Principal Mechanical Engineer
At Black & White Engineering, we are shaping the future of high-performance mechanical design for the digital economy. As a Principal Mechanical Engineer based in Manchester, you will take a leading technical role in delivering complex and innovative data centre and mission-critical projects across the UK and Europe. This position offers the opportunity to influence design strategy, guide project teams, and work closely with major clients across the industry.
In this role, you will lead the mechanical design process from early concept stages through detailed design, construction support, and final commissioning. Your work will involve HVAC solutions, chilled water systems, CRAC and CRAH technologies, ventilation strategies, and fire protection design, all tailored to the performance demands of hyperscale and colocation facilities. You will ensure full compliance with Uptime Institute Tier standards, ASHRAE guidelines, and UK and European regulations, with a focus on delivering efficiency, resilience, and best-in-class engineering quality.
As a Principal Mechanical Engineer, you will act as a key technical leader within the Manchester office. You will provide direction on large and complex projects, coordinate with multidisciplinary teams, engage directly with clients, and mentor engineers at various levels. Your ability to simplify complex engineering challenges and inspire confidence in both clients and colleagues will be essential to successful delivery.
Your work will be supported by a collaborative Manchester team and our global design centre, offering access to world-class technical expertise, digital modelling capabilities, and a strong culture of knowledge sharing. We support continuous professional development through CPD programmes, technical workshops, and structured support toward chartership for those still completing their accreditation. For Principal-level engineers demonstrating leadership capability, we offer a clear progression pathway toward Associate Director.
We are looking for someone with strong mechanical building services experience, ideally with exposure to mission-critical or large-scale technical projects. You should be proficient with Revit, AutoCAD, IES VE, and CFD tools, with a solid understanding of thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, and energy modelling. Chartered status or significant progress toward it is highly desirable.
At Black & White, your expertise will be valued, your influence will shape key projects, and your career will continue to accelerate. Join us in Manchester and help deliver the next generation of high-performance data centres across the UK and Europe.