Job descriptionJob Type: Full-Time l
Location: Childress, TX l
Department: Operations l
Reporting to: HPC Mechanical Manager | Work Location Type: #onsite
As a Mechanical Lead you will lead the team responsible for operating and maintaining the Central Utility Plant (CUP) and critical cooling infrastructure serving both liquid-cooled and air-cooled data halls. You will monitor and improve plant and building automation systems, complete operating rounds, manage response to alarms, and coordinate with senior engineers and vendors to protect uptime, safety, and efficiency.
Job requirements - Valid 3rd Class Power Engineering License (or ability to obtain/maintain per site/authority requirements)
- 5+ years operating and maintaining industrial or mission-critical utility systems (data centers, central utility plants, hospitals, heavy industrial, or oil & gas)
- Strong CUP fundamentals: chillers, condenser water systems, hydronic/glycol loops, pumps, heat exchangers, VFDs, and mechanical refrigeration
- Experience with HPC liquid cooling (CDUs, manifolds, filtration, leak detection, pressure/flow control)
- Proficient with BMS/SCADA/PLC systems; ability to interpret alarms and make safe setpoint changes within approved procedures
- Ability to read one-lines, MEP drawings, and P&IDs; strong documentation and shift turnover communication
- Strong troubleshooting skills across rotating equipment, hydronic systems, and mechanical refrigeration
- Must lift 50 lbs., climb ladders, and work in varied environments; on-call rotation required
Preferred Qualifications- EPA 608 Universal (or ability to obtain); OSHA 10/30; NFPA 70E or equivalent electrical safety training
- Cooling tower and closed-loop water treatment knowledge or certification
- CMMS proficiency: work order creation, PM tracking, outage coordination, and closeout documentation
- Experience with hydronic balancing and data center thermal operations
- Background in hyperscale data center, heavy industrial, or oil & gas processing environments
- Licensed/certified stationary or operating engineer credential (high-pressure steam/utility plant) or reciprocal equivalent required
Job responsibilities - Optimize, monitor, and oversee the Central Utility Plant (CUP) and site cooling systems in a 24/7 mission-critical environment.
- Perform site rounds; record readings, trends, and equipment status for chillers, pumps, cooling towers/dry coolers, heat exchangers, expansion tanks, strainers/filters, and hydronic distribution.
- Analyze system performance data and develop operational optimization strategies for chilled water systems, liquid cooling infrastructure, and energy efficiency initiatives.
- Recommend capital improvements and operational investments based on reliability, maintainability, and energy performance analysis.
- Support liquid-cooled HPC infrastructure (e.g., CDUs, manifolds, pumps, filtration, leak detection) and coordinate thermal alignment with IT load requirements.
- Support air-cooled data hall infrastructure (e.g., CRAH/CRAC units or AHUs/MAUs as applicable), humidity control, and temperature compliance.
- Respond to alarms and abnormal conditions; troubleshoot root cause and execute corrective actions to prevent downtime or thermal excursions.
- Collaborate with engineering, construction, IT, and executive leadership teams regarding capacity planning, infrastructure upgrades, expansion projects, and operational risk mitigation.
- Exercise independent judgment in adjusting plant operating strategies, equipment sequencing, and thermal optimization methodologies to support changing HPC load requirements while maintaining system reliability and efficiency targets.
- Execute and improve preventative maintenance (PM) programs; coordinate contractors and verify work quality, documentation, and safe return-to-service.
- Operate and monitor water treatment/chemistry programs (as applicable) for condenser water, glycol/hydronic loops, and liquid-cooling loops; coordinate sampling and corrective actions.
- Use and train on BMS/SCADA/PLC systems to monitor equipment, trend performance, and adjust setpoints within approved operating envelopes.
- Review and ensure maintenance of accurate operating logs, work orders, incident reports, and shift turnover notes; participate in RCA and continuous improvement efforts (reliability, energy, water).
- Follow all safety requirements including LOTO, arc-flash awareness, confined space (if applicable), chemical handling, and safe work practices around rotating equipment and pressurized systems.
Operating Discipline, Safety & Collaboration
- Support on-shift operations by prioritizing assigned work, communicating status, and escalating issues promptly to the shift lead/senior engineer.
- Maintain high-quality shift logs and turnover notes; document readings, alarms, corrective actions, and open items clearly.
- Executes and manages alarm response and plant upset recovery steps per approved procedures (SOP/MOP/EOP) and under direction as required; communicate risks and status to stakeholders.
- Own all safety requirements including Permit-to-Work and LOTO; stop work and escalate when unsafe conditions exist; investigations and corrective actions.
- Support regulatory and code compliance relevant to plant operations (e.g., pressure systems, chemical handling, refrigerants where applicable) and maintain readiness for inspections.
- Participate in procedure improvement by providing feedback and lessons learned after maintenance and events.
- Coordinate with vendors/contractors during planned maintenance by supporting site access, safety requirements, and quality checks as directed.
- Contribute to reliability and continuous improvement efforts by identifying recurring issues, supporting RCAs, and sharing observations from trends and rounds.
- Maintain required training and competency; support onboarding and drills as assigned.
Job benefits At IREN, we offer a comprehensive, market-competitive total rewards package designed to support employees' well-being, career advancement, and financial wealth. Our offerings reflect our commitment to Proceed with Purpose while rewarding high performance and long-term growth.
C ompensation
- Actual compensation will be determined based on factors such as experience, qualifications.
Health & Wellness
- 100% company paid health insurance premiums (medical, dental, and vision) for employees, 75% company paid coverage for dependents
- Company-paid short-term and long-term disability insurance
- Voluntary life, critical illness, and accident coverage available
- Health Savings Accounts (HSA) - when combined with the High-Deductible Health Plan
- Employee Assistance Program and wellness resources
Retirement & Financial Wealth
- 401(k) retirement plan with company match
- Paid professional development and access to financial planning and legal services
Time Off & Leave Programs
- Paid Time Off (PTO) and paid holidays
Growth & Development
- Professional development to support certifications, continuing education, or role related training
Community & Culture
- Company events and team-building activities
We value diverse perspectives and believe that skills can be developed. If you're passionate about this role, we want to hear from you - whether you meet every criteria or not. Your unique experiences might be exactly what we need!
