The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory

Principal, Facility Engineering

Real Estate & Construction
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field required.
  • Minimum 10 years of progressive facilities engineering experience required.
  • Experience in laboratory, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, biotechnology or other regulated environments preferred.
  • Expertise in facility infrastructure systems (MEP, HVAC, building automation).
  • Strong knowledge of engineering design principles and facility lifecycle management.

Responsibilities

  • Serve as the main technical authority for facility infrastructure systems.
  • Develop and execute long-term facility infrastructure strategies to meet business needs.
  • Lead complex capital projects from planning through to operational handoff.
  • Provide engineering advice on facility investments and risk management to senior leadership.
  • Resolve multidisciplinary engineering issues and lead investigations on system failures.
  • Establish and enhance engineering standards and compliance with regulations.
  • Evaluate new technologies to improve reliability and sustainability.

Benefits

  • Work-life balance programs including workplace flexibility.
  • Employee clubs covering a range of interests such as photography and yoga.
  • Health and financial workshops for employee well-being.
  • Discounts to local museums and cultural events.
Full Job Description

Job Description Summary:

The Principal Facilities Engineer serves as the organization’s highest-level technical authority for facility infrastructure systems, including mechanical, electrical, plumbing (MEP), HVAC, building automation, and critical utility systems supporting laboratory and manufacturing operations. This role provides strategic leadership for facility engineering standards, infrastructure reliability, long term capacity planning, and capital investment strategy, ensuring alignment with organizational objectives and operational continuity. This position operates across two core areas of responsibility that represent enterprise-level engineering needs: capital projects (Capex) delivery and internal facility engineering support. An incumbent in this role may be assigned to lead and govern Capex initiatives, including design validation, engineering reviews, request for information (RFI) resolution, commissioning oversight, and end to end execution of high impact infrastructure and equipment projects. In parallel, an incumbent may provide advanced internal engineering support for facilities operations, including resolution of complex technical issues, evaluation of system performance and support of laboratory, production and facility infrastructure requirements. Assignment to focus area will be determined by management based on organizational needs. This position includes periodic field investigations and facility assessments. The incumbent must be able to access mechanical spaces, rooftops, utility areas and other facility locations requiring ladder climbing, stair navigation and inspection activities.

Job Description:

Duties/Responsibilities

  • Serve as the technical authority and subject matter expert for all facility infrastructure systems, including mechanical, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, building automation and critical utility systems.
  • Develop and implement long-term facility infrastructure strategies that align with organizational growth, operational requirements and business objectives.
  • Lead the planning, prioritization, and execution of complex, high-value capital projects and infrastructure programs from concept development through commissioning and operational handoff.
  • Provide strategic engineering guidance to senior leadership regarding facility investments, risk mitigation, capacity planning and infrastructure modernization.
  • Resolve highly complex multidisciplinary engineering issues and lead root cause investigations for significant facility system failures.
  • Establish, maintain and continuously improve facility engineering standards, design criteria, specifications, and best practices with ensuring compliance with applicable codes and regulations.
  • Lead and influence cross-functional teams, contractors, consultants and external partners to achieve project and operational objectives.
  • Evaluate emerging technologies and industry trends to drive innovation, reliability improvements, sustainability initiatives, and operational efficiencies.
  • Oversee engineering reviews for facility modifications, expansions and equipment installations to ensure compliance.
  • Serve as primary engineering representative for interactions with regulatory agencies, auditors, architects, engineering firms, contractors and key external partners.
  • Conduct field investigations, facility assessments and infrastructure inspections.
  • Mentor engineering personnel and influence organizational policies, engineering practices and strategic decision-making related to facility infrastructure and operations.

Skills/Abilities

  • Expert knowledge of facility infrastructure systems, including mechanical, electrical, plumbing (MEP), HVAC, building automation, and critical utility systems.
  • Demonstrated ability to lead large-scale capital projects, infrastructure programs and multidisciplinary engineering initiatives.
  • Advanced knowledge of engineering design principles, facility lifecycle management, asset reliability and infrastructure planning.
  • Strong leadership, project management, stakeholder engagement and influencing skills.
  • Expert knowledge with CAD software, engineering analysis tools, building management systems, and Microsoft Office applications.
  • Working knowledge of laboratory, manufacturing, data center and other critical facility environments including code compliance and ASHRAE standards.
  • Physical capability to lift, carry, position and safely use ladders and inspection equipment to perform field investigations, facility assessments and infrastructure inspections. (field work ~100%)

Education

  • Bachelor0degree in Mechanical Engineering or related engineering discipline required.
  • 4 Years or more of Credited Institution

Experience

  • Minimum 10 years of progressive responsibility facilities engineering experience required.
  • Experience supporting laboratory, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, biotechnology or other highly regulated environments preferred.

Additional Job Description:

Applicants selected for this position may be required to obtain and maintain a government security clearance.

Job Location - City:

Cambridge

Job Location - State:

Massachusetts

Job Location - Postal Code:

The US base salary range for this full-time position is

$100,000.00 - $275,000.00

Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target salaries for the position across all US locations. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Union ranges will be in compliance with the collective bargaining agreement9s approved rates by location and role. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process.  Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and does not include bonuses or benefits.

Our work is very important to us, but so is our life outside of work. Draper supports many programs to improve work-life balance including workplace flexibility, employee clubs ranging from photography to yoga, health and finance workshops, off site social events and discounts to local museums and cultural activities. If this specific job opportunity and the chance to work at a nationally renowned R&D innovation company appeals to you, apply now www.draper.com/careers.

About The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory

Draper Laboratory is an American non-profit research and development organization, headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts; its official name is The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc. The laboratory specializes in the design, development, and deployment of advanced technology solutions to problems in national security, space exploration, health care and energy. The laboratory was founded in 1932 by Charles Stark Draper at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to develop aeronautical instrumentation, and came to be called the MIT Instrumentation Laboratory. During this period the laboratory is best known for developing the Apollo Guidance Computer, the first silicon integrated circuit based computer. It was renamed for its founder in 1970, and separated from MIT in 1973 to become an independent, non-profit organization. The expertise of the laboratory staff includes the areas of guidance, navigation, and control technologies and systems; fault-tolerant computing; advanced algorithms and software systems; modeling and simulation; and microelectromechanical systems and multichip module technology.
Learn more about The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory

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