Controls Engineer

Job Title: Controls Engineer

Location: Remote — This position requires regular coordination with corporate team members and occasional travel to headquarters, plus approximately 30% travel to data center sites across the continental U.S.

About the Organization

Colovore is the leader in liquid-cooled, high-performance colocation solutions for the deployment of Artificial Intelligence, HPC, and GPU server platforms. With facilities featuring power densities of 50 – 250 kilowatts per cabinet, we are expanding quickly and building a national footprint of modern, hyper-efficient, high-density data centers to serve F500 enterprises as well as start-ups. We recently added a large new investor, King Street, who provides significant capital and real estate development expertise to help us scale even faster. Come join our emerging company and play a critical role as we continue our rapid growth. You can be a game-changer at Colovore.

Role Overview

We are seeking a highly skilled Controls Engineer with deep experience in HVAC controls and Electric Power Monitoring Systems (EPMS) for mission-critical data center environments. The ideal candidate has expertise in PLC-based Building Management Systems (BMS), Building Automation Systems (BAS), and SCADA platforms—especially Inductive Automation’s Ignition. This role supports both new data center construction and operational optimization, driving reliability, efficiency, and systems integration across all sites.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide controls engineering support for new data center construction projects and existing operational facilities.
• Write Owner Project Requirements (OPRs) for building and control systems.
• Review, comment on, and approve third-party BMS/EPMS control system designs.
• Design and implement customer-requested upgrades and site-specific enhancements.
• Program and optimize Ignition-based SCADA systems for monitoring and control.
• Specify, tune, and troubleshoot control systems for chilled water plants, CRACs/CRAHs, and air-handling systems.
• Ensure control systems integrate effectively with electrical infrastructure and EPMS.
• Support commissioning, functional testing, and root cause analysis for control systems.
• Develop and maintain accurate sequences of operations (SOO), SOPs/EOPs, and MOPs.
• Coordinate with vendors and contractors to ensure systems are delivered on time and meet performance expectations.
• Communicate clearly with internal stakeholders, including non-technical teams.
• Follow all site-specific safety protocols and ensure compliance with codes and standards (e.g., ASHRAE, NFPA, NEC).
• Identify opportunities to improve system performance, resiliency, and energy efficiency.

Key Skills

• Building Automation Systems (BAS): Configure, program, and troubleshoot PLC-based BAS platforms (e.g., Allen-Bradley, FactoryTalk, Siemens, Schneider).
• PLC Programming: Write, debug, and modify control logic for systems using PLCs.
• SCADA Systems: Design and maintain Ignition Software-based SCADA systems for visualization, control, and alarm management.
• HVAC Controls: Tune control loops for chilled water systems, CRAC units, and air-side HVAC systems.
• Electrical Systems Integration: Interpret electrical schematics, single-line diagrams, and interface logic with generators, switchgear, and ATS.
• Network Communications: Use industrial communication protocols like Ethernet/IP, BACnet, Modbus TCP/IP, and Modbus RTU for device and system integration.
• Cybersecurity for OT: Apply security best practices for control systems, segmented networks, and remote access protection.

Required Experience

• Minimum 5 years of experience designing and implementing HVAC controls and EPMS in mission-critical or data center environments.
• Hands-on experience with PLC programming, BAS/BMS systems, and Ignition SCADA development.
• Strong working knowledge of chilled water systems, sensor and valve selection, and system commissioning.

What Success Looks Like

• Controls systems are reliable, well-integrated, and fully documented, supporting high availability and uptime.
• Designs are technically sound, code-compliant, and meet performance and energy efficiency expectations.
• Commissioning and upgrade projects are completed on time with minimal disruption.
• Strong relationships with vendors, contractors, and internal stakeholders lead to smooth collaboration and delivery.
• Continuous improvements are made to optimize systems for performance, scalability, and maintainability.