Technical Principal Mechanical

Mott MacDonald is a global engineering, management, and development consultancy committed to delivering impactful work that shapes the future. We are a team of over 20,000 experts working across the world in more than 50 countries.

We are proud to be part of an ever-changing global industry, delivering transformative work that’s defining our future. It’s our people who power that performance. As an employee-owned business, we invest in creating a space for everyone to feel safe and valued and empowered with the right tools and support. 

Whether you want to pursue excellence in your specialism or broaden your experience with flexible roles across our business, you’ll be connected to a community of global experts championing you to be your best. Join us and shape your story with Mott MacDonald, where everyone has the opportunity to be brilliant.

The Technical Principal Mechanical will lead and manage the Mechanical Engineering vertical for multi-sector consulting projects across Pharmaceuticals, Chemicals, Manufacturing, FMCG, Capital Goods, Warehouses & allied facilities. The role combines technical authority, people leadership, client interface & commercial acumen, ensuring high-quality engineering deliverables, bid support & seamless collaboration with Project Management and cross-functional teams.

This role offers the opportunity to function as a discipline leader with business impact, contributing directly to client success, project profitability & long-term organizational capability building across diverse industrial sectors.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the Mechanical discipline for industrial design and engineering consultancy across multiple projects, ensuring compliance with international and local codes, standards & best engineering practices.
• Provide technical oversight and approvals for HVAC systems (comfort & industrial), Rotating equipment (pumps, compressors, blowers, etc.), Static equipment (pressure vessels, heat exchangers, tanks), Mechanical & process packages, Firefighting and fire protection systems and Fire & Explosion Gas (FEG) detection systems
• Act as the final technical authority for mechanical design reviews, calculations, specifications, layouts & vendor documents.
• Identify opportunities for standardization, optimization & value engineering across projects.
• Manage a team of 15+ direct and indirect reportees, including Principal Engineers, Design Engineers and CAD Modellers.
• Plan resource allocation, workload balancing & skill development across projects.
• Mentor, coach, and develop team members to build a strong pipeline of technical talent.
• Conduct performance reviews and support succession planning within the mechanical function.
• Serve as the primary mechanical discipline interface with clients, licensors, vendors & third-party consultants.
• Lead technical discussions, design review meetings, HAZOP / HAZID workshops & value engineering sessions.
• Address client clarifications, deviations, and change requests with sound technical and commercial judgement.
• Build long-term client relationships through delivery excellence and proactive engagement.
• Work closely with Project Management, Process, Electrical, Instrumentation, Civil, and Procurement teams to ensure integrated project delivery.
• Support Project Managers in planning, risk mitigation, schedule adherence & cost control from a mechanical discipline perspective.
• Coordinate with procurement and construction teams during vendor evaluation, technical bid analysis, FAT/SAT & site technical support.
• Provide technical inputs during proposal and bidding stages, including Scope definition and clarifications, Engineering man-hour estimation, technical write-ups and execution strategies
• Support commercial teams by identifying cost optimization opportunities without compromising safety or quality.
• Assist leadership in developing discipline-wise budgets, execution plans & profitability improvement initiatives.
• Review and approve discipline deliverables as per project quality plans.
• Stay updated with evolving industry standards, regulations, and new technologies relevant to mechanical systems.
• Guide the development of design philosophies, calculations, datasheets, specifications, layouts & tender documentation.
• Support value engineering, constructability reviews & design optimization initiatives.

Essential Candidate Requirement:

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering (master’s degree preferred).
• Experience in mechanical engineering design and consultancy, ideally within a multi‑disciplinary engineering or professional services environment.
• Proven leadership experience as a discipline lead, technical manager or senior principal engineer.
• Strong domain expertise across HVAC, equipment engineering, fire protection and packaged systems.
• Hands-on experience in client-facing roles and bid-stage engineering support.
• Demonstrated delivery of industrial projects within sectors such as Pharmaceuticals, Chemicals, Manufacturing & FMCG, Capital goods & warehouses.
• Exposure to infrastructure and/ or renewable energy projects is highly desirable.

Flexible working
At Mott MacDonald, we support our staff to create work-life balance which works for them and welcome candidates looking for career flexibility. We are open to discussing flexible working at interview stage.

Our benefits package is designed to enhance your experience:

• Agile working
• Critical illness and compassionate leave
• Paternity Leave
• Group term life insurance, and Group medical insurance coverage
• Career mobility options
• Short and Long-term global employment opportunities
• Global collaboration and knowledge sharing