Mechanical Engineer Jobs in Virginia
Mechanical engineer jobs in Virginia are consistently active, with strong demand from entry-level through senior positions across defense contracting, aerospace, shipbuilding, and federal systems integration. The largest concentrations of hiring are in Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads, and Richmond, where employers like Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics, and Huntington Ingalls Industries maintain significant engineering operations. The most in-demand specialties include systems engineering, structural analysis, and propulsion, reflecting the state's deep ties to Navy and defense programs. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Showing 5 of 230+ Mechanical Engineer jobs
- Job Category: Real Estate & Facilities
- Job Type: Full time
- Reqid: J0109724
US | VA | Remote
Full time
J0109724
Principal Mechanical Engineer – Data Center
Job Summary
Iron Mountain Data Centers is seeking an accomplished Principal Mechanical Engineer to serve as the regional technical authority for cooling, heat-rejection, ventilation, hydronic, water, and liquid-cooling systems across new developments, customer deployments, operational upgrades, and the existing portfolio. Operating as an enterprise specialist and strategic technical leader, this individual contributor works with broad autonomy across regional Design and Engineering teams to establish technical direction, govern standards and specifications, and assure high-risk engineering decisions.
What You’ll Do (Responsibilities)
In this role, you will:
Set Technical Direction: Establish design principles, performance outcomes, and decision criteria for air and liquid cooling, heat rejection, ventilation, hydronic, and water systems across the data center platform.
Govern Standards & Approvals: Own and govern Basis of Design (BOD) requirements, standard designs, technical specifications, and discipline assurance frameworks; act as the final authority on precedent-setting deviations and risks.
Advise Senior Leadership & Drive Innovation: Advise senior leaders on technical strategy, investment trade-offs, and long-term technology roadmaps while sponsoring research and translating emerging trends into scalable requirements.
Direct Equipment Strategy & Incident Investigations: Govern global technical requirements and product strategy for owner-furnished equipment (OFCI) with Supply Chain, while providing top-tier discipline support for major operational incidents to embed root-cause findings into standards.
Build Discipline Capability: Represent Iron Mountain in strategic customer, regulatory, and industry forums; establish a mechanical community of practice; and mentor Senior Engineers without direct line-management authority.
What You’ll Bring (Skills & Qualifications)
The ideal candidate will have:
Core Experience: Typically 15+ years of relevant experience, including technical leadership across major data center, mission-critical, or comparable programs across multiple projects or markets.
Enterprise Technical Mastery: Recognized depth of expertise in data center mechanical engineering, including air and liquid cooling, heat rejection, hydronics, water strategy, and critical controls interfaces.
Governance & Commercial Judgement: Proven ability to govern global approval frameworks and manage systemic risk while balancing cooling architecture, rack density, resilience, capital cost, and energy/water efficiency.
Executive Presence & Influence: Exceptional influencing, negotiation, and communication skills to frame complex technical decisions for executive audiences, customers, regulatory authorities, and manufacturers.
Education & Travel: University degree in Mechanical Engineering, Building Services Engineering, or a related discipline (Professional Engineer/Chartered Engineer license strongly preferred) and the ability to travel domestically and internationally up to 25%.
What We Offer (Benefits)
Compensation: Competitive salary and executive total rewards packages aligned with your experience level.
Work-Life Balance: Generous paid time off, holiday schedules, and flexible work options to support personal well-being.
Health & Well-being: Comprehensive health, dental, vision, wellness, and retirement plans.
Growth: Continuous learning, technical leadership opportunities, and career advancement across a global organization.
#Li - Remote
Reasonably expected salary range: $163,400.00 - $217,900.00
Please note that an employee's starting salary may vary based on a variety of factors. Where State, Municipal, Provincial, Territorial or other legal minimum wages exceed the federal minimum wage, employees are entitled to the higher rate.
Category: Real Estate & Facilities
Iron Mountain is a global leader in storage and information management services trusted by more than 225,000 organizations in 60 countries. We safeguard billions of our customers’ assets, including critical business information, highly sensitive data, and invaluable cultural and historic artifacts. Take a look at our history here .
Iron Mountain helps lower cost and risk, comply with regulations, recover from disaster, and enable digital and sustainable solutions, whether in information management, digital transformation, secure storage and destruction, data center operations, cloud services, or art storage and logistics. Please see our Values and Code of Ethics for a look at our principles and aspirations in elevating the power of our work together.
To view the Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law posters and the supplement, as well as the Pay Transparency Policy Statement
Requisition: J0109724
At Iron Mountain we know that work, when done well, makes a positive impact for our customers, our employees, and our planet. That’s why we need smart, committed people to join us. Whether you’re looking to start your career or make a change, talk to us and see how you can elevate the power of your work at Iron Mountain.
We provide expert, sustainable solutions in records and information management, digital transformation services, data centers, asset lifecycle management, and fine art storage, handling, and logistics. We proudly partner every day with our 225,000 customers around the world to preserve their invaluable artifacts, extract more from their inventory, and protect their data privacy in innovative and socially responsible ways.
Are you curious about being part of our growth story while evolving your skills in a culture that will welcome your unique contributions? If so, let's start the conversation.
- Job Category: Real Estate & Facilities
- Job Type: Full time
- Reqid: J0109724
US | VA | Remote
Full time
J0109724
Principal Mechanical Engineer – Data Center
Job Summary
Iron Mountain Data Centers is seeking an accomplished Principal Mechanical Engineer to serve as the regional technical authority for cooling, heat-rejection, ventilation, hydronic, water, and liquid-cooling systems across new developments, customer deployments, operational upgrades, and the existing portfolio. Operating as an enterprise specialist and strategic technical leader, this individual contributor works with broad autonomy across regional Design and Engineering teams to establish technical direction, govern standards and specifications, and assure high-risk engineering decisions.
What You’ll Do (Responsibilities)
In this role, you will:
Set Technical Direction: Establish design principles, performance outcomes, and decision criteria for air and liquid cooling, heat rejection, ventilation, hydronic, and water systems across the data center platform.
Govern Standards & Approvals: Own and govern Basis of Design (BOD) requirements, standard designs, technical specifications, and discipline assurance frameworks; act as the final authority on precedent-setting deviations and risks.
Advise Senior Leadership & Drive Innovation: Advise senior leaders on technical strategy, investment trade-offs, and long-term technology roadmaps while sponsoring research and translating emerging trends into scalable requirements.
Direct Equipment Strategy & Incident Investigations: Govern global technical requirements and product strategy for owner-furnished equipment (OFCI) with Supply Chain, while providing top-tier discipline support for major operational incidents to embed root-cause findings into standards.
Build Discipline Capability: Represent Iron Mountain in strategic customer, regulatory, and industry forums; establish a mechanical community of practice; and mentor Senior Engineers without direct line-management authority.
What You’ll Bring (Skills & Qualifications)
The ideal candidate will have:
Core Experience: Typically 15+ years of relevant experience, including technical leadership across major data center, mission-critical, or comparable programs across multiple projects or markets.
Enterprise Technical Mastery: Recognized depth of expertise in data center mechanical engineering, including air and liquid cooling, heat rejection, hydronics, water strategy, and critical controls interfaces.
Governance & Commercial Judgement: Proven ability to govern global approval frameworks and manage systemic risk while balancing cooling architecture, rack density, resilience, capital cost, and energy/water efficiency.
Executive Presence & Influence: Exceptional influencing, negotiation, and communication skills to frame complex technical decisions for executive audiences, customers, regulatory authorities, and manufacturers.
Education & Travel: University degree in Mechanical Engineering, Building Services Engineering, or a related discipline (Professional Engineer/Chartered Engineer license strongly preferred) and the ability to travel domestically and internationally up to 25%.
What We Offer (Benefits)
Compensation: Competitive salary and executive total rewards packages aligned with your experience level.
Work-Life Balance: Generous paid time off, holiday schedules, and flexible work options to support personal well-being.
Health & Well-being: Comprehensive health, dental, vision, wellness, and retirement plans.
Growth: Continuous learning, technical leadership opportunities, and career advancement across a global organization.
#Li - Remote
Reasonably expected salary range: $163,400.00 - $217,900.00
Please note that an employee's starting salary may vary based on a variety of factors. Where State, Municipal, Provincial, Territorial or other legal minimum wages exceed the federal minimum wage, employees are entitled to the higher rate.
Category: Real Estate & Facilities
Iron Mountain is a global leader in storage and information management services trusted by more than 225,000 organizations in 60 countries. We safeguard billions of our customers’ assets, including critical business information, highly sensitive data, and invaluable cultural and historic artifacts. Take a look at our history here .
Iron Mountain helps lower cost and risk, comply with regulations, recover from disaster, and enable digital and sustainable solutions, whether in information management, digital transformation, secure storage and destruction, data center operations, cloud services, or art storage and logistics. Please see our Values and Code of Ethics for a look at our principles and aspirations in elevating the power of our work together.
To view the Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law posters and the supplement, as well as the Pay Transparency Policy Statement
Requisition: J0109724
At Iron Mountain we know that work, when done well, makes a positive impact for our customers, our employees, and our planet. That’s why we need smart, committed people to join us. Whether you’re looking to start your career or make a change, talk to us and see how you can elevate the power of your work at Iron Mountain.
We provide expert, sustainable solutions in records and information management, digital transformation services, data centers, asset lifecycle management, and fine art storage, handling, and logistics. We proudly partner every day with our 225,000 customers around the world to preserve their invaluable artifacts, extract more from their inventory, and protect their data privacy in innovative and socially responsible ways.
Are you curious about being part of our growth story while evolving your skills in a culture that will welcome your unique contributions? If so, let's start the conversation.
See All 230+ Mechanical Engineer Jobs in Virginia
Find roles in Virginia that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Mechanical Engineer JobsMechanical Engineer Jobs by City in Virginia
Where Virginia roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Mechanical Engineer Job Market in Virginia
A snapshot from current Virginia openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
- HII20
- Amazon9
- Sargent & Lundy7
- Umbra6
- General Dynamics Mission Systems6
Top Industries Hiring
- Consulting & Professional Services
- Construction & Real Estate
- Automotive
- Technology & Software
- Education
What Virginia Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in mechanical engineer jobs across Virginia.
- Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering or closely related engineering discipline required
- Professional Engineer license issued or recognized by the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation preferred for senior roles
- Proficiency in CAD software such as SolidWorks, AutoCAD, or CATIA
- Experience with systems design, structural analysis, or thermal and fluid systems
- Active U.S. security clearance or eligibility to obtain one for defense positions
- Familiarity with engineering standards including ASME, MIL-SPEC, or similar regulatory frameworks
Mechanical Engineer Jobs in Virginia: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a mechanical engineer in Virginia?
Becoming a licensed mechanical engineer in Virginia requires a bachelor's degree in engineering from an accredited program, passing the Fundamentals of Engineering exam, gaining qualifying work experience, and then passing the Principles and Practice of Engineering exam. Licensure is issued through the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation. While licensure is not required for all positions, it is expected for senior, supervisory, and government contract roles.
How much do mechanical engineers make in Virginia?
Mechanical engineers in Virginia earn a median of about $104,180 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $77,840 for the lowest 10% to over $160,770 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire mechanical engineers in Virginia?
Employers hiring mechanical engineers in Virginia right now include HII, Amazon, and Sargent & Lundy, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Virginia's concentration of defense primes, naval shipyards, and federal agency contractors means mechanical engineers here often work on aerospace, propulsion, or large-scale infrastructure systems.
Which Virginia cities have the most mechanical engineer jobs?
Newport News, Richmond, and Arlington have the most mechanical engineer openings in Virginia. Northern Virginia's proximity to the Pentagon and federal contracting agencies drives demand there, Hampton Roads anchors shipbuilding and Naval Station Norfolk support work, and Richmond draws roles from manufacturing, utilities, and state infrastructure projects.
Are there remote mechanical engineer jobs in Virginia?
Yes, but they're rare. Mechanical engineering is primarily a hands-on discipline involving labs, manufacturing floors, test facilities, and physical systems, so most roles require on-site presence. About 37% of mechanical engineer openings tied to Virginia are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, and those tend to be design review, analysis, or project management functions rather than fabrication or testing work.
How can I get hired as a mechanical engineer in Virginia with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is applying to new-graduate rotational or associate engineer programs at Virginia's large defense contractors, including Northrop Grumman and General Dynamics, which regularly recruit from Virginia Tech, University of Virginia, and George Mason University. Entry-level titles like engineering technician, junior systems engineer, or design engineer associate are common on-ramps. Passing the Fundamentals of Engineering exam while still in school gives candidates a measurable edge in a competitive applicant pool.
Where can I find and apply to mechanical engineer jobs in Virginia?
You can find and apply to mechanical engineer jobs in Virginia on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings across the state. Find roles that fit your experience and location, then apply directly to the employers posting them.
See All 230+ Mechanical Engineer Jobs in Virginia
Find roles in Virginia that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Mechanical Engineer Jobs