Associate Director - Mechanical Engineering

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There has never been a better time to be at AECOM. With accelerating infrastructure investment worldwide, our services are in great demand. We invite you to bring your bold ideas and big dreams and become part of a global team of over 50,000 planners, designers, engineers, scientists, digital innovators, program and construction managers and other professionals delivering projects that create a positive and tangible impact around the world.

We're one global team driven by our common purpose to deliver a better world. Join us.

We are looking for an Associate Director to join our busy South West MEP team, the role can be based in Cardiff or Bristol.

Job Responsibilities

• Reporting to the Regional Director and helping to manage and deliver medium to large healthcare, education and defence projects.
• Taking ownership of project finances and supporting the commercial performance of the team.
• Managing a small team of engineers, providing specialist mechanical design input and supporting the development of junior and graduate engineers.
• Working closely with architects, structural, civil and (where relevant) clinical planning and end‑user teams in interdisciplinary design reviews to coordinate practical solutions for healthcare, education and defence projects.
• Preparing fee estimates and design programmes, and working with clients, users and stakeholders to agree clear project deliverables across healthcare, education and defence portfolios.
• Carrying out and overseeing quality checks on mechanical design calculations, drawings and models.
• Writing technical specifications for commercial, education, defence and healthcare mechanical systems in line with relevant standards, including BS EN, HTM/HBN and others.
• Supporting the development of engineering budgets and schedules so that project requirements, operational dates and clinical commissioning dates are met.
• Using and understanding software tools for mechanical building services design (e.g. heating, cooling, ventilation, domestic services), particularly for social infrastructure buildings such as hospitals, schools and defence facilities.
• Managing project resources so that agreed deliverables are achieved on time and within budget.

Minimum Requirements

• Proven experience in mechanical building services design, ideally including healthcare, education and defence projects.
• A motivated individual with a passion for delivering high-quality, safe and resilient environments in complex, operationally critical buildings.
• Experience working as an Associate, Principal Engineer or in a similar senior role.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with confidence in dealing with clients and stakeholders across healthcare, education and defence sectors.
• Membership of a relevant professional body, such as CIBSE.
• Good working knowledge of software used to design mechanical building services systems.
• Experience of delivering projects using BIM software.
• Experience in low carbon and energy-efficient systems design, and an understanding of how design decisions influence carbon emissions in healthcare, education and defence buildings.
• Ability to analyse and interpret outputs from IES or other building performance / calculation tools.
• Experience in the design and delivery of healthcare facilities, with familiarity with HTM and HBN guidance (e.g. ventilation, hot and cold water, critical systems); experience in education and defence standards/frameworks would be an advantage.

• Degree in Building Services or Mechanical Engineering (or equivalent).
• Chartered, or actively working towards chartership, with a relevant professional body such as CIBSE.
• Extensive post‑graduate experience in mechanical building services design, with significant exposure to healthcare, education and/or defence projects.

About AECOM

AECOM is the world’s trusted infrastructure consulting firm, delivering professional services throughout the project lifecycle – from advisory, planning, design and engineering to program and construction management. On projects spanning transportation, buildings, water, new energy and the environment, our public- and private-sector clients trust us to solve their most complex challenges. Our teams are driven by a common purpose to deliver a better world through our unrivaled technical and digital expertise, a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion, and a commitment to environmental, social and governance priorities. AECOM is a Fortune 500 firm and its Professional Services business had revenue of $16.1 billion in fiscal year 2025. See how we are delivering sustainable legacies for generations to come at aecom.com and @AECOM.

Freedom to Grow in a World of Opportunity 

You will have the flexibility you need to do your best work with hybrid work options. Whether you’re working from an AECOM office, remote location or at a client site, you will be working in a dynamic environment where your integrity, entrepreneurial spirit and pioneering mindset are championed.

You will help us foster a safe and respectful workplace, where we invite everyone to bring their whole selves to work using their unique talents, backgrounds and expertise to create transformational outcomes for our clients.

AECOM provides a wide array of compensation, benefits and well-being programs to meet the diverse needs of our employees and their families. We’re the world’s trusted global infrastructure firm, and we’re in this together – your growth and success are ours too.

Join us, and you’ll get all the benefits of being a part of a global, publicly traded firm – access to industry-leading technology and thinking and transformational work with big impact and work flexibility. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we believe in each person’s potential, and we’ll help you reach yours.

We are a Disability Confident Employer and will offer an interview to applicants who have a disability or long-term condition, who meet the minimum/essential criteria for the role. Please let us know using this email address [email protected]  if you would like to apply through the Disability Confident Interview Scheme.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.