Chief Engineer

About the Role

The Chief Engineer provides senior technical leadership and operational oversight within a mission-critical facility. This role supports the Facility Manager and Maintenance Manager by ensuring procedural integrity, technical excellence, risk mitigation, and operational continuity across all electrical, mechanical, fire/life safety, and building management systems. The Chief Engineer serves as the primary technical authority on site, bridging shift-based operations and site-level leadership, and strengthens change management quality, vendor execution, compliance readiness, training development, and project coordination.

The ideal candidate will possess deep mission-critical infrastructure expertise, strong procedural discipline, and demonstrated leadership capability in high-availability environments.

Responsibilities

• Technical Operations & Infrastructure Oversight
  • Provide senior-level technical oversight for all critical facility systems including electrical distribution, UPS, generators, HVAC, chilled water systems, fire/life safety systems, and BMS platforms.
  • Review and validate Change Requests (CRs) prior to Facility Manager approval to ensure procedural accuracy, risk mitigation completeness, and safety compliance.
  • Ensure all work performed on site adheres strictly to approved SOPs, MOPs, EOPs, and change management procedures.
  • Conduct quality reviews of completed procedures and ensure proper documentation storage and record retention.
  • Participate in and lead technical portions of Root Cause Analysis (RCA) investigations following incidents.
  • Maintain operational continuity between shifts by coordinating maintenance activities, vendor work, and ongoing projects.
• Safety, Compliance, & Emergency Response
  • Ensure site adherence to all safety standards, regulatory requirements, and company operational policies.
  • Conduct risk assessments related to maintenance activities and project execution.
  • Stop unsafe work and escalate safety concerns as necessary.
  • Respond to emergency events including power failures, fire alarms, equipment failures, and customer-impacting incidents.
  • Coordinate with LCFTs to ensure OCC coverage and proper escalation during critical events.
  • Support preparation and execution of AMMO audits and post-audit corrective actions.
• Leadership & Team Development
  • Serve as senior technical mentor to LCFTs, CFTs, and CFMTs.
  • Support hiring, onboarding, and training of Operations personnel.
  • Develop and coordinate technical training programs including CMMS usage, controls systems, safety procedures, and operational best practices.
  • Facilitate site drills in accordance with annual training plans and operational readiness requirements.
  • Foster a culture of ownership, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
  • Promote innovation and process refinement across site operations.
• Customer & Stakeholder Engagement
  • Support the Facility Manager in customer interactions related to operational performance, audits, and technical reviews.
  • Serve as Operations point of contact for on-site projects, coordinating scope reviews, access control, scheduling, and risk mitigation.
  • Partner with Project Managers and vendors to ensure operational protection during project execution.
  • Communicate technical updates and operational risks to the Director in a timely and professional manner.
• Budget & Resource Support
  • Assist the Facility Manager in identifying operational efficiencies and cost-saving opportunities.
  • Support review of vendor proposals, scopes of work, and maintenance planning activities.
  • Ensure efficient utilization of site resources to maintain operational excellence while controlling costs.
• Project Management & Process Improvement
  • Coordinate site-level operational aspects of infrastructure projects, upgrades, and commissioning activities.
  • Support turnover readiness for new equipment and expansions.
  • Develop tracking mechanisms to ensure proper completion of CMMS items (WO, PM, INC, REP, CR, etc.).
  • Continuously evaluate operational processes to improve efficiency, documentation quality, and risk mitigation.
  • Partner with Operations SMEs to ensure site adherence to company Runbook standards and implementation of operational bulletins.

Requirements

• Education & Experience
  • Bachelor’s degree preferred (Engineering, Operations Management, or related discipline). Equivalent industry experience (10+ years in data center operations) may substitute for formal education.
  • 5+ years in data center operations or critical facilities management, including multi-site responsibility.
  • Demonstrated success in operational leadership, risk management, and technical training delivery.
  • Experience developing and executing onboarding or technical programs within infrastructure environments.
• Technical Expertise
  • Strong proficiency in critical infrastructure systems: electrical (UPS, ATS, generators), mechanical (chillers, TES), and control systems (BMS).
  • Knowledge of SOPs, EOPs, compliance auditing, and safety/regulatory standards.
  • Familiarity with operational policies, commissioning, and operational readiness procedures.
• Leadership & Communication Skills
  • Exceptional coaching, mentoring, and interpersonal communication capabilities.
  • Proven ability to lead without formal authority and drive change across distributed teams.
  • Analytical and solutions-oriented, with strong situational awareness in live operational environments.