The Chief Engineer is responsible for providing senior technical leadership and operational oversight within a mission-critical facility. This role supports the Facility Manager and Maintenace Manager by ensuring procedural integrity, technical excellence, risk mitigation, and operational continuity across all electrical, mechanical, fire/life safety, and building management systems.

The Chief Engineer serves as the primary technical authority on site, bridging shift-based operations and site-level leadership. This position strengthens change management quality, vendor execution, compliance readiness, training development, and project coordination. The ideal candidate will possess deep mission-critical infrastructure expertise, strong procedural discipline, and demonstrated leadership capability in high-availability environments.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Technical Operations & Infrastructure Oversight

· Provide senior-level technical oversight for all critical facility systems including electrical distribution, UPS, generators, HVAC, chilled water systems, fire/life safety systems, and BMS platforms.

· Review and validate Change Requests (CRs) prior to Facility Manager approval to ensure procedural accuracy, risk mitigation completeness, and safety compliance.

· Ensure all work performed on site adheres strictly to approved SOPs, MOPs, EOPs, and change management procedures.

· Conduct quality reviews of completed procedures and ensure proper documentation storage and record retention.

· Participate in and lead technical portions of Root Cause Analysis (RCA) investigations following incidents.

· Maintain operational continuity between shifts by coordinating maintenance activities, vendor work, and ongoing projects.

Safety, Compliance, & Emergency Response

· Ensure site adherence to all safety standards, regulatory requirements, and company operational policies.

· Conduct risk assessments related to maintenance activities and project execution.

· Stop unsafe work and escalate safety concerns as necessary.

· Respond to emergency events including power failures, fire alarms, equipment failures, and customer-impacting incidents.

· Coordinate with LCFTs to ensure OCC coverage and proper escalation during critical events.

· Support preparation and execution of AMMO audits and post-audit corrective actions.

Leadership & Team Development

· Serve as senior technical mentor to LCFTs, CFTs, and CFMTs.

· Support hiring, onboarding, and training of Operations personnel.

· Develop and coordinate technical training programs including CMMS usage, controls systems, safety procedures, and operational best practices.

· Facilitate site drills in accordance with annual training plans and operational readiness requirements.

· Foster a culture of ownership, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

· Promote innovation and process refinement across site operations.

Customer & Stakeholder Engagement

· Support the Facility Manager in customer interactions related to operational performance, audits, and technical reviews.

· Serve as Operations point of contact for on-site projects, coordinating scope reviews, access control, scheduling, and risk mitigation.

· Partner with Project Managers and vendors to ensure operational protection during project execution.

· Communicate technical updates and operational risks to the Director in a timely and professional manner.

Budget & Resource Support

· Assist the Facility Manager in identifying operational efficiencies and cost-saving opportunities.

· Support review of vendor proposals, scopes of work, and maintenance planning activities.

· Ensure efficient utilization of site resources to maintain operational excellence while controlling costs.

Project Management & Process Improvement

· Coordinate site-level operational aspects of infrastructure projects, upgrades, and commissioning activities.

· Support turnover readiness for new equipment and expansions.

· Develop tracking mechanisms to ensure proper completion of CMMS items (WO, PM, INC, REP, CR, etc.).

· Continuously evaluate operational processes to improve efficiency, documentation quality, and risk mitigation.

· Partner with Operations SMEs to ensure site adherence to company Runbook standards and implementation of operational bulletins.

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QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE:

Education:

· Bachelor’s degree preferred (Engineering, Operations Management, or related discipline).

· Equivalent industry experience (10+ years in data center operations) may substitute for formal education.

Experience:

· 5+ years in data center operations or critical facilities management, including multi-site responsibility.

· Demonstrated success in operational leadership, risk management, and technical training delivery.

· Experience developing and executing onboarding or technical programs within infrastructure environments.

Technical Expertise:

· Strong proficiency in critical infrastructure systems: electrical (UPS, ATS, generators), mechanical (chillers, TES), and control systems (BMS).

· Knowledge of SOPs, EOPs, compliance auditing, and safety/regulatory standards.

· Familiarity with operational policies, commissioning, and operational readiness procedures.

Leadership & Communication Skills:

· Exceptional coaching, mentoring, and interpersonal communication capabilities.

· Proven ability to lead without formal authority and drive change across distributed teams.

· Analytical and solutions-oriented, with strong situational awareness in live operational environments.