Principal Engineer Mechanical - Data Center - Dubai

Company Description Working at Ramboll To work at Ramboll means being part of a people organisation. We are focused on knowledge sharing and collaboration across competence areas and geography, and we aim for a strong diversity among our employees. This enables us to solve a broad range of projects, and we firmly believe that cross-collaboration leads to creative and longstanding solutions. Thus, the possibilities at Ramboll are many and diverse –we invest a lot in the development of people and offer career paths tailored for each individual. Ramboll in Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa Ramboll has more than 1,500 experts working across 15 offices in the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa. We are present in Dubai, Doha, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, China, India, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and South Africa. Our experts are applying their passion to deliver innovative solutions in markets as diverse as Buildings, Transport, Planning & Urban Design, Water, Environment & Health and Energy. Founded in Denmark, Ramboll is a people company. We invite you to contribute to a sustainable future working in an open, collaborative and empowering culture. Role Overview Cooling is the defining engineering challenge of the AI era. Rack power densities that were theoretical five years ago are now standard in every sovereign AI and hyperscale project launching in the UAE. Ramboll is building its MENA data centre practice from the ground up with 450+ dedicated data centre MEP engineers globally. The Principal Mechanical Engineer will be the cooling authority at the heart of the regional team, working on mission-critical data center projects. Job Description Key Responsibilities The Principal Mechanical Engineer will act as a technical lead and subject matter expert for mission-critical Data Center projects, responsible for end-to-end HVAC design, engineering, coordination, and commissioning support. This role goes beyond design and requires complete lifecycle ownership, from concept definition and cooling strategy to detailed design, construction support, commissioning, and performance validation. You will be responsible for advising on AI deployment options and examining potential impact on the design by leading cross-discipline conversations. Therefore, it’s required to possess experience and working knowledge at least on electrical principles, structural, architectural, DC operations & maintenance requirements, installation and commissioning procedures. • Client Engagement & Technical Leadership • Act as the primary cooling and mechanical technical contact for clients – leading design reviews, strategy presentations, and bid discussions with senior engineering teams • Directly engage with client-side SMEs, global stakeholders, and multidisciplinary teams • Lead technical discussions on design intent, risks, and trade-offs • Own preparation of design strategy documents and technical narratives • Basis of Design (BOD) • Design Basis Reports (DBR) • Technical narratives and presentations • Participation in proposals drafting and responses to RFP and TQR • Design Leadership & Engineering Ownership • Data Center Cooling Strategy & System Design • Own the complete mechanical design – chilled water plant, direct liquid cooling (DLC), CDU systems, hybrid architectures, heat rejection, ventilation, and fuel systems • Design systems for hyperscale and colocation facilities in the 10–100 MW IT load range (from concept through to IFC) • Handle high-density AI cooling: 40–142 kW per rack, CDU sizing, secondary fluid networks, glycol specification • Ensure compliance with UAE-specific requirements: ZLD heat rejection, PUE

Mandatory Skills & Experience: 8+ years of mechanical engineering experience, with at least 5 years focused on data centre or mission-critical cooling systems. Strong track record in chilled water plant design: chillers, pumping configurations, cooling towers, dry coolers, and hydraulic modelling. Hands-on experience designing direct liquid cooling systems: CDU specification, secondary fluid networks, glycol systems (PG-25). Deep understanding of high-density AI cooling: 40 kW/rack and above, AI cluster thermal management, liquid/air hybrid architecture. Knowledge of UAE regulatory landscape: DEWA ZLD compliance, Dubai Universal Blueprint for AI (PUE <1.2), district cooling integration. CFD experience for density validation and retrofit assessment. BIM delivery using Revit at LOD350 and coordinated multi-discipline modelling. AutoCAD proficiency for detailed mechanical drawings and coordination. Excellent English communication; ability to lead technical discussions at senior level. BE / BTech / ME / MTech in Mechanical Engineering; Professional registration as a Mechanical Engineer or equivalent. Good to Have: Uptime Institute ATD or ATS certification.

Act as a technical lead and subject matter expert for mission-critical Data Center projects, responsible for end-to-end HVAC design, engineering, coordination, and commissioning support. Own complete lifecycle ownership from concept definition and cooling strategy to detailed design, construction support, commissioning, and performance validation. Advise on AI deployment options and assess impact on design by leading cross-discipline conversations. Lead client engagements, design reviews, strategy presentations, and bid discussions with senior engineering teams. Design leadership across Data Center Cooling Strategy and System Design, including chilled water plant, direct liquid cooling (DLC), CDU systems, hybrid architectures, heat rejection, ventilation, and fuel systems. Design systems for hyperscale and colocation facilities (10–100 MW IT load). Lead high-density AI cooling design (40–142 kW per rack), CDU sizing, secondary fluid networks, glycol specification. Ensure UAE compliance (ZLD, Dubai Universal Blueprint for AI, high-temperature DLC). Lead Air-cooled & water-cooled chilled water systems (CRAH/CRAC/AHU), airflow strategies (hot aisle/cold aisle containment), and resilience (N, N+1, N+2, 2N). Perform thermal load calculations, hydraulic modelling, and CFD studies; validate control philosophy and BMS/EMS integration. Lead development of concept, schematic, and detailed design (IFC) documentation; review BIM (Revit) models at LOD350; resolve cross-discipline conflicts. Coordinate multidisciplinary teams; support procurement (specifications, BOQs, vendor evaluations); provide site support during construction and commissioning. Develop internal design guidelines; mentor engineers; contribute to DC Academy and regional thought leadership; drive design quality and risk management.