Principal Mechanical Engineer

Hanwha Energy USA, headquartered in Houston, Texas, is part of the Hanwha Group, a FORTUNE Global 300 company specializing in energy solutions. The Principal Mechanical Engineer will be responsible for the mechanical engineering strategy and lifecycle performance of utility-scale gas-fired power plants, ensuring reliability and operability while leading technical governance across the project lifecycle.

Responsibilities:

• Establish and own the overall mechanical engineering philosophy for gas-fired power plants (SCGT, CCGT, and reciprocating gas engine)
• Act as the final technical decision-maker for mechanical system design, equipment selection, and lifecycle-related issues
• Define company-wide standards for:
• Rotating equipment and balance-of-plant (BOP) systems
• Redundancy, sparing philosophy, and maintainability
• Design margins, derating, and availability targets
• Lead plant-level system and process engineering for gas-fired power plant projects from concept through execution
• Develop and review key system design deliverables, including:
• Fuel Gas System configuration and pressure/flow control philosophy
• Heat & Material Balance diagrams
• Water Balance Diagrams for various operating scenarios
• Perform and validate cycle analysis for SCGT, CCGT, and gas engine plants, including:
• Plant efficiency, heat rate, and auxiliary power assessment
• Impact of ambient conditions, part-load operation, and degradation
• Define overall plant configuration and operating concept based on system-level trade-off studies
• Ensure consistency between system design assumptions and detailed mechanical/BOP design
• Provide technical leadership for gas turbines and gas engines, including:
• Performance, efficiency, and degradation assumptions
• Operating envelopes and dispatch flexibility
• Maintenance strategies and long-term service considerations
• Govern selection and integration of:
• Heat Recovery Steam Generators (HRSGs)
• Steam turbines (where applicable)
• Compressors, pumps, fans, and major auxiliaries
• Own mechanical scope for plant BOP systems, including:
• Fuel gas systems
• Cooling systems (air-cooled, water-cooled, hybrid)
• Lube oil, seal oil, and auxiliary fluid systems
• Compressed air and utility systems
• Below ground and above ground piping
• Ensure thermal and mechanical designs support:
• High ambient operation
• Frequent start-stop and load-following duty
• Long-term reliability and maintainability
• Heavy Civil/Structural design and construction support:
• Heavy industrial concrete foundations
• Steel structures
• Earthwork and Soil stabilization
• Lead engagement with:
• EPC contractors
• OEMs (GT, engine, HRSG, major equipment suppliers)
• Owner’s Engineers (OE)
• Review, challenge, and approve key deliverables, including:
• Mechanical & piping design criteria and specifications
• Equipment datasheets and technical bids
• P&IDs, layouts, and equipment arrangements
• Stress, vibration, and fatigue-related analyses
• Civil structures, foundations & earthwork
• Ensure EPC and OEM designs align with owner objectives for reliability, operability, and lifecycle cost
• Provide mechanical engineering leadership during:
• Pre-FEED and FEED decision gates
• Project acquisitions and technical due diligence
• Identify mechanical-system-related risks affecting:
• Availability and forced outage rates
• CAPEX and OPEX
• Schedule, constructability, and commissioning
• Support mitigation strategies and owner positions in commercial and technical negotiations
• Ensure mechanical systems support high availability targets (e.g., 99.9%+ where applicable)
• Oversee evaluation of:
• Mechanical bottlenecks and single points of failure
• Maintenance intervals and outage strategies
• Spare parts philosophy and long-lead items
• Drive continuous improvement of plant design based on operating experience
• Define long-term mechanical strategy to support:
• Future SCGT → CCGT conversion
• Carbon capture readiness (where applicable)
• Evaluate emerging technologies and equipment from an owner’s perspective, balancing innovation with bankability
• Provide technical direction and mentorship to senior and staff-level mechanical engineers
• Coordinate closely with:
• Electrical and Controls engineering leadership
• Development, commercial, environmental, regulatory and operations teams
• Translate complex mechanical issues into clear, actionable recommendations for executive leadership

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, or Industrial Engineering
• 10+ years of experience in power plant mechanical engineering, EPC, OEM, or owner-side roles
• Proven experience with gas turbine and/or gas engine power plants
• Deep expertise in: Rotating equipment and thermal systems, Gas turbines, gas engines, and HRSGs, Balance-of-plant mechanical systems
• Strong understanding of: High-temperature, high-cycle duty operation, Mechanical reliability, fatigue, and vibration, Plant availability and lifecycle cost drivers
• Familiarity with applicable standards (ASME, API, ISO, OEM standards)
• Ability to set mechanical engineering direction and enforce standards across multiple projects
• Strong engineering judgement balancing reliability, cost, schedule, and risk
• Confident communicator with EPCs, OEMs, and executive stakeholders
• Comfortable operating in fast-moving project development environments
• Experience supporting data center power supply projects or other high-availability applications
• Exposure to engine-based generation or hybrid plant configurations
• Experience with heavy civil/structural & piping design and construction
• Experience with hydrogen-ready or low-carbon power technologies
• Professional Engineer (PE) license
• Demonstrated experience acting as a discipline lead or technical authority is strongly preferred