Senior HVAC Mechanical Engineer / Estimator (006-1129)

​​Looking for Filipino (Philippines-based) candidates

Job Role: Senior HVAC Mechanical Engineer / Estimator  

Work Schedule: This is a full-time role Australia Timezone 

Salary range: AUD 2000-3000 / Monthly

Who We Are: At Hunt St we help Australian companies directly hire top 5% remote talent in the Philippines. You will be hired directly by the client, typically as an independent contractor. We are not an outsourcing agency. All of our roles are 100% remote so you'll be able to work from home.

Who The Client Is:

Our client is a reputable Queensland-based company specialising in the design, installation, and maintenance of commercial HVAC-R (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration) systems. 

Role Overview:

We are seeking an exceptional Senior Mechanical Engineer / Estimator to become a key technical member of our estimating and engineering team.

You will be joining an established team of experienced estimators and engineers. This is not a role where you'll be building processes from scratch or working independently. Instead, you'll collaborate with a high-performing team, contribute as a senior technical resource, and be supported by colleagues in a growing business.

This is a senior-level position that combines mechanical engineering, commercial estimating, design review, and technical coordination. We are looking for someone who is technically strong, detail-oriented, and genuinely passionate about delivering high-quality work. The ideal candidate is seeking a long-term opportunity where they can make a meaningful contribution and continue to grow professionally.

We're particularly interested in someone who enjoysfinding technical and commercial opportunities that others overlook. The right person is energized by reviewing consulting engineers' tender documentation, identifying gaps, ambiguities, and risks, and using those insights to develop competitive and commercially sound estimates.

You will work closely with Australian-based estimating and project teams and become one of the organization's key technical resources.

This is a client-facing and supplier-facing role. You will communicate directly with Australian builders, clients, consultants, suppliers, and subcontractors via email and other written correspondence, representing the business professionally and independently.

WHAT THIS ROLE IS NOT

We are not seeking a CAD operator or a junior engineer. This is a senior seat. We are looking for someone capable of thinking independently, identifying risks, challenging documentation, and supporting projects from tender through to construction — someone who can hold their own in a room full of experienced people and make the team around them better. 

THE TEAM YOU ARE JOINING

You will not be working alone. The client already has an established estimating and engineering team, and this role is a deliberate addition to it as the business grows.

You will be surrounded by experienced estimators, engineers and project people, both in Australia and offshore, who you can learn from and contribute to. Your work will be seen, valued and built upon. For the right person this is a place to grow into one of our most senior and trusted technical people over time.

The successful candidate will ideally possess:

• Mechanical Engineering Degree
• 5–7+ years relevant experience
• Strong Australian commercial HVAC experience
• Excellent written and spoken English
• Working electrical services knowledge
• CAMEL experience (high bonus)
• Accurate heat loads and equipment selections
• Strong controls, BMS and control logic depth
• High attention to detail
• Strong commercial awareness
• Excellent engineering judgement
• Ability to work independently
• Strong communication skills
• Confidence dealing directly with Australians
• Genuinely engaged — takes pride in the work
• Excited by finding gaps in tender documents
• Loves value engineering and chasing cost savings
• Loyal, with a long-term career mindset
• Wants to be excellent, not just employed

Requirements

Estimating

• Review mechanical drawings and specifications
• Perform quantity take-offs
• Prepare commercial HVAC estimates
• Review tender documentation
• Identify missing scope
• Identify scope gaps between mechanical and electrical
• Identify commercial risks
• Prepare RFIs
• Prepare tender clarifications
• Issue enquiries to suppliers and subcontractors
• Review subcontract quotations
• Review supplier quotations
• Assist with value engineering
• Assist with pricing strategies
• Review project programmes for estimating impacts

Mechanical Engineering

• Review HVAC system designs
• Develop practical Design & Construct solutions
• Review Australian Standards compliance
• Interpret the NCC
• Review equipment selections
• Review mechanical specifications
• Review controls philosophy
• Review electrical requirements of mechanical plant
• Define the mechanical / electrical scope split
• Identify engineering risks
• Assist with system optimisation
• Support technical decision making

Drafting & BIM

• Produce shop drawings
• Produce coordinated services drawings
• Produce as-built drawings
• Review architectural coordination
• Review structural coordination
• Coordinate with electrical and hydraulic services
• Support clash detection
• Maintain drawing revisions
• Review equipment schedules for completeness and coordination.

Project Support

• Support Project Managers
• Support Site Supervisors
• Support Estimators
• Assist procurement
• Liaise with suppliers
• Liaise with subcontractors
• Raise and track purchase orders in SimPro
• Maintain job costing and cost records in SimPro
• Assist commissioning documentation
• Assist O&M manuals
• Assist project close-out documentation
• Maintain accurate records in company systems

We are looking for a proactive and dedicated individual to join our team and contribute to our success. If you meet the above requirements and are looking for a challenging and rewarding role, that is long-term focused we encourage you to apply.

Artificial Intelligence

• The client actively uses ChatGPT and AI as part of its engineering and estimating workflows.
• The successful candidate will be expected to embrace AI as a productivity tool rather than avoid it.
• Experience using AI for: reviewing specifications, reviewing drawings, drafting RFIs, summarising documentation, engineering research, estimating assistance

We believe AI will become an essential engineering tool over the next decade. We are looking for someone who embraces new technology and continually looks for ways to improve accuracy, efficiency and decision-making through AI.

REQUIRED TECHNICAL SKILLS

Excellent understanding of:

AREA

SYSTEMS AND TOPICS

• Air conditioning
• Air conditioning systems · Packaged and split systems · VRF / VRV · Chilled water · DX systems · Air handling units · Fan coil units · Plant rooms
• Ventilation
• Ventilation systems · Outside air · Relief air · Stairwell pressurisation
• Exhaust systems
• Smoke exhaust · Toilet exhaust · Kitchen exhaust · Car park ventilation

Distribution

• Ductwork · Pipework · Insulation · Acoustic treatment · Fire dampers and penetrations

Refrigeration - Refrigeration concepts · Refrigerant pipework · Refrigerant selection and compliance

Controls and BMS Controls philosophy · Control components · BMS integration · Interface with the electrical trade

Commissioning TAB · Commissioning · Witness testing · Defects and completion

Documentation - Equipment selection · Mechanical specifications · Equipment schedules · HVAC coordination

ELECTRICAL KNOWLEDGE

This role requires a strong working knowledge of the electrical requirements of mechanical plant. We are not seeking a qualified electrical engineer, but we are seeking someone who understands where the mechanical scope stops, where the electrical scope starts, and who is responsible for the gap between them.

On Australian commercial projects, the mechanical / electrical interface is one of the most common sources of missed scope and commercial dispute. The successful candidate must be able to see those gaps at tender stage, not at commissioning.

REQUIRED UNDERSTANDING

WHAT WE EXPECT YOU TO UNDERSTAND

Power requirements - Electrical loads of mechanical plant · Single and three phase · Full load amps · Starting currents · Power factor

Supply and distribution - Mechanical switchboards · Distribution boards · Sub-mains · Isolators · Circuit protection · Cable sizing principles

Scope split - What the mechanical contractor supplies and installs · What the electrical contractor supplies and installs · Who terminates · Who commissions

Controls interface - Control wiring · Field devices · Interlocks · Fire trip and shutdown signals · BMS interface points

Motor control - Starters · Variable speed drives · Motor control centres · Control panels

Essential services - Smoke exhaust and stairwell pressurisation electrical requirements · Fire mode operation · Emergency power interfaces

Compliance - Relevant Australian Standards for the electrical interface · NCC requirements affecting mechanical plant

WHY THIS MATTERS

You will be expected to read a mechanical specification and an electrical specification together, and tell us what has been left out of both.

ENGINEERING DEPTH WE VALUE

The technical skills earlier in this document are the baseline. This section is about depth. The stronger a candidate is across the areas below, the more highly they will be regarded — there is no upper limit here. We would rather hire someone who is genuinely excellent at this than someone who merely meets the minimum.

CALCULATIONS AND SELECTIONS

We place a high value on candidates who can perform accurate engineering calculations and equipment selections themselves, not simply read someone else's.

THE MORE CAPABLE, THE MORE HIGHLY REGARDED

Heat load calculations - Accurate, defensible heat load calculations. The more accurate and the more confidently you can do them, the better.

Outside air requirements - Correct outside air and ventilation rate calculations to the relevant Australian Standards and the NCC.

Air conditioning selections - Confident AC selections across a wide range of project sizes and system types.

Fan selections - Correct fan selections — exhaust, supply, relief, smoke and car park — against duty and static.

All equipment selections

AHUs, FCUs, condensers, pumps, and all associated mechanical plant, selected accurately and commercially.

PROJECT RANGE

Our projects typically range from around $10,000 to $5,000,000. We want someone comfortable performing accurate heat loads, outside air calculations and equipment selections across that entire range — from small works through to major commercial jobs.

CONTROLS, BMS AND ELECTRICAL DEPTH

Depth in controls and the mechanical / electrical interface is one of the strongest differentiators for this role. The more genuine controls and electrical knowledge a candidate brings, the more highly they will be regarded.

DEPTH WE REWARD

Control logic - Understanding and writing practical control logic — how a system should actually sequence and respond.

Controls understanding - Genuine understanding of controls philosophy, not just naming components.

BMS connections - Different BMS connection types, protocols and integration points.

Controllers - Familiarity with different controllers and control hardware across manufacturers.

Controls / mechanical / electrical crossover - The more a candidate can join up controls, mechanical and electrical thinking, the more valuable they are to us.

HOW THIS IS WEIGHTED

These are not pass/fail requirements. They are a scale. Strength in accurate calculations, equipment selection, control logic, BMS and the electrical interface will lift a candidate above others — the deeper the genuine capability, the higher the regard.

FINDING GAPS AND VALUE ENGINEERING

This is the part of the role we care about most, and the part that separates a good candidate from an exceptional one.

Consulting engineers' tender documents are rarely complete or perfectly coordinated. There are almost always gaps, ambiguities, missing scope, over-specified items and better ways to do the same job for less. We want someone who hunts for these instinctively — not because they are told to, but because they find it genuinely satisfying.

The right person treats every tender package as a puzzle to be picked apart, and every job as an opportunity to deliver the same outcome for less cost. This mindset directly protects and improves the margin on our work, and it is central to how the client competes and wins.

WHAT WE EXPECT YOU TO DO

FOCUS IN PRACTICE

Hunt for gaps at tender stage

Read the consultant's drawings and specification critically. Find missing scope, conflicts, ambiguity and undefined responsibility before the price goes out — not after award.

Challenge the documentation - Do not accept a consultant's design at face value. Question it, test it, and raise RFIs where it is unclear, inconsistent or incomplete.

Drive value engineering - Actively look for ways to deliver the same performance for less — alternative equipment, simpler routes, smarter staging, better procurement.

Find cost savings across the job - Look for savings throughout the life of the job, not only at tender: supplier haggling, drafting and engineering efficiency, labour reduction, warehouse stock, cranage optimisation.

Advise the estimators - Proactively flag to our estimators where you see cost savings, uplift opportunities or commercial risk while reviewing tender documents. You are their technical eyes on the job.

Turn gaps into position - Convert what you find into RFIs, qualifications, exclusions, variations and value-engineering proposals that protect and improve our margin.

THE MINDSET WE ARE HIRING FOR

We want someone who opens a set of consultant's tender documents and feels excited, not overwhelmed — because they know that is exactly where the opportunities are hiding. If finding the gap and engineering the saving is the part of the job you enjoy most, this is the role for you.

SOFTWARE EXPERIENCE

Estimating and job management systems

The client runs on SimPro. Existing SimPro experience is highly desirable and will be treated as a significant advantage at shortlisting. Where a candidate does not have it, we expect demonstrated ability to learn a job management system quickly and use it properly.

SYSTEM

WHAT WE EXPECT

SimPro - Job setup and job costing · Raising and tracking purchase orders · Cost centres · Labour and material cost tracking · Contractor works orders · Reporting · Keeping records accurate and current

Groundplan - On-screen take-off and measurement · Building and maintaining take-off templates · Consistent, auditable measurement that another estimator can follow

BE HONEST ABOUT YOUR LEVEL

If you have used SimPro or Groundplan, tell us what you actually did in them and for how long. We will ask. We would rather train a strong engineer on our systems than hire someone who overstated their experience.

Drawing, coordination and general software

SOFTWARE EXPECTED CAPABILITY

AutoCAD - Strong. Producing and marking up mechanical drawings.

Revit - Strong. Modelling mechanical services and producing coordinated documentation.

Navisworks - Strong. Clash detection and services coordination.

Bluebeam - Strong. Drawing mark-up, measurement and document review.

Microsoft Excel - Strong. Cost sheets, comparisons, schedules and take-off summaries.

Microsoft Outlook / email - Strong. Professional written correspondence with Australian stakeholders.

Engineering software — high bonus points

Experience with dedicated HVAC engineering software is a significant plus and will earn high bonus points at shortlisting. The more experienced and capable the candidate, the more highly they will be regarded.

SOFTWARE

WHY IT EARNS BONUS POINTS

CAMEL - Strong CAMEL experience is highly valued. The more experienced and accurate a candidate is in CAMEL — for heat load calculations, outside air, and equipment and AC selections — the higher they will be regarded.

Other heat load / selection tools

Any credible heat load, psychrometric or manufacturer selection software experience is a plus, provided the candidate genuinely understands the engineering behind it.

CAMEL AND CALCULATIONS

If you are experienced in CAMEL and confident performing accurate heat loads, outside air calculations and equipment selections with it, make that clear in your application. For this role it is a genuine advantage, not a footnote.

10 AUSTRALIAN KNOWLEDGE

Strong understanding of:

Australian Standards

National Construction Code

Commercial HVAC systems

Australian tender documentation

Australian specifications

Design & Construct projects

Construct-only projects

Shop drawing standards

Mechanical coordination

Australian construction terminology

How Australian builders and consultants operate

Australian procurement and lead times

DESIGN & CONSTRUCT VS CONSTRUCT-ONLY

You must understand the difference and why it matters commercially. On a Design & Construct job the design risk is ours. On a construct-only job a design change is the client's risk and a legitimate variation. Knowing which one you are looking at, and pricing it accordingly, is fundamental to this role.

COMMUNICATION AND ENGLISH

This is a direct-contact role. You will not sit behind an Australian staff member who forwards your work on your behalf. You will write to Australian builders, clients, consultants, suppliers and subcontractors under your own name, and what you send represents the client.

For that reason, written and spoken English must be of a high standard. This is a genuine requirement of the role, not a preference.

WHO YOU WILL DEAL WITH DIRECTLY

STAKEHOLDER

TYPICAL DIRECT CONTACT - Builders and clients

Tender queries · RFIs · Clarifications · Progress and technical correspondence

Consultants - Design queries · Technical clarifications · Challenging documentation where it is unclear, inconsistent or incomplete

Suppliers - Enquiries · Equipment selections · Pricing · Lead times · Chasing quotations · Negotiating

Subcontractors - Scope enquiries · Quotation review · Clarifying inclusions and exclusions

The Team - Estimators · Project Managers · Site Supervisors · Management

WRITTEN ENGLISH

You must be able to, without assistance:

Write a clear, professional email to an Australian builder

Write an RFI that is specific and unambiguous

Write tender qualifications and exclusions that hold up commercially

Summarise a technical issue in plain language

Challenge a consultant politely but firmly

Chase a supplier without causing offence

Write correspondence that needs no editing before it is sent

Understand Australian tone, idiom and directness

SPOKEN ENGLISH

You must be able to hold a technical conversation on a video call with Australian staff, suppliers and consultants — following the discussion at normal Australian speaking pace, asking questions, and being clearly understood.

HOW THIS WILL BE ASSESSED

English will be assessed directly at interview through live discussion and a short written exercise. Please do not apply if your written English requires correction before it can be sent to a client.

COMMERCIAL SKILLS

The successful candidate should be able to:

Read specifications thoroughly

Understand commercial risk

Identify scope omissions

Identify variations and scope changes

Compare supplier quotations

Communicate directly with suppliers

Negotiate pricing

Understand value engineering

Assist with procurement decisions

Prepare commercial clarifications

Understand the difference between margin won and margin delivered

Think beyond simply producing a price

Understand project sequencing and buildability.

Identify opportunities to reduce installation labour through smarter engineering and coordination.

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

We are looking for someone who:

Thinks like an engineer

Thinks like a builder

Thinks commercially

Pays attention to detail

Is proactive

Challenges poor documentation

Solves problems independently

Learns quickly

Communicates professionally

Picks up the phone or writes the email without being asked

Takes ownership

Wants to continuously improve

CAREER OPPORTUNITY

This is not simply another remote engineering role.

The successful candidate will become an important member of our business and will have genuine, long-term opportunities for career progression into our most senior estimating and engineering responsibilities. We are hiring for the future, and we want this person to grow with us.

WHAT WE OFFER THE RIGHT PERSON

OPPORTUNITY

WHAT IT MEANS

A senior seat in a growing business

Real responsibility, real ownership, and a clear path to more.

Long-term career progression

Growth into senior technical leadership as the business expands.

An established team behind you

Experienced colleagues to learn from and lean on, not isolation.

Direct access to Australian management

Your work is seen by decision-makers, and your voice is heard.

Investment in you

We invest in our people, their tools, their training and their future.

Visiting Australia

For the right candidate, there will be genuine opportunities to visit our Australian office — to meet the team in person, see how our projects come together on the ground, and strengthen the working relationship that makes a role like this succeed.

We see real value in bringing our best offshore people to Australia to spend time with the team, and we intend to do exactly that for the right person. This is a company that wants to know the people who work for it, not simply receive their output.

FOR THE RIGHT CANDIDATE

The opportunity to visit and spend time in Australia with the team is real, and it is offered based on business needs, performance and long-term contribution to the team through the quality of their work and their commitment to the client.

THE CULTURE

we value people who:

Take ownership

Deliver on their commitments

Think before they act

Communicate openly and honestly

Continuously improve

Support their teammates

Produce quality work

Solve problems rather than create them

Care about the outcome, not just completing tasks

Why This Role Is Different

We don't see our offshore engineers as support staff - we see them as part of our engineering team.

The person we hire will be trusted with real responsibility, encouraged to challenge ideas, and expected to contribute to the success of the business.

If you're someone who enjoys solving complex engineering problems, improving systems, finding commercial opportunities, and continually developing your skills, we'd love to hear from you.

Work Arrangement & Expectations:

This is a remote role that will be set up as an independent contractor engagement.

To ensure alignment and transparency, successful candidates will be expected to:

Disclose any existing ongoing roles or client work

Reflect this engagement on their LinkedIn profile (clearly marked as “Independent Contractor”)