Mechanical Design Engineer (Contact)

Job Description: Mechanical Design Engineer (Contract - min 3 months)

Location: Southampton Area

Contract Length: Minimum 3 months (possibility of extension)

Role Type: Contract, Building Services / MEP Consultancy

About the role

We are seeking a skilled Mechanical Design Engineer to join a specialist building services and MEP consultancy on a contract basis. The successful candidate will join a multi discipline design team delivering mechanical design solutions across a variety of building types (commercial, public sector, mixed use). The role involves working from concept through to detailed design, integrating mechanical services with other disciplines, and delivering high quality, practical engineering solutions with a strong emphasis on low carbon design and BIM collaboration.

Key responsibilities

• Produce mechanical services design deliverables including heating, cooling, ventilation (HVAC), air conditioning systems, hydronic systems, chilled beams/fan coils, plant room layouts, ductwork/fan coil sizing, pipework schematics, pump sizing, etc.
• Develop drawings, specifications, schedules and performance calculations for mechanical services systems.
• Coordinate with electrical, structural, architectural and public health disciplines to ensure fully integrated building services design.
• Work within BIM modelling workflows, and assist with clash detection, coordination and inter discipline design integration.
• Support tender documentation, breakdowns, cost analysis and value engineering for mechanical services.
• Provide input to low carbon strategy, thermal modelling or overheating assessments as required.
• Participate in site inspections, construction monitoring and commissioning activities (if required).
• Ensure compliance with UK engineering standards and regulations (e.g., CIBSE design guides, Building Regulations, HVAC design best practice).

Essential skills & experience

• Qualified Mechanical Engineer (BEng/MEng or equivalent) with proven experience (typically 5+ years) in mechanical building services design within a consultancy environment.
• Strong experience of HVAC/heating/cooling/ventilation system design in commercial or public sector building projects.
• Familiarity with design tools such as AutoCAD, Revit MEP, ductwork and pipework sizing software, hydronic calculation tools.
• Experience working within BIM coordinated environments, with ability to collaborate with other disciplines.
• Excellent technical drawing/drafting capability, attention to detail, ability to produce clean design documentation.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, able to liaise with clients, contractors and internal design teams.
• Ability to organise and manage tasks effectively in a consultancy environment, meeting deadlines.

Desirable experience

• Experience of low carbon and sustainability focused mechanical systems (e.g., heat pumps, thermal stores, chilled beams, displacement ventilation, building optimisation).
• Experience of condition surveys, energy audits or refurbishment of mechanical systems.
• Involvement in site work, commissioning, and handover documentation.
• Membership of professional body (e.g., CIBSE, IMechE) or working towards chartered status.

What's on offer

• Minimum 3 month contract with potential to extend, depending on workload and results.
• Work within a well regarded building services consultancy delivering technically demanding and forward thinking projects.
• Opportunity for real technical impact, in a supportive and collaborative design environment.
• Exposure to low carbon design initiatives and Building Information Modelling (BIM) workflows.