Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America, Inc. (MHIA) is looking for a
Principal Mechanical Engineer, Chillers to join our team. This is a hybrid role based out of our
Plano, Texas and
Ashburn, Virginia location.
ABOUT MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES AMERICA, INC. (MHIA):For over 130 years Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group's innovative and integrated solutions have demonstrated our commitment to creating a positive social impact around the globe. Our range of products and services are tailored to meet our customers' evolving needs across the commercial aviation, energy, transportation and infrastructure, machinery, defense and space systems sectors.
Our culture embraces diversity and cooperation, and we promote a healthy balance of professional and personal development, ensuring that your ideas and expertise are valued and respected.
SCOPE:The
Principal Mechanical Engineer, Chillers serves as the primary technical and commercial interface between customers and U.S.-based Modular Chiller Plants (MCP) and Dry Cooler manufacturers. The role ensures clear, aligned specifications and smooth execution from pre-award through commissioning. It manages system-level and interface coordination to support flexible chiller configurations across multiple suppliers. The position works cross-functionally to maintain a reliable, cost-effective supply base and ensure alignment on scope, schedule, cost, and compliance. It also develops new manufacturers by assessing capabilities, defining roles and interfaces, and building scalable, long-term partnerships.
The ideal candidate will have at least twelve (12) years of experience in supplier-facing technical coordination and oversight for industrial equipment, such as HVAC systems, centrifugal chillers, pumps, heat exchangers, packaged/skid systems, or /control systems.JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:Customer & Specification Alignment- Translate customer requirements into clear, complete, and supplier-facing specifications for Modular Chiller Plants (MCP) and Dry Cooler systems.
- Define MCP scope, including interface points, responsibility split, and boundary conditions among customers, MCP manufacturers, Dry Cooler manufacturers, and internal stakeholders.
- Handle technical inquiries from customers and suppliers, ensuring timely clarification and alignment at a system and interface level.
MCP Manufacturer Oversight (Order Intake & Execution)- Act as the primary commercial and technical interface with MCP manufacturers throughout pre-award and post-award phases.
- Align scope, roles, and responsibilities for MCP delivery, clearly defining who is responsible for what and where interface boundaries are set.
- Drive contract, schedule, and milestone alignment to enable timely procurement of long-lead items and protect the overall project critical path.
- Manage action items, escalation paths, and decision logs with MCP manufacturers and internal teams to close open points efficiently and maintain execution momentum.
- Identify, engage, and screen alternative MCP manufacturers to support opportunity development and future sourcing flexibility.
- Coordinate high-level specification, system configuration, and interface alignment during early project phases to support bid development and feasibility assessment.
- Support bid competitiveness by clarifying assumptions, exclusions, and system-level responsibilities, ensuring consistent and aligned proposal content.
Dry Cooler Manufacturer Oversight- Collaborate with Dry Cooler manufacturers to develop project opportunities and align requirements and specifications at a front-end, system-integration level.
- Serve as the single intake point for MCP and Dry Cooler specifications and interface definitions, ensuring consistency before downstream execution.
- Drive cross-functional coordination across sales, engineering, supply chain, quality, and service teams, and manage risk and issue logs to mitigate technical and schedule risks.
Supplier Development & Supply Base Strengthening- Support the identification, qualification, and development of MCP and Dry Cooler manufacturers to build a robust, competitive, and scalable supply base.
- Promote vendor-agnostic system coordination, enabling projects to proceed with MCP, and Dry Cooler configurations without reliance on a single supplier or technical organization.
- Contribute to continuous improvement of specification processes, interface definition, and supplier collaboration models to support long-term business growth.
- This list of responsibilities is not all-inclusive, and an employee may be required to perform other relevant duties as assigned.
MINIMUM REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:- Education: Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Controls engineering or equivalent experience.
- Experience: Minimum of twelve (12) years of experience in supplier-facing technical coordination and oversight for industrial equipment, such as HVAC systems, centrifugal chillers, pumps, heat exchangers, packaged/skid systems, or /control systems.
- Ability to read, review, and interpret technical specifications and drawings, including P&IDs, general arrangements (GA), electrical schematics, and I/O diagrams, at a system and interface level.
- Proven experience managing execution through issue tracking, change control, and cross-functional coordination across engineering, procurement, quality, and supply chain teams.
- Strong negotiation and coordination skills to support pre-award alignment on scope, schedule, responsibilities, and commercial assumptions.
- Solid project management capabilities, including action, risk, and issue tracking, escalation management, and alignment across multiple internal and external stakeholders.
- Domain knowledge of data center cooling systems, with an understanding of centrifugal chiller applications and MCP/Dry Cooler configurations at a system and interface level.
- Ability to front-end and triage customer and supplier specifications, clearly define scope and interface boundaries, and transition aligned inputs to internal engineering teams for downstream execution.
- Ability to effectively collaborate and communicate with Japanese stakeholders and team members in a global, cross-cultural working environment.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:o Knowledge of centrifugal chillers, including application considerations in industrial and data center cooling systems.
o Experience with Modular Chiller Plant (MCP) modular plants, or packaged skid systems, including exposure to design, manufacturing, or supplier coordination and interface definition.
o Experience coordinating with MCP / modular plant suppliers, including scope definition, interface split, and responsibility alignment across multiple parties.
o Experience working with Dry Cooler or other heat rejection equipment suppliers, with an understanding of integration considerations at a system and interface level.
o Familiarity with applicable U.S. standards and certifications such as UL/CSA, ASME, NFPA, NEC, and how they impact system configuration and supplier deliverables.
o Experience with factory and site activities, including FAT/SAT, commissioning, and field troubleshooting support.
o Supplier audit or development experience, such as SQA/SDE activities, including evaluation of technical capability, quality systems, and execution readiness.
o Familiarity with U.S.-based tendering, RFQ, and proposal workflows, including front-end technical clarification and alignment during bid phases.
WORKING CONDITIONS:- Travel: 25%
- Standard Monday through Friday work week. Weekend/late night work if applicable
- Lifting/physical requirements: Regularly required to sit for long periods, stand, walk, talk and/or hear Frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds
Why Should You Apply?- Excellent Benefits (Medical, Dental, Vision & 401K Matching)
- Excellent growth and advancement opportunities
- Paid vacation, sick time and 15 holidays
- Committed to quality products and services.
- Great working environment and culture
MHIA is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer actively seeking to diversify the workforce and is committed to a policy of equal employment opportunity. Therefore, all qualified applicants are strongly encouraged to apply.
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