Chief / Head of Data Center Engineering

Chief / Head of Data Center Engineering

Location: Dallas, TX | Hybrid

Type: Direct Hire

• Base salary bonus

• 100% company-paid benefits

• Relocation available for non-local candidates

• Available RSU buyout program

Overview

GTN is seeking a Chief / Head of Data Center Engineering to serve as the senior technical authority for mission-critical data center infrastructure.

This role will lead the engineering strategy, technical standards, design oversight, and operational performance of large-scale data center environments supporting high-density compute workloads. The position oversees multidisciplinary engineering teams across mechanical, electrical, infrastructure, and facility systems, ensuring data centers are designed, deployed, commissioned, and operated for reliability, scalability, resiliency, and long-term performance.

The ideal candidate brings deep experience across mission-critical infrastructure, data center engineering, MEP systems, high-density environments, and technical team leadership. This is a senior leadership role requiring strong engineering judgment, cross-functional collaboration, and the ability to guide complex infrastructure decisions from design through operations.

Key Responsibilities

Engineering Leadership

• Lead and manage a multidisciplinary team of mechanical, electrical, infrastructure, and facility engineers

• Serve as the senior technical authority for data center engineering decisions

• Establish engineering standards, technical documentation, design guidelines, and infrastructure best practices

• Provide technical leadership through design reviews, system architecture decisions, engineering problem solving, and operational escalations

• Mentor engineering leaders and technical specialists across mechanical, electrical, controls, and infrastructure disciplines

• Partner with executive leadership to align engineering strategy with capacity growth, operational goals, and business priorities

Data Center Infrastructure Engineering

• Oversee the design, engineering, deployment, and technical performance of mission-critical data center infrastructure

• Ensure facilities are engineered to support high-density compute, AI/HPC workloads, and continuous operations

• Guide engineering decisions across electrical systems, power distribution, backup power, cooling infrastructure, thermal management, controls, and facility resiliency

• Drive standards for reliability, maintainability, scalability, efficiency, and operational readiness

• Evaluate infrastructure risks, system constraints, and technical tradeoffs across new and existing facilities

• Support long-term infrastructure planning, capacity expansion, modernization, and system optimization initiatives

Design, Construction & Commissioning Oversight

• Provide engineering oversight throughout design development, construction, commissioning, turnover, and operational readiness phases

• Review engineering drawings, technical specifications, equipment selections, and commissioning documentation

• Partner with project delivery teams, contractors, engineering consultants, and operations leaders to ensure technical requirements are met

• Support system validation, integrated systems testing, acceptance testing, and operational handoff activities

• Help resolve complex infrastructure issues during design, construction, startup, commissioning, and live-site operations

• Participate in root cause analysis and corrective action planning for infrastructure failures, performance issues, and operational events

Vendor, Consultant & Partner Collaboration

• Work closely with engineering consultants, OEMs, construction partners, equipment vendors, and technical service providers

• Provide technical input during vendor selection, equipment evaluation, and infrastructure solution design

• Ensure external engineering deliverables meet internal standards, operational requirements, and long-term performance expectations

• Challenge vendor assumptions, validate technical recommendations, and ensure designs are practical for live mission-critical operations

• Support commercial, procurement, and project teams with technical due diligence and engineering risk evaluation

Governance, Standards & Compliance

• Develop and maintain engineering policies, design standards, operating standards, and technical documentation frameworks

• Support quality assurance, commissioning validation, operational readiness, and lifecycle management processes

• Ensure infrastructure systems comply with safety regulations, environmental requirements, code standards, and industry best practices

• Promote disciplined engineering change management across new builds, expansions, upgrades, and live-site modifications

• Establish consistent technical review processes to improve reliability, safety, efficiency, and execution quality

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related technical discipline

• 10 years of experience in data center engineering, mission-critical infrastructure, infrastructure design, or technical operations

• Proven leadership experience managing engineering teams, technical specialists, or multidisciplinary infrastructure groups

• Strong understanding of data center mechanical and electrical systems, including power distribution, cooling, thermal management, backup power, and facility infrastructure

• Experience supporting design reviews, commissioning, operational readiness, troubleshooting, and infrastructure lifecycle management

• Ability to lead technical decision-making across complex mission-critical environments

• Strong communication skills with the ability to work effectively with executives, engineers, operations teams, vendors, consultants, and project partners

• Demonstrated ability to establish standards, improve processes, and drive engineering discipline across large-scale infrastructure environments

Preferred Experience

• Experience supporting large-scale, hyperscale, HPC, AI, or high-density compute data center environments

• Strong background with MEP infrastructure, including electrical distribution, UPS systems, generators, switchgear, chillers, CRAH/CRAC units, cooling towers, pumps, heat exchangers, and controls systems

• Familiarity with advanced cooling strategies, liquid cooling, high-density rack environments, and thermal optimization

• Experience with behind-the-meter power, on-site generation, substations, or integrated power infrastructure

• Experience leading infrastructure initiatives from early design through construction, commissioning, and operations

• Background working with engineering consultants, construction partners, OEMs, and large-scale technical vendors

• Professional Engineer license or advanced technical certifications preferred

Ideal Profile

The ideal candidate is a senior data center engineering leader who can operate as both a strategic technical authority and a hands-on infrastructure problem solver. This person understands how to lead multidisciplinary engineering teams, set technical standards, challenge design assumptions, and ensure mission-critical facilities are built and operated for reliability, scalability, and resiliency.

This role is well suited for someone with deep MEP and infrastructure experience, strong technical leadership, and the ability to guide large-scale data center engineering decisions in a fast-growing, high-performance compute environment.