Principal Operations Engineer, Controls-Data Center Operations

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the senior technical authority for BMS, EPMS, PLC systems, and equipment-level controls across the data center portfolio
• Review, approve, and govern all significant controls modifications through established change management processes
• Establish and enforce controls standards, architecture guidelines, and operational best practices
• Lead technical audits of controls systems, including:
  • Sequence of operations validation
  • Alarm management
  • Trend analysis
  • System integration health
  • Cybersecurity assessments
• Develop and manage remediation plans to address controls-related deficiencies through resolution
• Provide final controls approval for operational readiness and transition from commissioning to ongoing operations
• Partner with engineering, commissioning, and manufacturing teams to incorporate operational lessons learned into future designs
• Support development of repeatable and modular controls architectures for standardized data center deployments
• Author and approve high-risk:
  • Methods of Procedure (MOPs)
  • Emergency Operating Procedures (EOPs)
  • Abnormal Operating Procedures (AOPs)
• Lead root cause investigations for controls-related incidents and operational events
• Review controls sequences and ensure alignment with facility performance, reliability, and safety objectives
• Support commissioning activities and controls validation across new facility deployments
• Provide technical mentorship and guidance to controls engineers, commissioning teams, and operations personnel
• Travel extensively to project sites and operating facilities throughout the portfolio

Preferred Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in mission-critical facilities, industrial automation, data center controls, or building automation systems
• Extensive expertise with BMS, EPMS, PLC, and SCADA-based control systems
• Experience serving as the lead controls authority for large-scale data center, industrial, manufacturing, or critical infrastructure environments
• Deep understanding of control sequences, alarming strategies, trending, fault diagnostics, and system integration
• Proven experience managing change control processes for operationally critical systems
• Strong understanding of commissioning, startup, operational readiness, and turnover processes
• Experience conducting root cause analysis and implementing corrective actions for complex controls events
• Knowledge of controls cybersecurity best practices and risk mitigation strategies
• Ability to develop and enforce technical standards across multiple sites and project teams
• Strong communication, leadership, and stakeholder management skills
• Willingness and ability to travel 50–75% of the time
• Experience supporting hyperscale data centers or mission-critical facilities
• Expertise with major BMS platforms such as Schneider Electric, Siemens, Johnson Controls, Honeywell, or Tridium
• Experience with PLC platforms including Rockwell, Siemens, Beckhoff, or similar systems
• Familiarity with EPMS systems and electrical infrastructure monitoring
• Experience supporting modular construction or prefabricated infrastructure deployments
• Knowledge of industrial networking, integration protocols, and OT cybersecurity practices
• Experience developing controls standards, libraries, and repeatable deployment methodologies
• Background in commissioning automation and functional testing programs