Senior Mechanical Engineer - HVAC

Job Title

Senior Mechanical Engineer | HVAC Mechanical Engineer | Thermal Systems Engineer – Modular Infrastructure

Location

Phoenix, AZ or Buffalo, NY

Department

Engineering

Employment Type

Full-Time | Exempt

Company Overview

GTI Energy, a division of GTI Fabrication, designs, engineers, and manufactures complex modular systems supporting modular data center infrastructure, battery energy storage systems (BESS), power generation platforms, and industrial energy systems. Our products integrate structural, mechanical, thermal, and electrical systems into highly engineered modular platforms operating in demanding real-world environments.

GTI operates in a fast-paced, engineered-to-order manufacturing environment where HVAC system performance, thermal reliability, airflow management, and manufacturability are critical to successful product execution. Our modular infrastructure products must operate safely and reliably across extreme ambient environments, variable load conditions, and mission-critical uptime requirements.

Position Overview

GTI Energy is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer with strong HVAC and thermal systems expertise to lead cooling system design and thermal integration across modular data centers, power systems, and industrial enclosure platforms. This role focuses on HVAC system architecture, equipment selection, airflow management, heat rejection, and integration of packaged cooling systems into highly constrained modular environments.

This is not a traditional commercial building HVAC role focused solely on office buildings or facility infrastructure. GTI is specifically seeking engineers who understand how to design HVAC and cooling systems for enclosed equipment, modular systems, industrial infrastructure, and mission-critical applications where space constraints, manufacturability, vibration, acoustics, serviceability, and thermal performance must all be considered simultaneously.

The ideal candidate has experience supporting modular data centers, telecom shelters, BESS systems, generator enclosures, industrial skids, electrical equipment rooms, or other enclosed industrial infrastructure requiring engineered thermal management solutions.

Key Responsibilities

HVAC System Design & Cooling Integration

• Design and integrate HVAC and cooling systems for modular data centers, BESS enclosures, power systems, and industrial equipment platforms

• Size cooling systems based on actual equipment heat loads, environmental conditions, and operational requirements

• Develop airflow management strategies including supply/return air routing, intake/exhaust placement, ducting, plenum design, and thermal zoning

• Design systems for worst-case ambient conditions and full operational loading scenarios

• Select and integrate packaged HVAC equipment, CRAC/CRAH systems, DX units, chillers, heat exchangers, fans, ventilation systems, and thermal management components

• Support redundancy strategies and mission-critical cooling reliability requirements where applicable

Mechanical Integration & Product Development

• Own HVAC and thermal integration within modular enclosure designs and constrained equipment layouts

• Coordinate cooling system packaging with structural, electrical, and manufacturing constraints

• Develop 3D CAD models, layouts, mechanical assemblies, and engineering drawings using SolidWorks or similar platforms

• Design systems with strong focus on manufacturability, serviceability, maintenance access, and field installation efficiency

• Support integration of piping, condensate systems, ductwork, dampers, louvers, insulation, and thermal barriers

Thermal Performance & Engineering Analysis

• Perform thermal calculations, airflow analysis, psychrometric evaluations, and cooling load assessments

• Support CFD analysis and airflow validation activities where applicable

• Evaluate system performance across varying environmental and operational conditions

• Participate in prototype validation, heat runs, thermal testing, and troubleshooting activities

• Ensure designs meet reliability, operational uptime, and customer performance requirements

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner closely with Electrical Engineering, Structural Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, NPI, Quality, and Operations teams

• Work with manufacturing teams to ensure HVAC systems align with fabrication, assembly, and installation capabilities

• Support supplier selection, technical evaluations, and equipment integration activities

• Participate in customer technical discussions related to cooling system performance and thermal requirements

Design for Manufacturing (DFM) & Operational Support

• Drive DFM initiatives focused on scalable HVAC integration and modular production efficiency

• Standardize thermal system architectures and reusable cooling design strategies where possible

• Reduce installation complexity and improve serviceability across product platforms

• Support Root