HVAC Designer / Engineer

Talon Hiring Solutions has a client in the greater Birmingham, AL area that is looking for an experienced HVAC Designer/Engineer to design, size, specify, and support heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems for industrial and process facilities. In this role, you will be involved throughout the project lifecycle, from initial load calculations and equipment selection through detailed design, bid evaluation, submittal review, and commissioning. You will work closely with clients, vendors, contractors, field personnel, and other engineering disciplines to develop practical, reliable HVAC solutions. Ideally having experience with construction, installation, service, or startup side of the industry, bringing practical knowledge of how HVAC systems are built, operated, and maintained. Or, you may come from a design and engineering background with strong technical fundamentals and design experience. Ideally, you will bring strength in one area and an interest in developing the other. We will provide mentoring, training, and project opportunities to help you build a well-rounded skill set. What You Will Do

• Develop engineering man-hour estimates for HVAC project scopes.
• Perform heating and cooling load calculations for buildings, structures, and individual rooms.
• Size and select HVAC equipment and prepare equipment specifications, schedules, and data sheets.
• Develop HVAC design drawings, including equipment layouts, ductwork, piping arrangements, details, and HVAC control P&IDs.
• Prepare technical work scopes for HVAC contractors and equipment suppliers.
• Evaluate equipment and contractor bids for technical compliance, completeness, and suitability, and provide recommendations.
• Review equipment and system submittals to verify compliance with design intent and project specifications.
• Support HVAC equipment and system commissioning, including startup, testing, troubleshooting, and resolution of field issues.
• Coordinate HVAC design with other engineering disciplines, including mechanical/piping, electrical, structural, and controls.
• Work directly with clients, vendors, contractors, and field personnel to resolve technical issues and support successful project execution.
• Apply engineering fundamentals and practical field knowledge to develop systems that are functional, maintainable, and appropriate for industrial environments.

What You Will Bring We are looking for someone with a solid understanding of HVAC systems, equipment, and engineering fundamentals. You do not need to be an expert in every area listed below. We value a strong foundation, practical experience, problem-solving ability, and a willingness to learn. You will bring working knowledge of how HVAC and refrigeration systems operate, including some or all of the following:

• Air conditioning and refrigeration system fundamentals. Hands-on service experience is a plus, but not required.
• Air-cooled and water-cooled systems, chilled water systems, packaged units, and split systems.
• Air-cooled and water-cooled condensers, chillers, and cooling towers.
• Compressor types, including hermetic, semi-hermetic, and screw compressors, and the differences between screw and centrifugal chillers.
• Carbon filtration units and their applications.
• Gas-fired, electric, steam, duct-mounted, and unit heaters.

HVAC Engineering and Design Fundamentals You will bring an understanding of HVAC design principles and the ability to apply them to real-world projects, including:

• Heating and cooling load calculations for rooms, buildings, and industrial structures.
• Building envelope considerations, including infiltration, U-factors, R-values, solar loads, and sensible and latent heat loads.
• Understanding when system capacity is driven by sensible versus latent loads and how equipment selection affects dehumidification capacity.
• Psychrometrics, including dry-bulb and wet-bulb temperatures, dew point, relative humidity, enthalpy, grains of moisture per pound of dry air, evaporation, and dehumidification.
• Mixed-air temperature calculations and conversions between horsepower, Btu/hr, and kW.
• Single-phase and three-phase electrical power as it relates to HVAC equipment.
• HVAC control strategies, including temperature control, humidity control, and dehumidification requirements.
• Electric heater sizing based on temperature rise and building envelope heat loss.
• Air changes per hour, ventilation requirements, and ventilation strategies for industrial spaces such as warehouses and boiler buildings.
• Ventilation principles, including cross-flow, push-pull, and stack-effect ventilation.
• Ductwork design and fabrication, including SMACNA standards, CFM calculations, constant-velocity and static-regain methods, and practical duct fitting configurations.
• Refrigerant fundamentals, including pure refrigerants versus blends, global warming potential (GWP), ozone depletion potential (ODP), A2L classifications, and applicable considerations for A2L refrigerant systems.
• Refrigerant piping materials, configurations, and insulation requirements.
• Chilled water piping materials, insulation requirements, and velocity considerations.

Experience with HVAC piping design is a plus. Software and Design Tools You will bring working familiarity with applicable engineering and design software, such as:

• Microsoft Office: Outlook, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
• AutoCAD, including 2D, 3D, and MEP applications.
• Revit.
• Navisworks.
• HVAC load calculation tools, including Excel-based calculations, CHVAC, Trane, Carrier, or comparable platforms.

Experience and Qualifications

• Five or more years of relevant HVAC design, engineering, construction, installation, service, or startup experience.
• Experience in industrial, manufacturing, or process facilities is preferred.
• A degree in Mechanical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering Technology, or equivalent practical experience.
• Experience with HVAC construction, installation, field service, or equipment startup is highly valued.
• Alternatively, strong HVAC design experience and technical engineering fundamentals are equally valued.
• The ability to understand HVAC system operation, evaluate equipment applications, and make sound technical decisions.
• Strong communication and coordination skills, with the ability to work effectively with clients, contractors, vendors, and multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• A practical, problem-solving mindset and willingness to develop additional technical skills.