Principal Operations Engineer, Electrical – Data Center Operations

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in United States.

📋 Description

• Act as the primary operational technical authority for electrical infrastructure throughout the fleet, encompassing utility feeds, substations, transformers, MV/HV switchgear, generators, ATS/STS, UPS, battery systems, PDUs, RPPs, and busway distribution.

• Direct technical and operational site audits at both active and pre-activation locations; generate operational health assessments with prioritized findings and take ownership of the remediation roadmap until closure with site leadership.

• Manage electrical operational readiness for new sites being brought online — evaluate team capabilities, validate procedures, and personally approve the operational handover from commissioning to steady-state operations.

• Examine operational designs for new constructions and capacity enhancements; represent the operational perspective in design discussions and ensure that concerns regarding operability, maintainability, and reliability are identified and addressed before implementation.

• Provide structured operational insights back to the design and manufacturing teams as we transition towards repeatable, productized data center constructions; reinforce effective patterns and eliminate those that have not proven successful in operations.

• Create and authorize high-risk MOPs, EOPs, and AOPs; act as the final technical approver for high-consequence electrical tasks across the fleet.

• Lead root cause investigations for significant electrical incidents; ensure corrective actions are completed and that lessons learned are communicated across all sites.

• Contribute to and maintain the electrical safety program in collaboration with EHS, with explicit accountability for NFPA 70E compliance, LOTO, and arc flash discipline across operations and contracted labor.

• Collaborate with QA/QC during construction to provide an operational perspective on workmanship, installation quality, and pre-energization preparedness.

• Develop and deliver technical training for Field Engineers and operational teams; take responsibility for the technical curriculum related to electrical content within the campus rotation and training model.

• Mentor Field Engineers and emerging operational leaders; serve as the senior technical authority in operational reviews, incident analyses, and design evaluations.

⛳️ Requirements

• A minimum of 10 years of hands-on experience with mission-critical electrical systems, including at least 5 years serving as the senior technical authority on a site, campus, or fleet.

• Data center operations experience is highly preferred; experience in hyperscale, large colocation, utility, or industrial mission-critical environments will also be considered.

• Extensive practical knowledge of MV/HV power distribution, generation, UPS and battery systems, protection and controls, and low-voltage distribution — acquired through field experience rather than theoretical learning.

• Proven ability to author, approve, and execute high-risk MOPs and EOPs in live critical environments.

• A demonstrated history of leading root cause analysis for significant electrical incidents and driving corrective measures to completion.

• A successful record of holding OEMs, service vendors, and contractors accountable — adept at enforcing standards while maintaining positive relationships.

• Strong written communication skills: operational health assessments, root cause analyses, procedure evaluations, and design feedback come naturally.

• Comfort in operating as the senior technical authority across operations, design, construction, hardware, and EHS.

• Willingness to travel extensively across the fleet.

🏝️ Benefits

• Competitive total compensation package (salary + equity).

• Retirement or pension plan, consistent with local norms.

• Health, dental, and vision insurance.

• Generous PTO policy, in line with local standards.