Lead Mechanical Design Engineer

Lead Mechanical HVAC Design Engineer

Company: MG Engineering D.P.C. (MGE)
Location: New York City, New York
Discipline: Mechanical Engineering | HVAC and Building Systems
Employment Type: Full-Time
Base Salary Range: $120,000–$220,000+ annually
Potential Total Compensation: $140,000–$260,000+, depending on experience, licensure, leadership responsibilities, and qualifications
Represented By: Luxus Group | AEC Talent Partners

Position Overview

MG Engineering D.P.C. is seeking an accomplished Lead Mechanical HVAC Design Engineer to provide technical leadership and design oversight for complex building projects from its New York City headquarters.

This is a high-impact opportunity for an experienced mechanical engineer who can lead sophisticated HVAC designs, guide multidisciplinary project teams, mentor developing engineers, and collaborate directly with architects, owners, contractors, utilities, commissioning professionals, and public agencies.

The Lead Mechanical HVAC Design Engineer will oversee projects from feasibility, due diligence, and conceptual planning through design development, construction documents, agency approvals, bidding, construction administration, commissioning, and closeout.

The position requires advanced knowledge of airside and waterside HVAC systems, central heating and cooling plants, building automation, energy modeling, heat-load calculations, ventilation, smoke control, building electrification, energy-code compliance, and New York City regulatory requirements.

The ideal candidate combines strong technical expertise with project leadership, quality control, client communication, interdisciplinary coordination, and team development.

About MG Engineering

MG Engineering D.P.C. is a full-service engineering firm specializing in mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, fire alarm, lighting, commissioning, sustainability, central energy, enhanced construction administration, and technology services. Explore MGE’s engineering services.

For more than 30 years, MGE has been headquartered in New York City. The company has grown to more than 150 professionals across multiple offices while maintaining deep relationships throughout the New York architecture, engineering, construction, real estate, healthcare, education, and institutional markets. Learn more about MGE’s offices.

MGE supports public- and private-sector clients across markets that include:

• Commercial office buildings

• Corporate interiors

• Residential and mixed-use developments

• Healthcare and life-science facilities

• Higher education and K–12 schools

• Hospitality and entertainment

• Retail and restaurants

• Government and civic buildings

• Cultural and institutional facilities

• Senior living and residential care

• Central utility and energy infrastructure

• Building repositioning and major renovations

• Mission-critical and high-reliability facilities

Key Responsibilities

Mechanical and HVAC Design Leadership

• Lead the planning, analysis, design, and documentation of HVAC systems for new construction, renovations, infrastructure upgrades, and building-repositioning projects.

• Establish project design criteria, system concepts, performance requirements, and engineering standards.

• Direct the preparation of mechanical drawings, specifications, calculations, equipment schedules, control sequences, and technical reports.

• Lead the design and evaluation of systems involving:

  • Variable air volume systems

  • Constant-volume air-handling systems

  • Dedicated outdoor air systems

  • Variable refrigerant flow and variable refrigerant volume systems

  • Chilled-water systems

  • Heating hot-water systems

  • Steam and condensate systems

  • Condenser-water systems

  • Heat pump and heat-recovery systems

  • Packaged rooftop and split systems

  • Fan coil and water-source heat pump systems

  • Central utility plants

  • Chillers, boilers, cooling towers, and pumps

  • Energy-recovery ventilation

  • Laboratory ventilation and exhaust

  • Healthcare HVAC systems

  • Commercial kitchen ventilation

  • Smoke-control and stair-pressurization systems

  • Data room and mission-critical cooling

  • Building automation and direct digital controls

  • Mechanical equipment for high-rise buildings

• Evaluate HVAC alternatives based on first cost, lifecycle cost, energy performance, carbon emissions, resiliency, redundancy, maintainability, acoustics, indoor environmental quality, and available space.

• Resolve complex mechanical engineering challenges and provide practical, technically defensible recommendations.

• Ensure designs are code-compliant, energy-efficient, coordinated, constructible, and aligned with client objectives.

Engineering Calculations and System Analysis

• Perform or oversee heating- and cooling-load calculations.

• Develop ventilation calculations and outdoor-air requirements.

• Size and select air-handling units, chillers, boilers, cooling towers, pumps, heat exchangers, terminal units, fans, heat pumps, and specialty equipment.

• Prepare or review:

  • Airflow and ventilation calculations

  • Hydronic pipe-sizing calculations

  • Duct-sizing and pressure-loss calculations

  • Pump head calculations

  • Equipment schedules and selections

  • Psychrometric analyses

  • Energy-code calculations

  • Equipment lifecycle and efficiency evaluations

  • Pressurization and air-balance strategies

  • Fuel-use and building-load analyses

  • Central plant capacity studies

• Establish system zoning based on building use, occupancy, exposure, schedule, tenant requirements, and operational needs.

• Analyze part-load performance and equipment staging.

• Evaluate system redundancy and reliability requirements for critical facilities.

• Review existing system capacities and determine whether infrastructure can support renovations, expansions, or changes in use.

• Support energy modeling, utility-incentive studies, and sustainability analyses.

Central Plant and Infrastructure Design

• Lead the evaluation and design of central heating and cooling infrastructure.

• Develop central plant concepts involving chillers, boilers, heat pumps, cooling towers, heat exchangers, thermal storage, and pumping systems.

• Evaluate replacement, expansion, electrification, and modernization alternatives for existing plants.

• Develop equipment sequencing, redundancy, controls, and operational strategies.

• Plan equipment phasing and temporary-service arrangements for occupied facilities.

• Coordinate plant electrical loads, fuel requirements, structural support, ventilation, drainage, acoustics, and equipment access.

• Assess central plant performance, capacity, condition, and remaining useful life.

• Develop recommendations that balance capital investment, efficiency, resilience, maintenance, and long-term operating costs.

Building Electrification and Decarbonization

• Lead or support the conversion of fossil-fuel-based heating systems to electric or hybrid alternatives.

• Evaluate air-source, water-source, ground-source, and heat-recovery heat pump applications.

• Develop practical electrification strategies for new and existing buildings.

• Analyze electrical-service implications in collaboration with the electrical engineering team.

• Evaluate peak heating demand, equipment performance at low ambient temperatures, defrost requirements, and supplemental heat.

• Support compliance strategies associated with New York City building-emissions requirements.

• Develop phased decarbonization plans that account for budgets, equipment life, occupancy, and building operations.

• Integrate heat recovery, energy recovery, thermal storage, and high-efficiency system concepts.

• Help clients understand the technical and financial implications of electrification and carbon-reduction strategies.

Project Leadership and Delivery

• Serve as the senior mechanical technical authority for assigned projects.

• Work closely with Project Managers to establish scope, schedule, budget, staffing, technical milestones, and deliverables.

• Lead projects from initial feasibility and due diligence through design, permitting, construction, commissioning, and closeout.

• Direct the work of engineers, designers, energy professionals, and BIM/Revit staff.

• Delegate assignments based on project requirements, team capabilities, and development goals.

• Monitor project progress, engineering hours, deliverable status, and technical quality.

• Manage multiple concurrent projects while maintaining responsiveness and accountability.

• Identify design, coordination, permitting, energy, and construction risks early.

• Develop mitigation strategies that protect project quality, schedule, and financial performance.

• Participate in project kickoff meetings, design workshops, milestone reviews, and coordination meetings.

• Ensure deliverables are complete, coordinated, constructible, and ready for agency or construction submission.

New York City Code and Regulatory Compliance

• Ensure mechanical designs comply with applicable requirements, including:

  • New York City Mechanical Code

  • New York City Building Code

  • New York City Energy Conservation Code

  • New York City Fuel Gas Code

  • New York City Fire Code

  • New York State Energy Conservation Construction Code

  • ASHRAE standards and guidelines

  • NFPA requirements

  • International Mechanical Code, when applicable

  • Local Laws and agency requirements

  • Owner-specific design standards

• Support New York City Department of Buildings filings, submissions, objections, and approvals.

• Coordinate with FDNY, NYC Department of Environmental Protection, utilities, and other authorities having jurisdiction.

• Participate in meetings with plan examiners, agency reviewers, inspectors, and utility representatives.

• Respond to technical objections, agency comments, and requests for additional information.

• Maintain working knowledge of requirements associated with:

  • Local Law 97

  • Building emissions and benchmarking

  • Energy-code compliance

  • Building electrification

  • Refrigerant requirements

  • Indoor air quality

  • Smoke control

  • Special inspection and commissioning

• Help project teams develop practical and defensible compliance strategies.

• Remain current on changing energy, emissions, mechanical, and building-performance regulations.

Specialized HVAC Applications

• Provide technical leadership for specialized HVAC environments, which may include:

  • Hospitals and outpatient facilities

  • Laboratories and life-science facilities

  • Cleanrooms and controlled environments

  • Higher-education and research buildings

  • Commercial high-rises

  • Residential towers

  • Hotels and entertainment venues

  • Data rooms and critical facilities

  • Museums and cultural institutions

  • Kitchens and food-service facilities

  • Historic and landmark buildings

• Design systems that address critical pressure relationships, filtration, humidity, temperature, ventilation, and redundancy requirements.

• Apply relevant ASHRAE, FGI, CDC, USP, and owner-specific standards when required.

• Coordinate specialty exhaust, containment, process cooling, and heat-recovery systems.

• Develop reliable solutions for facilities that must remain operational during renovation or system replacement.

Existing Building Evaluations

• Lead surveys and assessments of existing mechanical systems.

• Evaluate HVAC equipment, distribution systems, controls, ventilation, central plants, and utility infrastructure.

• Assess system condition, capacity, code compliance, energy performance, and remaining useful life.

• Prepare due-diligence reports, feasibility studies, condition assessments, and capital-improvement recommendations.

• Develop phasing and temporary-conditioning strategies for occupied buildings.

• Identify concealed conditions and infrastructure limitations that may affect project scope.

• Evaluate potential system reuse and recommend upgrades, replacements, or expansions.

• Support facility master plans, campus utility studies, and infrastructure-modernization programs.

Interdisciplinary Coordination

• Coordinate mechanical systems with electrical, plumbing, fire protection, fire alarm, architectural, structural, civil, lighting, technology, security, and specialty-consultant teams.

• Participate in BIM coordination and clash-detection reviews.

• Confirm that mechanical rooms, shafts, louvers, equipment clearances, access paths, and service spaces are properly incorporated.

• Coordinate electrical characteristics and emergency-power requirements for mechanical equipment.

• Coordinate drains, makeup water, gas, fuel oil, and condensate requirements with plumbing engineers.

• Coordinate fire and smoke dampers, smoke-control systems, and fire alarm interfaces.

• Coordinate equipment weights, vibration isolation, structural support, openings, and roof penetrations.

• Resolve interdisciplinary conflicts before construction.

• Help architects and owners understand the spatial, acoustic, aesthetic, and operational effects of mechanical systems.

Controls and Building Automation

• Develop HVAC control sequences and building automation system requirements.

• Coordinate control points, sensors, safeties, alarms, trending, scheduling, and system interfaces.

• Develop sequences for central plants, air-handling systems, terminal units, heat pumps, and energy-recovery systems.

• Integrate energy optimization, demand control, equipment staging, and reset strategies.

• Coordinate controls with electrical, fire alarm, life-safety, and commissioning professionals.

• Review building automation submittals and control diagrams.

• Participate in functional testing and system troubleshooting.

• Confirm that control sequences support energy performance, occupant comfort, and safe operation.

Quality Assurance and Quality Control

• Lead discipline-specific QA/QC reviews at major project milestones.

• Review drawings, specifications, calculations, reports, equipment selections, and agency submissions.

• Verify system sizing, energy compliance, interdisciplinary coordination, and constructability.

• Confirm that project requirements and owner standards are properly incorporated.

• Track review comments and verify that required revisions are completed.

• Identify errors, omissions, conflicts, and professional-liability risks before documents are issued.

• Develop and maintain standardized details, calculation templates, specifications, design procedures, and quality-control checklists.

• Promote consistent engineering practices across project teams and offices.

• Participate in peer reviews and independent technical evaluations.

Energy, Sustainability, and Commissioning

• Integrate energy efficiency and sustainability goals into mechanical-system designs.

• Support LEED, WELL, ENERGY STAR, Passive House, and other building-performance initiatives when applicable.

• Evaluate high-efficiency equipment, energy recovery, heat recovery, variable-speed pumping, demand-control ventilation, and advanced controls.

• Collaborate with energy modeling and commissioning professionals.

• Develop energy-conservation measures and system-optimization recommendations.

• Participate in owner’s project requirements and basis-of-design development.

• Respond to commissioning comments and support functional performance testing.

• Review testing, adjusting, and balancing reports.

• Help resolve system-performance issues during commissioning and occupancy.

Client and Stakeholder Engagement

• Serve as a senior mechanical engineering contact for clients, architects, developers, owners, contractors, and consultants.

• Lead technical discussions during client meetings, presentations, and design workshops.

• Explain complex HVAC, energy, electrification, and code considerations to technical and nontechnical stakeholders.

• Help clients evaluate system alternatives, infrastructure investments, operational requirements, and lifecycle costs.

• Coordinate with public agencies, utilities, contractors, commissioning providers, and equipment manufacturers.

• Build trusted relationships that support client satisfaction and repeat assignments.

• Represent MGE professionally in meetings with owners, agencies, contractors, and industry partners.

• Provide responsive technical guidance when project conditions or client priorities change.

Construction Administration

• Provide senior engineering leadership during bidding, construction, testing, commissioning, and closeout.

• Review equipment submittals, shop drawings, controls submittals, testing procedures, substitutions, and contractor proposals.

• Respond to requests for information and resolve unforeseen field conditions.

• Conduct site visits and field observations to evaluate construction progress and compliance.

• Participate in preconstruction meetings, coordination meetings, equipment startups, punch-list inspections, and commissioning activities.

• Evaluate change-order requests for scope, technical merit, and cost reasonableness.

• Review testing, adjusting, and balancing reports.

• Support functional performance testing and seasonal commissioning.

• Coordinate with contractors, inspectors, commissioning providers, and authorities having jurisdiction.

• Review record drawings, operating manuals, training documentation, and closeout materials.

Team Leadership and Mentorship

• Lead, mentor, and develop mechanical engineers, designers, and BIM/Revit staff.

• Provide technical guidance on HVAC systems, codes, calculations, equipment selection, controls, specifications, and construction practices.

• Review team members’ work and provide clear, constructive feedback.

• Help junior professionals strengthen their engineering judgment and client communication skills.

• Support internal training, technical workshops, and knowledge-sharing programs.

• Assist employees pursuing EIT certification, PE licensure, LEED credentials, or other professional designations.

• Promote accountability, collaboration, technical excellence, and continuous improvement.

• Help identify and develop future technical and project leaders.

Proposals and Business Development

• Provide technical input for proposals, qualifications packages, interviews, and project pursuits.

• Assist with developing scopes of work, project schedules, staffing plans, and fee estimates.

• Identify project risks, assumptions, exclusions, and required specialty services.

• Participate in client presentations and interviews as a senior technical representative.

• Support relationship development with architects, developers, owners, contractors, institutions, and public agencies.

• Identify opportunities to expand services with existing clients.

• Contribute to the continued growth and reputation of MGE’s mechanical engineering practice.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Architectural Engineering, or a closely related discipline.

• Eight or more years of progressively responsible mechanical and HVAC design experience.

• Significant experience working within an MEP consulting engineering environment.

• Demonstrated experience leading mechanical design assignments and coordinating multidisciplinary teams.

• Strong technical knowledge of airside and waterside HVAC systems.

• Experience preparing mechanical drawings, specifications, calculations, schedules, reports, and agency submissions.

• Working knowledge of applicable mechanical, energy, building, fuel gas, fire, and ASHRAE requirements.

• Proficiency with Revit and AutoCAD.

• Experience with HVAC load-calculation software such as Trane TRACE, Carrier HAP, IESVE, or similar applications.

• Experience reviewing equipment submittals, controls packages, and construction RFIs.

• Ability to lead multiple projects and prioritize competing deadlines.

• Excellent technical writing, communication, organization, and leadership skills.

• Ability to conduct field surveys and participate in construction-phase site activities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Twelve or more years of mechanical HVAC design experience.

• Professional Engineer license in New York.

• EIT certification with active progress toward PE licensure may be considered for a candidate with strong leadership experience.

• Experience serving as Engineer of Record or senior mechanical technical reviewer.

• Advanced knowledge of New York City codes, agency filings, energy requirements, and construction practices.

• Experience designing central utility plants and complex heating and cooling infrastructure.

• Experience with healthcare, life sciences, laboratories, higher education, commercial high-rise, residential high-rise, hospitality, or mission-critical projects.

• Experience with building electrification, decarbonization, and Local Law 97 compliance strategies.

• Experience designing smoke-control and stair-pressurization systems.

• Experience leading formal QA/QC or peer reviews.

• Proficiency with energy modeling, computational fluid dynamics, or central plant optimization tools.

• Established relationships within the New York architecture, engineering, construction, institutional, or real estate market.

• Experience supervising engineers and developing future technical leaders.

• LEED AP, WELL AP, CEM, CPD, HBDP, BEMP, BCxP, or other relevant credentials.

What Success Looks Like

The successful Lead Mechanical HVAC Design Engineer will:

• Deliver technically accurate, coordinated, energy-efficient, and constructible HVAC designs.

• Establish clear technical direction at the beginning of each project.

• Anticipate and resolve design, code, energy, agency, and construction challenges.

• Reduce redesign through thorough calculations and interdisciplinary coordination.

• Consistently meet project schedules and quality expectations.

• Build confidence with clients, architects, agencies, contractors, and commissioning teams.

• Strengthen the technical capabilities of developing engineers and designers.

• Improve design standards, QA/QC practices, and project-delivery efficiency.

• Help MGE secure repeat assignments and expand strategic client relationships.

• Become a trusted technical leader within MGE’s New York mechanical practice.

Why Join MG Engineering?

This position provides an experienced mechanical engineer with the opportunity to:

• Join an established engineering firm headquartered in New York City.

• Lead complex projects across diverse and technically challenging markets.

• Work with integrated mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, lighting, commissioning, sustainability, and technology teams.

• Influence projects from early feasibility through completed construction.

• Solve complex infrastructure, energy, decarbonization, and constructability challenges.

• Mentor engineers and help shape the continued growth of the mechanical practice.

• Work on major New York developments, renovations, central plant upgrades, and institutional projects.

• Advance toward senior technical, project-management, associate, or principal-level leadership.

MGE has been recognized by Crain’s New York Business as one of the Best Places to Work in New York City for two consecutive years. The firm describes its benefits as including medical, dental, and vision coverage, retirement benefits, supplemental insurance, flexible spending accounts, paid leave, and training and educational opportunities. Learn more about careers at MGE.

Compensation and Benefits

The anticipated base salary range for this position is $120,000–$220,000+ annually.

Potential total compensation may range from approximately $140,000–$260,000+, depending on experience, professional licensure, technical expertise, project leadership, client relationships, and broader value to the firm.

The compensation range is intentionally broad to accommodate candidates ranging from experienced HVAC design leaders through senior professionals capable of assuming expanded technical, project, client, or practice leadership.

Benefits may include:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance

• Retirement plan

• Paid vacation, sick time, personal time, and holidays

• Flexible spending account

• Supplemental insurance options

• Professional development and continuing education

• PE licensure and professional-association support

• Leadership and career-advancement opportunities

Final compensation and benefits will be determined based on qualifications and confirmed during the interview process.

About Luxus Group

Luxus Group is a specialized recruiting and talent advisory firm serving the architecture, engineering, construction, and related professional-services industries.

As an AEC-focused recruiting partner, Luxus Group helps engineering and design firms identify, engage, evaluate, and hire difficult-to-find professionals. The firm understands the technical and leadership differences between HVAC designers, mechanical engineers, Project Managers, Technical Leads, Discipline Leaders, and principal-level professionals.

Luxus Group is representing MG Engineering in the identification and recruitment of qualified candidates for this opportunity. Interested professionals may contact Luxus Group for a confidential discussion regarding the position, compensation, project portfolio, team structure, and long-term advancement potential.

Equal Employment Opportunity

MG Engineering is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to qualified applicants and employees. Employment decisions are made based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications without regard to legally protected characteristics.

Search and Recruitment Keywords

Keywords: Lead Mechanical Engineer, Lead HVAC Engineer, Mechanical HVAC Design Engineer, Senior Mechanical Engineer, Senior HVAC Engineer, Mechanical Design Engineer, HVAC Design Engineer, Mechanical Project Engineer, HVAC Project Engineer, Mechanical Project Manager, HVAC Project Manager, Mechanical Discipline Lead, HVAC Discipline Lead, Mechanical Technical Lead, MEP Engineer, Building Systems Engineer, New York PE, Professional Engineer, Revit MEP, AutoCAD, Trane TRACE, Carrier HAP, IESVE, HVAC Load Calculations, Airside Systems, Waterside Systems, VAV, VRF, VRV, DOAS, Chilled Water, Heating Hot Water, Steam Systems, Heat Pumps, Central Utility Plant, Chillers, Boilers, Cooling Towers, Building Automation, DDC Controls, Smoke Control, Stair Pressurization, Energy Modeling, Building Electrification, Decarbonization, Heat Recovery, Energy Recovery, Local Law 97, NYC Mechanical Code, NYC Building Code, NYC Energy Conservation Code, ASHRAE 55, ASHRAE 62.1, ASHRAE 90.1, ASHRAE 170, Healthcare Engineering, Life Science Engineering, Laboratory HVAC, Commercial High-Rise, Residential High-Rise, Mission Critical, MEP Consulting, New York City Mechanical Engineering Jobs, MG Engineering Careers, MGE Careers, Luxus Group.