Principal Engineer - MEP & Building Systems

ABOUT THE TEAM

The Design & Construction team at Anduril delivers the factories, labs, offices, and secure spaces that enable our teams to design, build, and deploy advanced defense technology. Our projects span high-performance manufacturing facilities, mission-critical secure environments, and collaborative workspaces, giving our team exposure to a uniquely wide variety of technical and operational challenges.

More than just delivering buildings, we are literally rebuilding the American defense industrial base. Our work directly accelerates how quickly critical technology moves from concept to production and into the hands of the warfighter.

ABOUT THE JOB

We are looking for a Principal Engineer – MEP & Building Systems to join our rapidly growing team. This position sits within the broader Design & Construction (D&C) team and reports to the Pre-Construction Director. The D&C team is responsible for bringing our various cutting-edge factories, offices, and secure spaces to life. We collaborate with a variety of stakeholders involved in shaping the built environment needed to enable Anduril’s mission—construction managers, architects, industrial engineers, real estate planners, finance analysts, and many more. But, first and foremost, we deeply listen to what our Division Leaders need. Whether it is autonomous submarines, robot fighter jets, or AR headsets, we stay close to our end users to ensure we’re fueling their success.

This role is the resident technical authority for all things mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and building controls across Anduril’s facility portfolio. You will embed with project teams during due diligence and early programming to define existing MEP conditions, evaluate utility capacity, and shape design solutions that meet operational needs without over-engineering. From first site walk through construction closeout, you will lead the definition of engineered system scope to make sure buildings have correct infrastructure, cost-effective designs, and built to support the demanding requirements of advanced manufacturing and defense technology operations. You will also be accountable for on-going plan reviews during progress points of design and help to trouble shoot issues that may arise during construction and turnover. Lastly, you will be looked as the subject matter expert to develop and refine our design guidelines related to M/E/P systems.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

Site Due Diligence & Utility Assessment

• Participate in due diligence site walks for new project pursuits, evaluating and documenting existing mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection systems, conditions, capacities, and remaining useful life.
• Assess site-level utility infrastructure—electrical service and capacity, natural gas, domestic and process water, sewer, storm drainage, and telecommunications—and coordinate with local utility providers to confirm available capacity, upgrade lead times, and cost implications.
• Develop MEP-focused due diligence checklists and evaluation frameworks to standardize assessments across the portfolio.
• Work closely with the preconstruction team to produce clear, concise MEP feasibility summaries that inform site selection recommendations and go/no-go decisions.
• Identify infrastructure gaps early and quantify the scope and cost of utility upgrades or new service extensions required to meet program needs based on the specific Anduril Division and Business Line requirements.

Design Review & Value Engineering

• Review project milestone design packages (programming, schematic design, design development, and construction documents) with a critical eye toward MEP system adequacy, code compliance, constructability, and cost-effectiveness.
• Steer external A/E design teams toward right-sized, efficient solutions—challenging over-design, unnecessary redundancy, or specification choices that inflate cost without proportional benefit.
• Provide technical direction on HVAC system selection, electrical distribution strategy, plumbing and process piping layouts, fire protection approaches, and building automation and controls architecture.
• Partner with D&C project managers and the pre-construction team to align MEP scope with budget targets and identify value-engineering opportunities at each design milestone.
• Evaluate life-cycle cost implications of MEP system choices and advise project teams on total cost of ownership, not just first cost.

Business Line Integration & Programming Support

• Engage directly with Division Leaders and business line stakeholders to understand operational requirements—process loads, environmental conditions, power density, cooling needs, exhaust and ventilation demands, and specialty utility requirements.
• Translate business line operational needs into clear MEP programming criteria and Basis of Design (BOD) narratives that design teams can execute against.
• Help bridge the gap between what business lines request and what is technically and financially practical, ensuring facilities are built to serve current needs while accommodating reasonable future flexibility.
• Support early programming and space planning efforts by providing MEP input on equipment clearances, utility routing, and infrastructure zoning.

Design Standards & Basis of Design Development

• Develop, maintain, and continuously improve Anduril’s internal MEP design standards and Basis of Design (BOD) guidelines that project design teams reference across all facility types.
• Establish standard guidelines for recurring MEP systems and equipment to drive consistency, reduce design cycle time, and leverage volume procurement opportunities.
• Stay current on relevant building codes (IBC, IMC, IPC, NEC, NFPA), energy codes (ASHRAE 90.1, Title 24), and industry best practices, and translate updates into actionable guidance for project teams.
• Document lessons learned from completed projects and integrate findings into updated standards and design guidelines.

Construction Oversight & Commissioning

• Walk active project sites during construction to verify overhead and in-wall MEP rough-in and finish installations are executed per approved drawings, specifications, and applicable codes.
• Confirm that adequate clearance and access are maintained for future maintenance, equipment replacement, and serviceability of all MEP systems—flagging installation conflicts before they are covered up.
• Support and participate in commissioning activities for critical facilities, including functional performance testing of HVAC, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, and building automation systems.
• Review commissioning reports, identify deficiencies and punch-list items, and work with contractors and commissioning agents to drive timely resolution prior to substantial completion and occupancy.
• Advocate for commissioning best practices across the portfolio, helping define commissioning scope and specifications during the design phase to ensure seamless execution during construction.

Troubleshooting & Technical Support

• Serve as the go-to technical resource when unforeseen MEP system issues arise during construction or post-occupancy—diagnosing problems, identifying root causes, and recommending corrective actions.
• Support D&C project teams and Facilities Management in triaging system failures, performance complaints, and commissioning deficiencies.
• Coordinate with MEP contractors, equipment vendors, and commissioning agents to resolve complex technical issues efficiently.
• Provide field support during critical construction phases, equipment startups, and system commissioning activities.

Stakeholder Coordination

• Work cross-functionally with non-construction functions—including Security, Network Engineering, Facilities Management, Manufacturing, EHS, and IT—to align MEP design with broader facility requirements.
• Communicate technical concepts, trade-offs, and recommendations to non-technical stakeholders in a clear and accessible manner.
• Collaborate with the Strategic Real Estate (SRE) team and D&C leadership to inform site selection decisions with MEP-specific insight.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• A Bachelors Degree in Mechanical or Eletrical Engineering
• Minimum of 12 years of progressive experience in mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering, building systems design, or MEP-focused construction management.
• Deep technical knowledge across multiple MEP disciplines: HVAC, electrical power distribution, plumbing and process piping, fire protection, and building automation/controls.
• Demonstrated experience reviewing and critiquing A/E design documents at all project phases, with a track record of identifying over-design and driving cost-effective solutions.
• Strong background in site due diligence and utility infrastructure assessment, including coordination with utility providers and local jurisdictions.
• Experience translating complex operational requirements into MEP programming criteria and Basis of Design documents.
• Ability to read and interpret mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and controls drawings at all levels of design development.
• Working knowledge of relevant codes and standards: IBC, IMC, IPC, NEC, NFPA, ASHRAE 90.1, and applicable state energy codes.
• Corporate or owner’s-representative experience; comfortable managing relationships with internal business stakeholders, external design consultants, and contractors.
• The ability to lead stakeholders with all levels of infrastructure systems knowledge and the ability to coalesce different business drivers to solutions that may initially begin as divergent goals
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to distill complex technical analysis into clear recommendations for senior leadership.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to support multiple concurrent projects across different geographies and stages.
• Experience with altnernative energy solutions
• Willingness to travel up to 30% of the time to support site evaluations, design reviews, construction milestones, and team coordination.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience with advanced manufacturing, industrial, laboratory, or mission-critical facility MEP systems (cleanrooms, high-bay manufacturing, data centers, or test environments) across a geographically diverse portfolio.
• Familiarity with secure facilities and government construction standards, including ICD-705 and TEMPEST-related requirements.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering.
• Master’s degree in Engineering or Business
• Professional certifications such as CEM (Certified Energy Manager), LEED AP, CxA (Commissioning Authority), or ASHRAE certifications.
• Experience developing or managing enterprise-level MEP design standards and specification libraries.
• Proficiency with energy modeling tools, load calculation software (Trane Trace, Carrier HAP, or similar), and electrical analysis tools (SKM, ETAP, or similar).
• Experience with Procore, Bluebeam, BIM 360, or similar construction and design collaboration platforms.
• Excel proficiency: you can work quickly, stay organized, and build models that others can easily and intuitively pick up.

US Salary Range 22000 - 292000 USD