Lead Mechanical Commissioning Engineer – Data Centers
We are seeking an experienced Lead Mechanical Commissioning Engineer to support data center projects. This field-based position leads mechanical commissioning execution, coordinates with owners, contractors, controls specialists, and equipment vendors, and ensures mission-critical cooling and supporting mechanical systems meet project performance and reliability requirements.
Key Responsibilities
• Lead mechanical commissioning activities from design and submittal review through installation verification, startup, functional performance testing, integrated systems testing (IST), and turnover.
• Develop, review, and execute mechanical commissioning plans, pre-functional checklists, functional test scripts, methods of procedure, and commissioning reports.
• Provide technical leadership to mechanical commissioning engineers and technicians, assign field activities, review test results, and mentor junior team members.
• Coordinate commissioning with the owner, general contractor, mechanical trades, equipment vendors, controls integrators, electrical commissioning teams, and facility operations personnel.
• Oversee commissioning of chilled-water and condenser-water systems, chillers, cooling towers, pumps, CRAH/CRAC units, air handlers, heat exchangers, economizers, and other data center cooling equipment, as applicable.
• Review mechanical drawings, P&IDs, equipment submittals, control sequences, test procedures, TAB reports, and construction documentation.
• Coordinate equipment startup, hydronic flushing and balancing verification, controls point-to-point checks, BAS integration, and safe execution of mechanical systems testing.
• Identify and document deficiencies, track corrective actions, coordinate retesting, and maintain accurate issue logs and turnover records.
• Lead and participate in integrated systems testing (IST), including cooling system failover, equipment redundancy, loss-of-power recovery, and alarm/controls response validation.
• Provide regular updates on commissioning progress, risks, schedule constraints, and system readiness to project management and client stakeholders.
Required Qualifications
• 5+ years of hands-on mechanical commissioning, HVAC startup, or mission-critical cooling systems experience, including direct data center project experience.
• Demonstrated ability to lead mechanical commissioning field activities and coordinate multidisciplinary project stakeholders.
• Working knowledge of data center cooling architectures, HVAC equipment, hydronic systems, building automation, and commissioning sequences.
• Ability to interpret mechanical plans, P&IDs, control diagrams, equipment specifications, sequences of operation, and test reports.
• Experience executing or overseeing pre-functional, functional performance, and integrated systems testing for mechanical systems.
• Strong troubleshooting, written communication, issue resolution, documentation, and client-facing skills.
• Ability and willingness to travel and work on-site at projects across the United States.
Preferred Qualifications
• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related technical discipline preferred; equivalent relevant field experience considered.
• Experience with hyperscale, colocation, or enterprise data center commissioning programs and L1–L5 commissioning processes.
• Experience with liquid cooling, direct-to-chip cooling, water treatment, BAS/BMS controls, N+1 or 2N cooling redundancy, and critical cooling system failure scenarios.
• Relevant commissioning credentials (such as CCP, CxA, or P.E.) and HVAC/controls certifications are a plus.