Principal Data Center Mechanical Engineer

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the senior technical authority for operational mechanical and cooling infrastructure across the data center fleet
• Lead site assessments, operational audits, and readiness evaluations for existing and new facilities
• Assess mechanical system performance, reliability, maintainability, and operational risk
• Drive technical readiness programs and support operational teams prior to site activation
• Review engineering designs, equipment specifications, and construction deliverables from an operational perspective
• Collaborate with design, engineering, and manufacturing teams to incorporate operational lessons learned into future deployments
• Provide subject matter expertise for: Chilled water systems, Chillers, Cooling towers, CRAH and CRAC units, Pumps and hydronic systems, Coolant Distribution Units (CDUs), Direct liquid cooling systems
• Lead operational readiness reviews and approve commissioning-to-operations handovers
• Author and approve high-risk: Methods of Procedure (MOPs), Emergency Operating Procedures (EOPs), Abnormal Operating Procedures (AOPs)
• Lead root cause analysis investigations for cooling system failures, outages, and operational incidents
• Develop and maintain mechanical operating standards, maintenance strategies, and best practices
• Mentor site teams and improve technical readiness across the organization
• Support continuous improvement initiatives focused on cooling efficiency, reliability, and operational excellence

Our Ideal Candidate

• 10+ years of experience supporting mission-critical mechanical systems in data centers, industrial facilities, healthcare, semiconductor, or similar critical environments
• Deep expertise in cooling infrastructure and thermal management systems
• Extensive experience with: Chilled water systems, Chillers, Cooling towers, CRAH and CRAC equipment, Pumps and hydronic distribution systems, Coolant Distribution Units (CDUs), Direct liquid cooling technologies
• Proven experience authoring and executing high-risk mechanical operating procedures
• Strong background leading root cause investigations for cooling-related incidents and operational events
• Experience evaluating site operational readiness and identifying opportunities for improvement
• Able to develop technical capabilities and readiness programs for operations teams
• Strong understanding of reliability engineering, preventive maintenance, and operational risk management
• Excellent communication, leadership, and stakeholder management skills
• Able to influence design decisions through operational expertise

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting hyperscale or large colocation data center environments
• Experience operating facilities at hundreds of megawatts of capacity
• Expertise in direct liquid cooling systems and CDU operations
• Familiarity with ASHRAE TC 9.9 guidelines and best practices
• Knowledge of commissioning and operational turnover processes for mission-critical facilities
• Uptime Institute certifications or equivalent mission-critical training
• Experience supporting modular or prefabricated infrastructure deployments