings and technical requirements
• Producing and reviewing calculations, specifications, schedules, drawings and schematics
• Reviewing technical submissions and engineering documentation
• Leading technical design reviews and workshops
• Identifying and resolving complex engineering issues
• Managing multidisciplinary interfaces, dependencies and constraints
• Assessing existing facilities and developing upgrade or improvement strategies
• Managing technical risk throughout the project lifecycle
• Ensuring solutions meet regulatory, safety, performance and operational requirements
• Supporting procurement teams with technical assessments and supplier selection
• Providing technical support throughout construction and installation
• Supporting commissioning teams and ensuring design intent is maintained through delivery
• Reviewing technical changes and assessing their impact on performance, programme and cost
• Leading site surveys and technical audits
• Providing technical guidance to Project Managers, construction teams and clients
• Mentoring and developing engineers within the wider design team
• Supporting improvements to engineering standards, design processes and technical best practice

About You

We are looking for an experienced engineering professional with strong expertise in either Mechanical or Electrical Engineering, combined with broad knowledge across multidisciplinary building services.

Ideally, you will have:

• Significant M&E design experience
• Strong technical expertise within either Mechanical or Electrical Engineering
• The ability to personally produce, review and approve engineering designs within your specialist discipline
• Strong multidisciplinary M&E knowledge
• Experience coordinating mechanical, electrical and specialist building-services systems
• Experience acting as a Technical Lead, Lead Engineer or senior engineering authority
• Strong knowledge of complex building-services systems
• Experience managing technical risk and design interfaces
• Strong understanding of resilience, redundancy and high-availability engineering
• Experience developing engineering solutions from feasibility through to construction
• Experience producing and reviewing technical calculations, specifications and reports
• Strong understanding of construction and commissioning processes
• Confidence making significant technical decisions
• Strong problem-solving and analytical abilities
• Excellent client-facing and stakeholder-management skills
• Ability to explain complex engineering solutions clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Strong leadership and mentoring capabilities

A Degree, HNC, HND or equivalent qualification in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Building Services Engineering or a related discipline is required.

Chartered Engineer status or progress towards professional accreditation would be highly advantageous.

Technical Knowledge

Candidates should have strong knowledge of integrated building-services systems, including areas such as:

• Critical power systems
• HV / LV electrical distribution
• Standby generation
• UPS systems
• Cooling and HVAC systems
• Chilled water systems
• Fire detection and protection
• Building Management Systems
• Controls and monitoring systems
• Electrical and mechanical resilience
• System redundancy
• Plant and equipment layouts
• Spatial coordination
• Operational and maintenance requirements
• Energy efficiency and system performance

You do not need to personally design every discipline, but you must have enough multidisciplinary knowledge to challenge, coordinate and assure the complete M&E solution.

Desirable Industry Experience

Experience within any of the following environments would be particularly beneficial:

• Data Centres
• Critical Infrastructure
• Mission-Critical Facilities
• Building Services
• Critical Power
• M&E / MEP Consultancy
• Engineering & Construction
• Pharmaceutical
• Healthcare
• Financial Services Infrastructure
• High-Availability Environments
• Industrial Engineering

Data centre experience would be highly desirable, although candidates with strong transferable technical leadership experience from other critical, regulated or high-availability environments should also be considered.

Software & Design Systems

Candidates should ideally be familiar with:

• AutoCAD
• Revit
• BIM workflows
• Microsoft Office
• Engineering calculation and design software
• Document-control and design-management systems

Dedicated CAD and digital-engineering support may be available, meaning the role is focused primarily on technical engineering leadership rather than pure CAD production.

Travel

The role may require:

• Regular travel to project and client sites across the UK
• Site surveys and technical reviews
• Occasional international travel depending on project requirements

What's on Offer?

• Competitive salary depending on experience
• Attractive benefits package
• Permanent, full-time position
• Opportunity to act as technical authority on major engineering projects
• Exposure to high-profile critical infrastructure and data centre projects
• Professional training and development
• Long-term career progression
• Opportunity to mentor and develop other engineers
• Significant influence over engineering standards and technical delivery

This role would suit an experienced M&E Design Lead, MEP Design Lead, Lead Mechanical Engineer, Lead Electrical Engineer, Building Services Design Lead, Principal Engineer, Technical Lead or Associate-level Building Services Engineer looking for their next career move.