Lead Mechanical Engineer

About Redtree

Redtree Engineering specializes in engineering, project management, and construction support services across mission-critical facilities, power systems, industrial projects, and complex infrastructure. Redtree offers 100% remote work for this role. As a growing engineering firm, we've built our team around flexibility from day one, giving engineers the ability to do serious, high-impact power generation design work from anywhere in the U.S., without relocating or commuting

Position Summary

Redtree is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer with deep power plant design experience to lead front-end planning, detailed design, and construction administration for power generation projects, with a focus on coal and natural gas-fired power plants, as well as associated balance of plant systems. This role covers the full engineering lifecycle, from front-end planning and preliminary design through final design, construction administration, and startup, and will work closely with multidisciplinary teams (electrical, civil, structural, PM/CM), equipment suppliers, and clients on both new-build and plant modernization/uprate projects.

In addition to technical design work, this role plays a key part in growing the team, mentoring and training less experienced engineers, leading project teams (including supporting staff overseas as part of Redtree's global CSI network), and helping set technical direction and quality standards across mechanical scope.

This is an opportunity to join a fast-growing engineering firm with the technical depth of an established AEC group and the agility of a startup, offering broad exposure across sectors rather than a narrow, single-client scope.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as technical lead for mechanical scope on assigned power generation projects, setting design direction and quality standards for the team.

• Bring deep, hands-on power plant design experience to bear on complex mechanical systems for coal, natural gas, and combined cycle generation facilities.

• Mentor, train, and develop less experienced engineers, including reviewing their calculations, drawings, and design decisions.

• Manage and lead teams of mechanical engineers to complete assigned activities, including workload planning and task delegation.

• Direct and support project teams and engineering staff overseas as part of Redtree's global CSI network, ensuring consistent design quality and coordination across time zones.

• Perform front-end planning, preliminary design, code analysis, and detailed design for mechanical systems at coal and natural gas fired generation facilities and associated balance of plant systems.

• Design and size mechanical equipment and piping systems, including pumps, blowers, tanks, and vessels, along with hydraulic calculations and valve/pipe material selection.

• Develop and review P&IDs for pumps, vessels, and tanks.

• Support air quality control systems and effluent limitation guideline (ELG) management for generation facilities.

• Prepare final design packages, including bidding documents and specifications, for compliance with applicable mechanical and building codes, industry standards, and client specifications.

• Coordinate with electrical, civil, structural, and project management teams to ensure integrated, constructible designs.

• Support construction administration and startup activities, primarily through remote review of compliance submittals, technical direction, and resolution of construction issues, with occasional site visits as needed.

• Support proposal development, scoping, and schedule estimation for new project pursuits.

• Contribute to project documentation, drawing sets, and technical specifications throughout the project lifecycle (feasibility, preliminary engineering, detailed design, PM/CM, startup/commissioning).

• Lead development-support and owner's-engineer work, such as technical due diligence and design reviews, as needed.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering.

• Professional Engineer (PE) license required.

• 12+ years of hands-on mechanical design experience specifically within the power generation industry, including coal, natural gas, gas-fired, and/or combined cycle power plants.

• Demonstrated track record designing balance-of-plant mechanical systems for power plants (piping, pumps, tanks, vessels, air quality/emissions systems).

• Demonstrated experience mentoring, training, or leading other engineers, including reviewing their technical work.

• Working knowledge of hydraulic calculations, pump/piping selection and sizing, and valve and pipe material selection.

• Familiarity with P&ID development and mechanical equipment condition assessment.

• Understanding of relevant mechanical and environmental/air quality codes and industry standards.

• Strong communication and leadership skills, with the ability to coordinate across multidisciplinary project teams and represent mechanical scope to clients.

• Willingness to travel to project/construction sites as needed (estimated to be 10-20%).

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience formally leading or managing a team of engineers, including staff development and performance feedback.

• Experience directing or coordinating with engineering staff or project teams overseas, or in distributed/multi-time-zone environments.

• Experience with plant modernization, life extension, or uprate projects in addition to new-build work.

• Exposure to development-support, owner's-engineer, or conceptual design work for conventional power projects.

• Experience with lifecycle cost analysis and mechanical equipment condition assessment.

What Redtree Offers

• 100% remote work, U.S.-based, with no relocation or office requirement.

• 100% employer-sponsored benefits.

• Direct exposure to the full project lifecycle, from concept through construction and commissioning, rather than a narrow phase or discipline silo.

• A growing, entrepreneurial engineering team partnering with industry-leading clients on mission-critical facilities, power systems, and complex infrastructure.

• Multiple openings across Mid to Senior levels, with the flexibility to match title and compensation to the selected candidate's experience.

Work Authorization: Must be able to work in the United States without employer sponsorship, now or in the future.