Jobs in the Commercial Mechanical Industry

HVAC, plumbing, piping and controls work runs through many kinds of companies. Most of our searches are with mechanical contractors, but skills from the field and the office carry over to every employer type below.

Mechanical contractors

The core of the industry and the bulk of what we recruit for. Mechanical contractors install, start up and service HVAC, plumbing and process piping in commercial, healthcare, data center, life science and industrial buildings. Larger shops run separate service, tenant improvement and major construction divisions.

• Field: UA journeyman pipefitters, plumbers, sheet metal workers, foremen and general foremen
• Service: HVAC service techs, chiller techs, lead techs, service managers and service sales
• Project delivery: project engineers, project managers, senior PMs and operations managers
• Preconstruction: mechanical and plumbing estimators, chief estimators and design-build leads
• VDC: BIM/VDC detailers and managers working in Revit, Navisworks and Trimble
• Support: purchasing, project accounting, safety and leadership through VP and president

Mechanical contractor divisions and roles · Open mechanical jobs

Building automation controls contractors

Design, install, program and service DDC systems on BACnet and other platforms, often as a subcontractor to the mechanical contractor.

• Controls installers and technicians
• Programmers and commissioning techs
• Controls PMs, estimators and branch managers

Controls career guide · Controls roles

Sheet metal contractors and fabricators

Fabricate and install ductwork and air distribution. Shops depend on detailing and coordination to keep fabrication and field installs on schedule.

• Sheet metal detailers and VDC coordinators
• Shop and field foremen
• Sheet metal PMs and estimators

Open jobs

General contractors

Manage the whole building and coordinate the trades. GCs hire MEP specialists to manage mechanical scope, coordination and closeout from the GC side.

• MEP managers and MEP coordinators
• MEP superintendents
• Preconstruction MEP leads

MEP roles at general contractors

MEP design engineering firms

Design mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems and stamp the drawings. Contractor experience is valued in construction administration and design-assist work.

• Mechanical and plumbing designers
• Project engineers and PEs
• Construction administration and commissioning agents

Design career guide · Design roles

Architecture and engineering (AE) firms

Multi-discipline firms that combine architecture with in-house MEP engineering, often on large healthcare, campus and public work.

• MEP engineers and designers
• BIM managers
• Project managers and principals

Design firm types

Building owners and facilities

Hospitals, universities, data center operators, life science campuses and property managers run their own mechanical plants and in-house teams.

• Building engineers and stationary engineers
• Facilities and critical facilities managers
• Energy and controls specialists

Building mechanical systems guide

Owner's representatives

Manage design and construction on the owner's behalf: budgets, schedules, contractor selection and quality. Mechanical PMs and engineers move well into these roles.

• Owner's rep project managers
• MEP owner's reps
• Program and construction managers

Open jobs

Commissioning and test-and-balance firms

Verify that systems perform as designed. Includes commissioning agents and TAB firms that measure and adjust airflow and water flow.

• Commissioning agents and engineers
• TAB technicians and supervisors
• Retro-commissioning specialists

Open jobs

Equipment manufacturers

Build chillers, boilers, VRF, rooftop units, pumps, valves and controls. Many run factory service and applications teams that hire experienced techs and engineers.

• Factory service technicians
• Applications engineers
• Territory and service sales managers

Manufacturer directory · Equipment guides

Distributors and suppliers

Stock and sell equipment, pipe, valves, fittings and parts to contractors. Field knowledge helps on the counter, inside sales and outside sales.

• Inside and outside sales
• Branch and operations managers
• Technical and counter sales

Distributor directory · Supplier directory

Manufacturer's representatives

Represent several manufacturers in a territory, selecting and selling engineered equipment to engineers and contractors.

• Applications and sales engineers
• Project managers and expediters
• Service and startup technicians

Manufacturer rep directory

Energy service companies (ESCOs)

Develop and deliver energy retrofits such as central plant upgrades and controls modernizations, often paid back through savings.

• Energy engineers
• Retrofit project managers
• Development and sales engineers

Open jobs

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