Lead Data Center Facilities Engineer

About the Role

The CFM Lead Engineer is the senior technical authority on shift responsible for overseeing the safe and reliable operation of all mission-critical mechanical and electrical systems within the data center. This role provides technical direction, handles escalations, manages shift activities, and leads incident response when system issues arise.

You will coordinate complex maintenance work, validate all procedural execution, and mentor the engineering team to ensure up time for high-density GPU and AI environments.

What You’ll Be Contributing

Critical Infrastructure Operations

• Serve as the primary technical lead on shift, overseeing all critical facility operations.
• Perform and oversee the operation of key electrical and mechanical systems, including:
• UPS, PDU, RPP, battery systems
• Generators, ATS/STS
• Chillers, cooling towers, CRAH/CRAC
• Pumps, valves, and chilled-water systems
• BMS, EPMS, SCADA, fire-life-safety systems
• Ensure safe load transitions, equipment switching, and system adjustments as required.

Technical Leadership & Escalation

• Act as the first point of escalation for alarms, system faults, and abnormal conditions.
• Provide real-time direction to engineers during troubleshooting and recovery.
• Collaborate with the Chief Engineer and Facilities Manager on technical decisions, escalations, and risk assessments.

Maintenance & Technical Execution

• Lead complex preventive, corrective, and emergency maintenance tasks.
• Review, approve, and validate MOPs, SOPs, and EOPs prior to execution.
• Ensure all maintenance activities follow critical environment standards and safety protocols.
• Coordinate and oversee contractors and vendors during major repairs or commissioning.

Incident Response & Reliability

• Serve as the incident commander for infrastructure issues until relieved by the Chief Engineer.
• Document events, coordinate root-cause analysis, and implement or recommend corrective actions.
• Monitor system health indicators and recommend reliability improvements or lifecycle replacements.

Shift Leadership & Team Support

• Oversee shift activities, task assignments, and adherence to operational priorities.
• Mentor and develop CFM engineers, providing both technical and procedural guidance.
• Ensure accurate and detailed completion of shift logs, incident notes, and turnover reports to support continuity, compliance, and operational awareness.
• Support the CFM Chief Engineers/Facilities Manager with training, audits, readiness checks, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Compliance, Safety & Documentation

• Enforce compliance with OSHA, NFPA, and internal safety standards.
• Ensure compliance with safety standards, environmental regulations, and internal audit requirements.
• Maintain detailed shift logs, equipment records, maintenance notes, and technical documentation.
• Support SOC2, ISO 27001, environmental, and regulatory audits.

What Sets You Apart (Qualifications)

Required

• 4–6+ years of hands-on experience in data centers, critical facilities, industrial plants, mechanical/electrical infrastructure or related industry experience.
• Deep technical understanding of:
• UPS systems, power distribution, switchgear, generators
• Chillers, cooling towers, CRAH/CRAC, pumps, valves
• Experience leading or overseeing complex MOPs/SOPs/EOPs in a live critical environment.
• Strong troubleshooting capability and familiarity with incident response protocols.
• Ability to read electrical one-lines, mechanical schematics, wiring diagrams, and control sequences.
• Excellent communication skills, including clear documentation and real-time guidance.
• Ability to work shift schedules and support a 24/7 critical environment.