Principal Operations Mechanical Engineer About the Opportunity An industry-leading developer and operator of hyperscale AI infrastructure is seeking a Principal Operations Engineer, Mechanical to provide technical leadership across its rapidly expanding global data center portfolio. This is a high-impact role responsible for setting the operational standard for mechanical and cooling systems supporting some of the world's most advanced AI compute environments. You will work across engineering, construction, commissioning, and operations, ensuring facilities are delivered with operational excellence from day one while driving continuous improvement across the fleet. The Role As the Principal Mechanical Operations Engineer, you will serve as the senior technical authority for operational mechanical infrastructure across multiple hyperscale AI data centers. You will influence the full lifecycle of facilities, from design reviews and commissioning through operational readiness and live production, ensuring critical cooling infrastructure meets the highest standards of reliability, efficiency, and maintainability. This is a strategic technical leadership position for someone who thrives in mission-critical environments and enjoys solving complex operational challenges at scale.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as the principal mechanical subject matter expert for operational infrastructure across a global hyperscale data center portfolio.
• Lead operational readiness assessments and technical audits prior to new site activation.
• Review mechanical designs, specifications, and engineering documentation from an operational perspective.
• Provide expert guidance on:
• Chilled water systems
• Chillers
• Cooling towers
• CRAH and CRAC units
• Pumps and heat exchangers
• Coolant Distribution Units (CDUs)
• Direct Liquid Cooling (DLC) technologies
• Own the mechanical commissioning-to-operations handover process.
• Develop, review, and approve high-risk Mechanical Operating Procedures (MOPs), Emergency Operating Procedures (EOPs), and Abnormal Operating Procedures (AOPs).
• Lead root cause investigations into significant mechanical or cooling-related incidents and implement corrective actions.
• Partner with engineering and design teams to integrate operational feedback into future facility designs.
• Mentor operational teams and establish mechanical best practices across multiple sites.

What We're Looking For

We are seeking an experienced mechanical operations leader with extensive experience supporting mission-critical environments. You should have proven expertise in:

• Hyperscale or enterprise data center operations
• Critical mechanical infrastructure
• Chilled water plants
• Large-scale chiller systems
• Cooling towers
• CRAH/CRAC equipment
• Pumps and mechanical distribution systems
• Coolant Distribution Units (CDUs)
• Direct Liquid Cooling (DLC)
• Mechanical commissioning and operational readiness
• High-risk maintenance planning
• MOPs, SOPs, EOPs and AOPs
• Root cause analysis and incident management
• Mechanical reliability and operational governance

Experience supporting AI, HPC, or high-density compute environments would be highly advantageous. Why Join? This is an opportunity to help shape the future of AI infrastructure within one of the fastest-growing organisations in the hyperscale data center industry. You will have the chance to:

• Influence mechanical operational standards across a rapidly expanding global portfolio.
• Work on some of the world's most advanced AI and high-performance computing facilities.
• Collaborate with leading engineering, construction, and operations teams.
• Drive innovation in next-generation cooling technologies.
• Receive a highly competitive compensation package, including bonus, long-term incentives, comprehensive benefits, and significant opportunities for career progression.