Sr. Water Quality Engineer

About the role

The Senior Water Quality Engineer plays a crucial role in ensuring the reliability, efficiency, and sustainability of water quality programs for data center infrastructure. This position focuses on optimizing water quality and treatment for cooling systems, chilled water plants, cooling towers, reclaimed water systems, and other mechanical infrastructure.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and implementation of water quality strategies for hyperscale and enterprise data center campuses.
• Establish engineering standards for cooling water chemistry, treatment programs, and system performance.
• Support the design, commissioning, operation, and maintenance of cooling towers, chilled water systems, heat rejection equipment, and associated water infrastructure.
• Evaluate municipal, reclaimed, groundwater, and alternative water sources for data center cooling applications.
• Develop water balance models and optimize facility Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE).
• Collaborate with engineering and sustainability teams to integrate water-efficient cooling solutions into data center designs.
• Analyze water chemistry, corrosion, scaling, microbiological activity, and treatment performance to ensure long-term equipment reliability.
• Develop water management plans that comply with applicable regulations and industry standards, including Legionella risk management.
• Review water treatment vendor performance and recommend improvements to chemical treatment programs.
• Support commissioning activities, startup procedures, and operational readiness for new facilities.
• Investigate water quality incidents, equipment failures, and operational issues, performing root cause analyses and implementing corrective actions.
• Evaluate innovative cooling technologies, including liquid cooling, closed-loop systems, reclaimed water reuse, and alternative cooling strategies.
• Mentor junior engineers and provide technical leadership across multidisciplinary project teams.
• Support global infrastructure expansion by providing subject matter expertise on water quality and water stewardship initiatives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's of Science degree in Chemical, Mechanical, or Environmental Engineering, OR equivalent professional experience in lieu of degree.
• Minimum of seven years of experience in industrial water treatment, water quality engineering, cooling water systems, or mission-critical infrastructure.
• Strong knowledge of cooling water chemistry, corrosion control, scaling prevention, microbiological control, and chemical treatment programs.
• Experience with cooling towers, chilled water plants, condenser water systems, and industrial water treatment.
• Experience managing complex engineering projects across multiple stakeholders.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret water quality data and operational trends.
• Excellent communication, technical writing, and presentation skills.
• Ability to travel (up to 50%) to other Data Center locations as required.