Lead Mechanical Engineer / Commissioning Manager

Lead Mechanical Engineering / Commissioning Manager

Location: Santa Clara, CA

FST Technical Services is hiring a Lead Mechanical Engineering / Commissioning Manager to support a major semiconductor industry project in the Santa Clara, California area . This is a senior leadership role responsible for technical direction, team leadership, client management, project planning, budget and forecasting oversight, and successful delivery of mechanical engineering and commissioning activities.

The successful candidate will have significant experience working within the semiconductor, advanced manufacturing, high-technology, or similarly complex industrial environment , with a strong understanding of mechanical systems, project execution, commissioning, construction, and client requirements.

This position requires an experienced leader who can manage technical teams, interface directly with senior client stakeholders, monitor project financial performance, support forecasting and resource planning, and ensure projects are delivered safely, efficiently, and to the required technical and quality standards.

Position Overview

The Lead Mechanical Engineering / Commissioning Manager will provide overall leadership for mechanical engineering, commissioning, and field execution activities associated with a major semiconductor industry project.

This role combines technical leadership, team management, client leadership, project controls, budget management, forecasting, and project delivery . The successful candidate will work closely with the client, engineering and design teams, contractors, vendors, project management, and FST leadership to ensure project objectives are achieved.

The ideal candidate will be comfortable operating in a fast-paced, technically complex environment and will have demonstrated experience leading multidisciplinary teams and managing projects from planning and design through construction, commissioning, turnover, and closeout.

What You’ll Do

Leadership & Team Management

- Lead and provide technical direction to mechanical engineering, commissioning, and field personnel.
- Build, manage, and develop high-performing project teams.
- Assign responsibilities, establish priorities, monitor performance, and ensure team members have the resources required to deliver project objectives.
- Provide mentoring, coaching, and technical guidance to engineers, commissioning personnel, and field staff.
- Establish clear expectations for safety, quality, schedule, documentation, and client service.
- Coordinate staffing and resource requirements with FST leadership.
- Identify staffing needs and support recruitment and onboarding of technical personnel.
- Foster a collaborative, accountable, and client-focused project environment.

Client Leadership & Relationship Management

- Serve as a senior technical and operational point of contact for the client.
- Develop and maintain strong working relationships with client representatives, engineering teams, construction management, contractors, and other stakeholders.
- Lead and participate in client meetings, project reviews, technical discussions, planning meetings, and progress reviews.
- Understand client priorities and translate them into clear project objectives and execution strategies.
- Communicate project status, risks, commercial considerations, staffing requirements, and technical issues to senior client stakeholders.
- Identify opportunities to strengthen client relationships and support future business opportunities.
- Represent FST professionally and effectively at all levels of the client organization.

Budgeting, Forecasting & Project Controls

- Take ownership of project financial performance in coordination with FST leadership.
- Develop and maintain project budgets, forecasts, staffing plans, and resource projections.
- Monitor labor utilization, project costs, forecast-to-complete, and overall financial performance.
- Identify budget risks, scope changes, cost impacts, and potential overruns at an early stage.
- Support change management, additional-services identification, and commercial discussions with the client.
- Review project performance against budget and forecast and implement corrective actions where required.
- Provide regular financial and operational reporting to FST leadership.
- Ensure project resources are aligned with contractual requirements, project workload, and financial objectives.

Project & Technical Delivery

- Provide leadership throughout project planning, design review, construction, commissioning, startup, turnover, and closeout.
- Review mechanical designs, specifications, equipment selections, submittals, construction documents, sequences of operation, and commissioning requirements.
- Coordinate mechanical engineering and commissioning activities with electrical, controls, process, architectural, structural, and other disciplines.
- Review project schedules and ensure mechanical activities are properly planned and resourced.
- Monitor progress against project milestones and identify schedule risks.
- Coordinate contractors, vendors, engineering consultants, and internal project teams.
- Lead technical issue resolution and support field troubleshooting.
- Ensure project execution meets client requirements, applicable codes, specifications, quality standards, and FST procedures.
- Support construction and commissioning readiness activities and ensure systems are properly prepared for testing and turnover.
- Oversee mechanical commissioning and startup activities as applicable to the project.
- Review testing procedures, commissioning documentation, punch lists, deficiencies, and closeout requirements.
- Ensure project documentation accurately reflects field conditions and completed work.

Documentation & Project Delivery

- Project execution and commissioning plans
- Mechanical engineering and technical documentation
- Equipment documentation and startup records
- Inspection, testing, and commissioning documentation
- Functional testing and system verification documentation, where applicable
- Deficiency, issue, retest, and closure documentation
- Project schedules, progress reports, and status updates
- Budget, forecast, resource, and project-control documentation
- Client deliverables and turnover packages
- Final project closeout documentation

The Lead will ensure project documentation is accurate, complete, timely, and aligned with client requirements. The role will also be responsible for identifying documentation gaps, unresolved technical issues, and project risks that could impact schedule, cost, quality, or client acceptance.

Mechanical Systems Experience

Candidates should have experience with complex mechanical infrastructure within semiconductor, advanced manufacturing, high-technology, industrial, or similarly demanding environments.

Relevant experience may include:

- HVAC and environmental control systems
- Chilled water and process cooling systems
- Central utility and mechanical plant systems
- Cooling towers and heat rejection systems
- Pumps and hydronic systems
- Air Handling Units (AHUs)
- Process and facility utility systems
- Exhaust and ventilation systems
- Mechanical equipment and associated controls
- Building Management Systems (BMS)
- Mechanical controls and sequences of operation
- Equipment startup and commissioning
- Mechanical system testing and functional performance verification
- Complex industrial and mission-critical mechanical infrastructure

Experience within semiconductor or advanced manufacturing environments is strongly preferred.

What We’re Looking For

- 10+ years of relevant mechanical engineering, commissioning, construction, or project delivery experience , preferably within the semiconductor or advanced manufacturing industry.
- Significant experience working on semiconductor, advanced manufacturing, high-technology, or similarly complex industrial projects .
- Demonstrated experience leading technical teams and managing engineers, commissioning personnel, or field staff.
- Proven experience with project budgets, forecasting, resource planning, and financial management .
- Demonstrated ability to manage project performance against budget, schedule, scope, and client expectations.
- Strong client-facing experience with the ability to communicate effectively with senior client stakeholders.
- Experience managing relationships with owners, contractors, engineering consultants, vendors, and other project stakeholders.
- Demonstrated ability to lead complex projects from planning through execution, commissioning, turnover, and closeout.
- Strong mechanical engineering and systems knowledge.
- Ability to troubleshoot complex mechanical and controls-related issues.
- Ability to read and interpret mechanical drawings, specifications, P&IDs, equipment documentation, submittals, and controls sequences.
- Strong understanding of construction and commissioning processes.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Strong organizational, leadership, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced project environment.
- Ability and willingness to work on-site in the Santa Clara, California area .

Preferred Qualifications

- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Construction Management, Engineering, or a related technical discipline; extensive relevant industry experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
- Professional Engineer (PE) license is a plus.
- CxA, CCP, BCxP, or other relevant commissioning certification is a plus.
- Previous leadership experience within semiconductor, advanced manufacturing, or high-technology construction environments.
- Experience with project financial management, forecasting, and cost-control systems.
- Experience with Procore, Autodesk Construction Cloud/BIM 360, Bluebeam, CxAlloy, Facility Grid, or similar project platforms.
- OSHA 10/30 or equivalent construction safety training.

Compensation & Benefits

- Base Salary: $150,000–$180,000 , depending on experience and qualifications.
- Comprehensive benefits package.
- Long-term opportunity within FST’s growing engineering and commissioning organization.
- Opportunity to work on major semiconductor and advanced technology projects in Silicon Valley.

Location & Work Requirements

This is an on-site leadership position based in the Santa Clara, California area . The successful candidate must be willing to work on-site and actively engage with the client, project team, contractors, and field personnel.

Travel may be required based on project and client requirements.

No visa sponsorship available. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States.