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Mechanical Engineer, Data Center Design Engineering

Meta

San Francisco, CAJob$173–245K/yrSeen 4mo agoSeen in employer's feed 2 days ago

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At a glance

Compensation
$173–245K/yr
Location
San Francisco, CA
Work Authorization
Not specified

Olive lists jobs from US employers, including remote roles you can work from the United States.

Job overview

Meta seeks a Mechanical Engineer to lead the design of next-generation data center mechanical systems, including liquid cooling and thermal infrastructure, from concept through construction. The role sets technical direction, develops programmatic designs, localizes them for specific sites, and supports construction and operational handover. The engineer also mentors colleagues and coordinates with engineering, energy, hardware, design, and construction teams.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

Mechanical EngineeringData Center DesignTechnical CommunicationMechanical Design ProgramsLiquid CoolingChiller Plant DesignHydronic System DesignDesign Delivery PhasesMentoringAI Skill DevelopmentResponsible AI PracticesAI Workflow OptimizationOwner RepresentationPrefabricated ConstructionElectrical/MEP IntegrationThermal Design ValidationProduct ReliabilityOperations HandoverBMS/EPMS IntegrationMechanical ControlsMechanical R&DDesign SimulationReliability EngineeringAcoustics EngineeringRegulatory Compliance

Qualifications

10+ Years Mechanical Engineering ExperienceBachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering or Equivalent Practical ExperienceMechanical PE License

Full job description

Summary:

Meta's AI infrastructure is scaling faster than anything the data center industry has designed for. We need a Mechanical Engineer who can own the next generation of liquid cooling and thermal systems — from first concept through construction — at a scale no one else is building. You will serve as the design authority for novel systems, defining technical approaches where established standards may not yet exist.This is a small, expert team where your decisions directly shape what gets built. You'll set technical direction across hydronic and thermal systems, mentor engineers around you, and drive programs that deliver megawatts of compute capacity. Our current focus areas include:- Technical Roadmap — Charting the path for next-generation mechanical systems and emerging technologies- Programmatic Designs — Develop future data center designs- Owner Furnished Equipment — Develop, maintain, optimize and manage risk of critical mechanical equipment.- Design Localization — Lead the implementation of the programmatic designs for site-specific conditions and support construction administration for self build and leases.

Required Skills:

Mechanical Engineer, Data Center Design Engineering Responsibilities:

  1. Lead and/or assist on new data center product designs, integrating technological advancements while balancing cost, efficiency, time-to-delivery, and sustainability

  2. Own data center product mechanical systems strategies and infrastructure designs — including liquid cooling, chiller plant design, and heat rejection systems — from concept through construction administration

  3. Drive the design and development of airside and hydronic systems including CDU, Valve Train, Fan Coils, Central Chiller Plants, Drycoolers, and Cooling Towers

  4. Develop design documentation and drive design execution across all design and delivery phases (SD, DD, CD, CA) for self builds (greenfield), lease facilities and retrofit projects

  5. Work closely with CSLA, Electrical, Connectivity & Controls Engineering teams to achieve holistic product designs optimized for cost, construction speed, operational efficiency, and long-term flexibility

  6. Collaborate with cross-functional teams on prefabricated (DFSMA) solutions and modular component offerings (Building Block strategy) to be embedded into new design products

  7. Partner with Energy & Water Modeling teams to evaluate environmental impacts, WUE optimization, and sustainability targets

  8. Collaborate with Controls Engineering to ensure integrated mechanical control strategies and system-level optimization

  9. Collaborate with Hardware engineering to align rack-level thermal and mechanical requirements (power density, coolant flow/pressure, temperature limits) with facility mechanical system design

  10. Manage and hold EoR teams accountable on deliverables and performance

  11. Prepare RFPs, analyze award recommendations, manage contracts, review change orders, VE proposals, shop drawings, submittals, RFIs

  12. Participate in factory tests, onsite testing, commissioning, quality checks throughout project lifecycle

  13. Balance short-term delivery priorities while tracking industry standards and emerging trends to drive long-term strategy with the Engineering Tech Strategy team

  14. Perform research and develop analysis on new technologies, alternate materials, and liquid enablement solutions — building models of cost and environmental impact

  15. Support R&D initiatives and pilot programs for next-generation mechanical systems through the Research Lab

  16. Evaluate and advance reliability/availability engineering practices to reduce downtime risk and improve system readiness

  17. Drive design-to-break-ground program schedules while working closely with design and construction teams to ensure milestones and completion dates are on track

  18. Lead and oversee change management of applicable systems and drive towards resolution

  19. Represent Meta's interests as Owner's Rep on self-performed and leased facility projects

  20. Partner with Site Selection on assigned site due diligence and master planning projects

  21. Work with design engineers and field teams on new design types so they can correctly apply them to specific projects

  22. Support operations on knowledge sharing, handover and deployment planning to ensure smooth transitions from design to live operations

  23. Provide technical guidance on commissioning, startup sequencing, and system validation

  24. Able to travel up to 25% of the time

Minimum Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications:

  1. Experience communicating technical decisions in writing and in presentations to both technical and non-technical audiences (e.g., design reviews, executive briefings, RFI responses)

  2. Experience leading large-scale mechanical design programs from concept through construction

  3. 10+ years of experience in mechanical engineering for mission-critical facilities or data centers

  4. Demonstrated expertise in liquid cooling systems, chiller plant design, and/or hydronic system design

  5. Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent practical experience

  6. Experience with all phases of design delivery (SD, DD, CD, and CA)

Preferred Qualifications:

Preferred Qualifications:

  1. Track record of mentoring engineers and building team capability

  2. Demonstrated ongoing AI skill development (e.g., prompt/context engineering, agent orchestration) and staying current with emerging AI technologies

  3. PE license (Mechanical)

  4. Experience adhering to and implementing responsible, ethical AI practices (e.g., risk assessment, bias mitigation, quality and accuracy reviews)

  5. Demonstrated ability to integrate AI tools to optimize/redesign workflows and drive measurable impact (e.g., efficiency gains, quality improvements)

  6. Experience representing Owners' interests on large capital programs

  7. Experience with prefabricated/modular construction methodologies (DfSMA)

  8. Electrical/MEP integration depth — ability to work across disciplines holistically

  9. Hardware engineering thermal (HWE-Thermal) background — thermal design validation and product reliability

  10. Experience with operations and deployment handover for data center mechanical systems

  11. Controls system fluency — understanding of BMS/EPMS integration and mechanical controls logic

  12. Background in R&D or piloting new mechanical technologies in production environments

  13. Familiarity with advanced tooling, simulation, or AI-driven design optimization

  14. Experience in availability and reliability engineering for critical infrastructure

  15. Experience with acoustics/noise engineering and regulatory compliance for mechanical equipment

Public Compensation:

$173,000/year to $245,000/year + bonus + equity + benefits

Industry: Internet

Equal Opportunity:

Meta is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, sexual stereotypes, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law. Meta participates in the E-Verify program in certain locations, as required by law. Please note that Meta may leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies in connection with applications for employment.

Meta is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities in our recruiting process. If you need any assistance or accommodations due to a disability, please let us know at [email protected].

How this job compares

Set against the 1,760 open Mechanical Engineering jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 6, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$173–245K/yr
  • California median$140–198K/yr186 salary ranges
  • US median$115–187K/yr867 salary ranges

This range's midpoint, $209K, is 22% above the California median midpoint ($171K) — in the top quarter of Mechanical Engineering salary ranges in California.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 282 open Mechanical Engineering jobs in California and 1,760 across the US. 2% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in California
Experience
This posting asks for at least 10 years of experience — more than three in four Mechanical Engineering postings that state a minimum ask for (median 5 years, across 986 postings).
Education
777 of the 1,760 open Mechanical Engineering jobs (44%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 6, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.

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