MEP Associate Director – Data Centre Projects

Job Description

MEP Associate Director (Data Centre Background) | AtkinsRéalis

The Tone:
This is a full-time role at AtkinsRéalis, a world-class engineering services and nuclear organization. The company connects people, data, and technology to transform the world’s infrastructure and energy systems. This role is crucial for leading the planning, design, delivery, and operational oversight of Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) systems for mission-critical data centre projects, ensuring technical excellence and system reliability.

The TL;DR
• Role: Senior Leadership
• Type: Full-time
• Location: In-person

• Mission: Lead the comprehensive planning, design, and delivery of MEP systems for mission-critical data centre developments, ensuring reliability, scalability, and compliance.
• Tech Stack: Electrical power distribution systems, UPS and backup power systems, Generators and fuel systems, HVAC and cooling infrastructure, Chillers, cooling towers, CRAH/CRAC systems, Plumbing and water management systems, Fire detection and suppression systems, Building Management Systems (BMS), Data Centre Infrastructure Management (DCIM) platforms, Uptime Institute Tier Standards, TIA-942, ASHRAE Guidelines, NFPA Standards, IEEE and IEC Standards, LEED certifications, ESG principles

What You’ll Actually Do
• Leadership: Lead MEP design, engineering, and delivery for hyperscale, colocation, and enterprise data centre projects, providing strategic and technical direction across all relevant systems.
• Project Management: Drive project execution from concept design through construction, commissioning, and handover, managing multidisciplinary engineering teams, consultants, and contractors.
• Compliance & Quality: Ensure MEP designs meet reliability, redundancy, uptime, performance, and operational requirements while complying with Uptime Institute, TIA-942, ASHRAE, NFPA, IEC, and local regulatory requirements.
• Optimization & Sustainability: Lead value engineering initiatives to optimize cost, efficiency, sustainability, and operational performance, driving energy efficiency and PUE optimization.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Develop and maintain strong relationships with clients, stakeholders, regulatory authorities, and service providers, serving as a senior technical advisor for business development and client presentations.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Building Services Engineering, or a related discipline, with a focus on MEP engineering for mission-critical infrastructure.
• Experience: 15+ years of experience in MEP engineering, including proven experience leading teams on hyperscale, colocation, enterprise, or Tier III/Tier IV data centre developments, covering design management, project delivery, and commissioning.
• Skills: Strong expertise in electrical power distribution, UPS, backup power, generators, HVAC, cooling infrastructure, plumbing, fire detection/suppression, BMS, and DCIM platforms; extensive knowledge of data centre redundancy concepts (N, N+1, 2N, 2N+1); demonstrated ability to manage large-scale capital projects, budgets, and engineering resources.
• Bonus: Master’s Degree in Engineering, Project Management, or Business Administration; knowledge of sustainability frameworks, ESG principles, LEED certifications, and energy-efficiency initiatives; experience working with international consultants, contractors, and global project teams.