Principal Operations Engineer, Controls

Role Description

We are seeking a Principal Operations Engineer, Controls to serve as the most senior technical authority for the operational building automation, EPMS, and equipment-level control systems across our hyperscale AI data center portfolio. Controls is where mechanical and electrical infrastructure becomes a coordinated system — this role exists to ensure that coordination is operated, maintained, and continuously improved at the standard the AI workloads we host demand.

You will operate as the technical arm of senior operations leadership in the field:

• Leading site assessments and operational audits.
• Driving team technical readiness ahead of site activation.
• Reviewing designs and specifications from an operational lens.
• Feeding operational learnings back into the design and manufacturing organization.
• Setting the standard for how our BMS, EPMS, and PLC environments are operated, maintained, and changed across the fleet.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of hands-on experience in building automation, industrial controls, or instrumentation.
• At least 5 years as the senior technical voice on a site, campus, or fleet.
• Data center operations experience strongly preferred; central plant, semiconductor, pharmaceutical, or other complex industrial controls experience considered.
• Deep, platform-agnostic command of modern BMS/BAS environments (e.g., Ignition, Niagara, Metasys, EcoStruxure).
• Fluency across major control system communication protocols (BACnet, Modbus, SNMP, and equivalents).
• PLC programming experience on at least one major platform (e.g., Allen-Bradley or Siemens).
• Strong working knowledge of mechanical, electrical, and fire and life safety systems.
• Demonstrated ability to author, approve, and execute high-risk controls MOPs and change records in live critical environments.
• A track record of leading root cause analysis on significant controls-driven events.
• A track record of holding integrators, OEMs, and service vendors accountable.
• Strong written communication skills.
• Comfort operating as the senior technical voice across operations, design, construction, hardware, and EHS.
• Willingness to travel extensively across the fleet.

Requirements

• Ability to operate, troubleshoot, and standardize across BMS/BAS environments.
• Experience diagnosing and directing repair of complex control system malfunctions.
• Ability to build and deliver technical training to Field Engineers and operational teams.
• Mentoring Field Engineers and rising operational leaders.

Benefits

• Competitive total compensation package (salary + equity).
• Retirement or pension plan, in line with local norms.
• Health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Generous PTO policy, in line with local norms.
• The base salary range for this position is $200,000 - $250,000 per year, depending on experience, skills, qualifications, and location.
• We are committed to pay equity and transparency.