Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing Engineer; Data Centers & Mission-Critical Facilities

Senior MEP Engineer (Data Centers & Mission-Critical Facilities)

Location:

Houston, TX (Hybrid)

Role Type:
Full-Time (W-2)

Start Date:

ASAP

Guardian Engineering Enterprises is a premier engineering and project management firm serving the energy, rail, and industrial infrastructure sectors. With 30+ years of experience, we deliver end-to-end support—from engineering design and consulting through project management and design-build execution—grounded in innovation, safety, and long-term client partnerships. As an MBE, SDVOSB, and SBE, we’re building a high-performing team that takes pride in technical excellence, collaborative delivery, and doing the job right.

The Senior MEP Engineer will serve as a hands‑on technical leader responsible for the integrated mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection design of mission‑critical data center facilities. This role is ideal for a true designer—someone who remains deeply involved in engineering work rather than purely managing projects or people. You will lead complex MEP system designs for projects ranging from edge facilities to hyperscale campuses, supporting Guardian’s growing in‑house data center practice and government‑facing work.

• Lead integrated MEP design for mission‑critical data center facilities
• Design and coordinate HVAC cooling systems including air‑cooled, water‑cooled, adiabatic, and liquid cooling solutions
• Engineer high‑density cooling systems (20–100+ kW/rack), including CRAH/CRAC units, chilled water plants, cooling towers, pumping systems, and hot/cold aisle containment
• Develop plumbing systems such as water service, sanitary and storm drainage, chilled and condenser water distribution, and specialty systems for humidity control
• Design fire protection systems including pre‑action sprinklers, VESDA early warning detection, clean agent suppression, and smoke control systems
• Perform thermal modeling and CFD analysis to optimize airflow, eliminate hot spots, and improve energy efficiency
• Calculate cooling loads, psychrometric analysis, equipment selection, pipe sizing, and ductwork design
• Coordinate closely with electrical engineers on power capacity, UPS room cooling, generator layouts, and redundancy strategies
• Manage BIM coordination using Revit MEP and Navisworks for clash detection and constructability reviews
• Support construction administration including submittal reviews, commissioning coordination, TAB verification, and integrated systems testing
• Ensure designs align with PUE and WUE targets, sustainability goals, and applicable codes and standards

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical Engineering preferred; ABET‑accredited program strongly preferred)
• Professional Engineer (PE) license required or obtained by time of hire
• 5–8+ years of engineering experience with a strong focus on data centers or mission‑critical facilities
• Demonstrated hands‑on design experience (not a purely managerial background)
• Proven experience with HVAC, cooling infrastructure, and/or power‑related systems for data centers
• Ability to independently own and deliver complex engineering designs

• 7+ years total experience with at least 4 years in data center or critical facilities design
• Experience leading medium to large multi‑discipline projects
• Strong working knowledge of ASHRAE standards, NFPA codes, and Uptime Institute Tier requirements
• Experience N+1, N+2, and 2N redundant systems
• Proficiency with AutoCAD, Revit MEP, Trane TRACE HAP, or similar tools
• Experience on projects exceeding $50M in construction value
• Background at firms with heavy data center infrastructure work (e.g., large EPCs or specialty design firms)

Design & Analysis:
AutoCAD, Revit MEP, Navisworks, CFD tools

Mechanical Systems: HVAC, chilled water plants, cooling towers, liquid cooling

• Base Salary: $100,000 – $140,000 (Opportunity to adjust DOE)
• Employment Type:
  
  Full‑time W‑2
• Benefits:
  Health, dental, and vision insurance; 401(k) plan
• Career Growth:
  Opportunity to grow into leadership as Guardian scales its data center practice

Eligibility is limited to candidates located in and performing services in the United States, excluding those based in Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, South Carolina, or West Virginia.

We’re committed to making our hiring process as smooth and timely as possible, and we understand that waiting to hear back can add to the anticipation. If you’re a potential fit, our team will reach out within two weeks to progress you to the next stage. If you don’t hear from us in that time, we encourage you to explore other opportunities with our team in the future, and we wish you the very best in your job search.