Data Center Mechanical Operations Manager

Data Center Mechanical Operations Manager

📍 Spartanburg, SC — Relocation Available

💰 $150,000 – $280,000

Overview

We are seeking an experienced Data Center Mechanical Operations Manager to oversee all mechanical operations for a large-scale High-Performance Compute Center (HPCC) and its supporting mission-critical infrastructure.

This role provides leadership and direction to a team of mechanical SMEs and contracted operators, ensuring safe, reliable, and efficient performance of all cooling and HVAC systems. The Manager will be accountable for operational readiness, regulatory compliance, and continuous improvement across chilled water plants, CRAH/CRAC units, cooling towers, pumps, heat exchangers, leak detection systems, and other mechanical assets.

The ideal candidate brings deep technical expertise, proven operational leadership, and the ability to coordinate across electrical, controls, and IT teams in a high-availability, high-density compute environment.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Team Management

• Lead mechanical SMEs and contracted service providers

• Manage staffing plans, shifts, and escalation protocols for 24/7/365 coverage

• Promote training, cross-training, and technical development

• Build a culture of safety, accountability, and operational excellence

Mechanical Operations

• Direct daily operations for chilled water plants, CRAHs/CRACs, cooling towers, pumps, heat exchangers, and leak detection systems

• Ensure reliable environmental conditions for high-density compute loads

• Oversee preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance programs

• Maintain SOPs, schematics, runbooks, and operational documentation

Safety & Compliance

• Ensure compliance with OSHA, ASHRAE, NFPA, and related standards

• Implement LOTO, confined space, hazard communication, and EHS programs

• Conduct water treatment oversight, inspections, and system audits

Performance, Reliability & RCA

• Lead root-cause analyses for mechanical incidents and implement corrective actions

• Track KPIs for reliability, maintenance compliance, safety, and response times

• Support capacity planning, system optimization, and data-center scaling efforts

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Coordinate mechanical operations with electrical, controls, IT, and security teams

• Manage vendor and contractor relationships, ensuring SLA compliance

• Participate in retrofits, upgrades, and facility expansion projects

• Provide regular performance updates and operational reporting to leadership

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, HVAC Systems, or related discipline (or equivalent experience)

• 10 years of progressive leadership in mechanical operations, HVAC, data centers, or mission-critical facilities

• Deep technical expertise in chilled water systems, CRAH/CRAC equipment, cooling towers, pumps, and mechanical infrastructure

• Proven experience leading technical teams in 24/7 mission-critical environments

• Strong working knowledge of OSHA, NFPA, ASHRAE, and other compliance standards

• Excellent leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills