Principal Engineer Mechanical - DTC

The Principal Engineer Mechanical - DTC is Exentec's senior-most technical authority for mission-critical data center infrastructure. This role ensures world-class reliability of mechanical, electrical, controls, cooling, and environmental systems that support hyperscale, enterprise, colocation, and high-performance computing environments.
This engineer provides deep expertise across design review, capacity planning, operations optimization, failure analysis, incident response, and energy efficiency, and serves as a technical escalation point for global operations. The role also influences data center strategy, supports sales pursuits, and ensures that Exentec's TFM programs meet the highest standards of uptime, safety, and operational excellence.
Operating within a 24O7 mission-critical environment, this position demands exceptional technical depth, a high degree of urgency, and the ability to mentor teams while representing Exentec as a trusted technical authority.

* Act as the global SME for all data center facilities systems, including:
o Electrical: MV/LV distribution, UPS, battery systems, switchgear, PDUs, RPPs
o Mechanical: CRAC/CRAH, chilled water, DX, evaporative cooling, heat exchangers
o High-Density Cooling: liquid cooling, direct-to-chip cooling, rear-door heat exchangers
o Controls: BMS, EPMS, SCADA, alarm logic, redundancy schemes
o Environmental & Thermal: hot aisle/cold aisle containment, CFD analysis, air distribution
* Develop and maintain engineering standards, best practices, commissioning requirements, and reliability strategies.
* Review designs, drawings, single-lines, sequences of operation, and commissioning scripts for compliance with Exentec's requirements.
* Interface with OEMs, design firms, and industry groups to ensure Exentec remains on the cutting edge of data center technology.
* Own system-level reliability modeling for power and cooling (N, N+1, 2N, 2N+1 configurations).
* Lead root-cause analysis and incident investigations for any electrical or mechanical disruptions in data center operations.
* Perform white space capacity analysis for cooling, power, and network requirements.
* Optimize energy efficiency through airflow improvements, economizer strategies, equipment sequencing, and PUE analyses.
* Identify systemic risks and drive global corrective actions to prevent recurrence.
* Serve as Tier-3 technical escalation for global data center events
* Approve complex switching plans, MOPs, SOPs, and emergency procedures.
* Provide guidance to site teams during real-time events to protect uptime and ensure safety.
* Validate monitoring strategies, trending, and analytics used for early detection.
* Develop training programs and technical modules covering:
o Data center cooling fundamentals
o Electrical redundancy and reliability
o Controls and monitoring
o Incident management and emergency response
o White space airflow management and CFD interpretation
* Build a global knowledge database of failures, lessons learned, and BKMs.
* Mentor engineers, supervisors, and technicians; improve technical skill depth across regions.
* Develop an Exentec Management of Change (MOC) Program.
* Develop an overarching Data Center Program
* Develop Auditing program to ensure sites are compliant with service delivery expectation
* Act as the technical face of Exentec during client meetings, presentations, and audits.
* Lead technical discovery during new business pursuits; participate in solution design, proposals, and pricing.
* Conduct data center assessments and develop improvement roadmaps that deliver value through:
o Reliability optimization
o PUE reduction
o Capacity enhancements
o Cost-effective retrofit strategies
* Translate complex engineering concepts into clear, client-friendly recommendations.

* Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field.
* 12+ years of experience in mission-critical data center engineering, operations, or design.
* Deep expertise in data center infrastructure including:
o Redundant electrical architectures (UPS topologies, MV/LV, STS)
o Data center cooling technologies (air, liquid, hybrid)
o Controls, automation, and alarm management
o Airflow optimization and environmental control
* Strong capabilities in root cause analysis, failure mode identification, and reliability engineering.
* Proficient with BMS/EPMS platforms, CFD tools, trending/analytics, and reliability modeling.
* Excellent communication skills, able to influence across all levels.
* Ability to travel 30-40% global.
* Advanced degree or Professional Engineering license (PE).
* Experience supporting hyperscale or large-scale colocation data centers.
* Familiarity with Uptime Institute, ASHRAE TC 9.9, BICSI, NFPA, IEEE, and relevant global data center standards.
* Experience in digital twins, predictive maintenance tools, or automated optimization algorithms.
* Technical Mastery: Deep and broad understanding of data center MEP systems.
* Reliability Focus: Expert in redundancy strategies, uptime protection, and incident prevention.
* Strategic Thinking: Able to shape data center designs, standards, and capacity plans.
* Leadership: Guides global teams and elevates organizational capability.
* Analytical Expertise: Uses data to predict failures, optimize cooling, and improve PUE.
* Client & Sales Support: Communicates technical value and supports new business wins.

You want to be part of the Exyte team? We look forward to receiving your application!
For further questions and information, please do not hesitate to contact Clinton Crellin via E-Mail at clinton.crellin@exyte.net

Please note that we only consider applications submitted through our application portal. Applications sent via email will not be considered due to data protection regulations.