Mechanical Designer - Recent Graduate

Description When you walk into a building, do you wonder how it actually works? We do too. Summer Consultants is looking for a recent graduate or early-career Mechanical Designer with up to three years of experience to join our McLean, VA team. This is a great opportunity for someone who is curious about building systems, wants hands-on project and field experience, and is ready to learn the MEP/FP consulting industry from experienced engineers.

At Summer Consultants, we design the mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection systems that make buildings safe, comfortable, functional, and reliable. Much of our work involves renovating and modernizing existing federal, institutional, higher education, and historic facilities. That means our projects are technical, hands-on, and rarely routine. Existing buildings do not give you a clean sheet of paper.

Our engineers spend real time in the field walking buildings, surveying and documenting existing conditions, tracing systems, observing constraints, and figuring out how a new design can actually work within the building that is already there. The challenge of renovation work is solving real problems: how to make equipment fit into an existing mechanical room, how to route ductwork and piping through constrained spaces, how to work around active building operations and existing infrastructure, and how to develop a design that a contractor can actually build.

Field surveys are an important part of how our engineers learn. You will develop the ability to look at a building, ask the right questions, understand how mechanical and plumbing systems are installed and operated, recognize constraints, document what you find, and translate those observations into practical design decisions. That field experience helps build the judgment needed to become a well-rounded consulting engineer.

Curious about building systems? Let's see what we can do together. WHAT SUMMER CAN DO FOR YOU Summer Consultants will help you: Learn the ins and outs of the MEP/FP consulting industry through real project experience. Gain hands-on experience with HVAC and plumbing design, calculations, equipment selection, layouts, documentation, and existing-building surveys. Learn how to survey buildings, understand and document existing conditions, and translate field observations into practical design decisions.

Build experience with tools such as Revit, AutoCAD, and applicable mechanical design and analysis software. Work on varied projects. We rarely have "typical" projects because buildings are unique, and so are their systems and constraints. Develop into a well-rounded consulting engineer through mentoring, project exposure, field experience, feedback, and increasing responsibility from experienced engineers.

Collaborate across disciplines in a small, technically engaged environment where you can ask questions and build real competence. Build the technical foundation for professional licensure and long-term growth in the engineering profession. COMPANY BENEFITS Medical insurance: Options where Summer pays 100% of the employee-only premium. Dental and vision insurance. 401(k): 3% automatic Company contribution, plus up to a 2% additional match, with additional profit-sharing contributions historically made based on Company performance.

Eleven (11) paid holidays and seventeen (17) to twenty-two (22) days of PTO per year, based on professional experience. Paid Parental Leave for eligible employees. Professional licensure support: FE and PE exam and registration reimbursement, preparation support, test-day leave, and recognition payments. Education Assistance up to $5,000 annually for qualifying job-related coursework. Flexible scheduling, including a 4.5-day compressed workweek option for eligible employees.

Flexible work environment, including hybrid work options after six months with the company, based on role, project, and client needs. Company-paid life, short-term disability, and long-term disability c