Associate Director Mechanical Engineering

Associate Mechanical Director – Data Centre Infrastructure

London | Hybrid (3 days in office)

✈️ Intermittent travel to project sites (project dependent)

£130,000 + Bonus + Benefits

Spencer Ogden are supporting a rapidly scaling AI infrastructure business with the appointment of an Associate Mechanical Director to support the growth of its hyperscale and high-performance compute data centre portfolio across Europe.

This is a rare opportunity to join a business operating at the forefront of AI and mission-critical infrastructure, delivering large-scale developments backed by significant international investment.

The role offers the chance to influence engineering strategy, technical standards, and project delivery across a growing international portfolio of AI and hyperscale facilities.

The Role

As Associate Mechanical Director, you will play a senior leadership role across the design and delivery of mission-critical infrastructure projects, supporting both technical engineering direction and broader project execution activities.

You’ll work closely with internal development teams, consultants, contractors, and delivery partners to ensure resilient, scalable, and energy-efficient mechanical infrastructure is delivered across complex data centre environments.

This role would suit someone currently operating at Associate Director, Principal Engineer, Technical Director, or Lead Mechanical level within a consultancy, contractor, or client-side mission-critical environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead mechanical engineering delivery across hyperscale and AI infrastructure projects
• Oversee HVAC and cooling strategies for mission-critical facilities
• Support technical governance, design reviews, and engineering quality
• Drive resilient and energy-efficient infrastructure solutions
• Coordinate multidisciplinary engineering teams throughout project lifecycles
• Support consultant and contractor management activities
• Contribute to design standardisation and engineering best practice
• Engage with senior stakeholders across design and delivery functions
• Mentor and support engineering teams as the business continues to grow

Requirements

• Strong mission-critical or data centre infrastructure background
• Extensive experience within mechanical building services engineering
• Strong knowledge of HVAC and cooling systems within critical environments
• Experience delivering large-scale infrastructure or hyperscale projects
• Strong client-facing and stakeholder management capability
• Experience leading multidisciplinary coordination and technical delivery
• Commercial awareness and ability to operate within fast-paced project environments

Desirable Experience

• AI infrastructure or high-performance compute exposure
• Chilled water and liquid cooling systems
• Low-carbon and free cooling strategies
• Construction-stage and commissioning experience
• International project delivery exposure

Package & Benefits

• £130,000 base salary
• Performance-related bonus
• Share options/equity
• Family medical cover
• Family dental cover
• Hybrid working (3 days in office)
• Long-term progression within a rapidly scaling AI infrastructure business