Director of Data Center Mechanical Engineering

Skills

About the Role

You will define, own, and continuously improve mechanical engineering standards for data center development projects. You will lead technical reviews from site feasibility through commissioning, establish cooling and mechanical plant design criteria, and standardize systems across the portfolio. You will build and mentor an internal engineering team, manage external consultants and vendors, support procurement decisions, and present design strategies and investment recommendations to leadership. You will also evaluate emerging cooling technologies for high-density AI, machine learning, and high-performance computing workloads.

Requirements

• 12+ years of progressive mechanical engineering experience.
• Experience leading mechanical design on hyperscale, colocation, or enterprise data center projects; 50MW+ preferred.
• Experience as a technical owner or discipline lead on large capital projects.
• Experience managing or mentoring engineering staff and external consultants.
• Deep knowledge of data center cooling architectures, including air-side and water-side economization, chilled water, DX, evaporative cooling, and hybrid approaches.
• Proficiency with mechanical system modeling and simulation tools, such as CFD, EnergyPlus, or Trane TRACE.
• Knowledge of ASHRAE Standards 55, 90.1, and TC9.9, plus relevant TIA/EIA and Uptime Institute standards.
• Familiarity with high-density and liquid-cooled AI, ML, and HPC deployments.
• Experience with mechanical commissioning and integrated systems testing protocols.
• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field.
• Professional Engineer license preferred.
• Professional certifications such as CDCDP, PMP, ATD, LEED AP, or DCEP are an asset.

Responsibilities

• Develop and own mechanical engineering design standards, specifications, and basis-of-design documentation for new data center development.
• Establish and enforce engineering criteria for chilled water plants, technology cooling systems, DX and CRAC systems, air handling, and containment strategies.
• Lead the evaluation, selection, and standardization of mechanical systems and equipment.
• Improve PUE performance targets through mechanical design strategies.
• Define KPIs and portfolio analytics for executive leadership and the Board.
• Align construction, finance, engineering, procurement, and operations functions.
• Provide mechanical engineering leadership and technical review from site feasibility through commissioning.
• Review and approve mechanical design packages from external engineers of record.
• Lead value engineering for mechanical systems.
• Support RFP development, bid evaluation, and contractor and vendor selection.
• Build, mentor, and lead an internal mechanical engineering team.
• Manage relationships with engineering consultants, equipment manufacturers, and specialty subcontractors.
• Collaborate with operations teams to optimize designs for maintainability and operator efficiency.
• Present mechanical design strategies and investment recommendations to executive leadership and investment committees.
• Evaluate and pilot emerging cooling technologies for high-density AI and HPC workloads.
• Benchmark designs against industry best practices and competitive peers.
• Participate in industry organizations and contribute to thought leadership.

Benefits

• Bonus opportunities
• Equity opportunities
• Comprehensive health and wellness benefits
• Retirement savings with company contribution
• Employee referral program
• Friday remote work