Sr. Plumbing Designer

AECOM • Columbus, OH

21h • Hybrid

About The Position

Are you ready to help shape high-performance buildings through thoughtful, resilient plumbing system design? AECOM’s Ohio Buildings + Places team is seeking a Senior Plumbing Designer to play a key role in delivering complex, technically rigorous projects across a wide range of market sectors.
This position is ideal for an experienced plumbing professional who combines strong technical execution with independence, critical thinking, and a collaborative mindset—someone who takes pride in design quality, constructability, and mentoring developing staff. This is a Hybrid opportunity working out of AECOM’s Columbus office.
About the Ohio Buildings + Places Team
AECOM’s Ohio Buildings + Places practice—anchored in Columbus and Cleveland—is one of the firm’s most established and high-performing regional teams. Our integrated services include architecture, interiors, building systems engineering, structural engineering, urbanism and planning, advisory services, and digital delivery.
We collaborate across AECOM business lines and regions to deliver integrated solutions for Corporate Workplace, Commercial, Federal Civilian and DoD, Healthcare, Mission Critical, Justice, Logistics, Laboratory, and Higher Education clients. Design quality, technical rigor, and long-term performance are central to our work.
What You’ll Do
As a Senior Plumbing Designer, you will be responsible for the planning, design, and coordination of plumbing systems from concept through construction administration, supporting both new construction and complex renovation projects.
Technical Design & Execution
Design and document plumbing systems for high-performance buildings, including domestic water, sanitary and vent systems, storm drainage, medical gas, compressed air, and specialty systems as required.
Serve as the plumbing discipline lead on projects of varying size and complexity, ensuring technical quality, code compliance, and constructability.
Independently perform primary plumbing design tasks, including system layouts, sizing calculations, and specification development.
Apply established engineering and design procedures while adapting solutions to address project-specific challenges.
Identify discrepancies in design data, drawings, or calculations and proactively develop solutions.
Stay current with applicable codes, standards, and technologies related to plumbing, medical gas, and fire protection systems.
Project Delivery & Coordination
Execute plumbing design from concept through construction administration, ensuring alignment with project scope, schedule, and budget.
Coordinate plumbing and medical gas systems with architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, and fire protection disciplines.
Clearly communicate complex system concepts during early design phases and in project meetings with internal teams and clients.
Conduct site visits to evaluate existing conditions and support informed design decisions.
Review shop drawings, submittals, and RFIs; support construction administration activities as needed.
Contribute to a collaborative, inclusive team culture that values accountability, learning, and excellence. Connect with other subject matter experts throughout the US, and contribute to the technical excellence of AECOM's global practice
Quality & Compliance
Ensure conformance with applicable codes, standards, and established design practices.
Support project quality control reviews and verify technical adequacy of plumbing designs.
Deliver accurate, well-coordinated documents that support constructability and long-term system performance.
Team Collaboration & Mentorship
Provide guidance and direction to entry-level designers and engineers, supporting skill development and technical growth.
Contribute to structured training and knowledge-sharing efforts to strengthen overall team capability.
Work collaboratively with project managers, discipline leads, and office leadership to achieve project and business goals.
Establish yourself as a trusted technical leader and mentor within the Ohio B+P team and a subject matter expert within AECOM's overall US Practice.
Proposals & Practice Support
Assist with proposal development by contributing technical input, narratives, and scope clarification.
Prepare technical documentation and reports for internal and external stakeholders.
Success in the Role
In your first year, you will:
Successfully deliver plumbing designs on multiple projects with strong quality, coordination, and schedule performance.
Be recognized as a dependable technical resource within the plumbing discipline.
Support junior staff development through consistent guidance and mentoring.
Contribute to the successful delivery of complex, multi-disciplinary building projects.

Requirements

• BA/BS plus 6+ years of relevant plumbing design experience or demonstrated equivalency of education and experience.
• Strong working knowledge of applicable plumbing and building codes, including IPC, IMC, IECC, and relevant ASHRAE standards.
• Proficiency in plumbing systems design, including sanitary drainage and venting, domestic water and hot water systems, storm drainage, medical gas systems, and compressed air.
• Ability to manage multiple projects concurrently in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong interpersonal, organizational, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Willingness to travel occasionally for project-related site visits.

Nice To Haves

• 8+ years of plumbing design experience within a consulting engineering or design-build environment.
• Experience in federal, healthcare, laboratory, mission critical, and corporate commercial/mixed-use markets.
• Experience with LEED and sustainable design initiatives.
• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related coursework preferred.
• CPD (Certified Plumbing Designer) and/or Professional Engineer licensure preferred.

Responsibilities

• Planning, design, and coordination of plumbing systems from concept through construction administration
• Supporting both new construction and complex renovation projects.
• Design and document plumbing systems for high-performance buildings, including domestic water, sanitary and vent systems, storm drainage, medical gas, compressed air, and specialty systems as required.
• Serve as the plumbing discipline lead on projects of varying size and complexity, ensuring technical quality, code compliance, and constructability.
• Independently perform primary plumbing design tasks, including system layouts, sizing calculations, and specification development.
• Apply established engineering and design procedures while adapting solutions to address project-specific challenges.
• Identify discrepancies in design data, drawings, or calculations and proactively develop solutions.
• Stay current with applicable codes, standards, and technologies related to plumbing, medical gas, and fire protection systems.
• Execute plumbing design from concept through construction administration, ensuring alignment with project scope, schedule, and budget.
• Coordinate plumbing and medical gas systems with architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, and fire protection disciplines.
• Clearly communicate complex system concepts during early design phases and in project meetings with internal teams and clients.
• Conduct site visits to evaluate existing conditions and support informed design decisions.
• Review shop drawings, submittals, and RFIs; support construction administration activities as needed.
• Contribute to a collaborative, inclusive team culture that values accountability, learning, and excellence. Connect with other subject matter experts throughout the US, and contribute to the technical excellence of AECOM's global practice
• Ensure conformance with applicable codes, standards, and established design practices.
• Support project quality control reviews and verify technical adequacy of plumbing designs.
• Deliver accurate, well-coordinated documents that support constructability and long-term system performance.
• Provide guidance and direction to entry-level designers and engineers, supporting skill development and technical growth.
• Contribute to structured training and knowledge-sharing efforts to strengthen overall team capability.
• Work collaboratively with project managers, discipline leads, and office leadership to achieve project and business goals.
• Establish yourself as a trusted technical leader and mentor within the Ohio B+P team and a subject matter expert within AECOM's overall US Practice.
• Assist with proposal development by contributing technical input, narratives, and scope clarification.
• Prepare technical documentation and reports for internal and external stakeholders.

Benefits

• AECOM benefits may include medical, dental, vision, life, AD&D, disability benefits, paid time off, leaves of absences, voluntary benefits, perks, flexible work options, well-being resources, employee assistance program, business travel insurance, service recognition awards, retirement savings plan, and employee stock purchase plan.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level