MEP Design Engineer

MEP Design Engineer – Supermarket & Retail Infrastructure Specialist

Location: Blackwood, NJ

Job Type: Full-time

Salary Range: $72,000 - $98,000 per year (Commensurate with experience)

At Cold Technology, we view a supermarket not merely as a retail store, but as a dynamic, high-load mechanical and electrical ecosystem. Founded with a core philosophy of designing facilities to operate as efficiently as possible and maintaining that design parameter at all times, we deliver the lowest operating costs and longest equipment life to premier independent retailers across the Mid-Atlantic.

We are seeking an exceptional, technically rigorous MEP Design Engineer to bridge the gap between creative supermarket store planning and critical facility engineering. This is not a generalist or merchandising-only position. You will serve as a technical anchor, executing end-to-end multi-disciplinary design-build plans for high-impact regional brands (such as ShopRite/Wakefern, McCaffrey's Markets, and the Fresh Grocer). You will translate client visions into scaled, fully coordinated, energy-efficient mechanical, electrical, and refrigeration layouts that excel in the real world

Key Responsibilities:

• Utilize AutoCAD (required) and Revit (plus) to create precise, scaled architectural floor plans, fixture placement schemes, and multi-system pathing customized for large-scale grocery stores.
• Synchronize complex space planning and product merchandising strategies with structural mechanical constraints, physical building dimensions, and clearance parameters.
• Develop and maintain centralized CAD standards, dynamic block libraries, and data extractions to continuously advance the speed and quality of our technical deliverables.
• Engineer and layout commercial HVAC ductwork, ventilation paths, and mechanical spaces tailored to handle the intense thermal loads and precise humidity controls of food retail environments.
• Coordinate the integration of retail sales floors with centralized parallel rack refrigeration systems, remote condensing systems, walk-in coolers, and complex multi-evaporator case networks.
• Ensure total spatial harmony between mechanical piping, refrigeration lines, structural framing, and existing electrical runs to achieve zero field interference.
• Prepare detailed equipment power plans, point-to-point electrical circuitry connections, panel schedules, single-line diagrams, and equipment control/riser schemes.
• Design complete store lighting paths, localized case lighting integrations, and energy-compliant accent lighting focused on enhancing consumer spatial experience and energy conservation.
• Conduct precise electrical load calculations to ensure absolute compliance with national electrical codes, local regulations, and high-demand utility strains typical of supermarket infrastructure.
• Perform thorough on-site physical surveys, facility walkdowns, and technical infrastructure audits of active or proposed facilities to accurately document existing field conditions.
• Translate unstructured client feedback, conceptual sketches, and operational notes into actionable, buildable construction and permit drawing sets.
• Review construction documentation and contractor submittals prepared by outside architects or consulting engineers, identify areas of non-conformance, and professionally manage design revisions.
• Interface directly with store owners, general contractors, sub-trades, and field project managers to solve design-build anomalies in real-time.

Qualifications & Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a heavily related Engineering Technology discipline.
• 5+ years of verified mechanical layout, electrical circuitry mapping, or multidisciplinary MEP design experience.
• Candidates demonstrating 10+ years of high-volume commercial drafting and technical design mastery without an engineering degree will be fully considered.
• Proven background working specifically within the commercial retail food, big-box retail, supermarket, or cold storage sectors is strongly preferred.

• Expert-level command of AutoCAD is strictly required.

• High spatial visualization aptitude—the ability to conceptualize dense, overlapping electrical and mechanical pathways in 3D space without computer assistance.
• Deep functional knowledge of commercial refrigeration cycles, environmental controls, and the practical application of building automation systems (EMS).
• Innate understanding that design drawings must fit real-world field realities, construction tolerances, and service maintenance access.
• Strong project execution and multitasking skills needed to independently manage technical documentation for multiple active store sites simultaneously.
• Excellent written and verbal communication mechanics with the ability to confidently convey complex engineering load parameters to non-technical store operators and executive stakeholders.

Award-Winning Benefits:

Cold Technology takes immense pride in offering an industry-leading, premier compensation package designed to recruit and retain the absolute top technical talent in the region.

• 100% Company-Paid Premiums for Family Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance plans.
• 401(k) Pension Plan featuring a dollar-for-dollar matching matrix up to 5%. Company match automatically doubles to 10% after 3 years of continuous tenure.
• Access to paid vacation tiers (increasing with overall company tenure), paid holidays, and paid flex/personal days.
• 100% company-paid life insurance and long-term disability coverage.
• Direct deposit paid reliably on a weekly schedule.
• Company-sponsored technical instruction, licensing, and continuous education allowances.

Cold Technology is an Equal Opportunity Employer