Data Center Technical Operations Engineer

Uptime Recruiting • Full-time • Sterling, Virginia, United States • $30 - $35 / hour • 3m ago

Data Center Technical Operations Engineer (Facilities)

Location: Sterling, VA
Employment Type: Full-time
Schedule: [Day/Swing/Night; on-call rotation as needed]
Employer: Confidential, global data center operator

About the role

We’re seeking a Data Center Technical Operations Engineer (Facilities) to keep mission-critical infrastructure running safely and reliably. You’ll oversee day-to-day operations in a live data center, lead/coordinate technicians and vendors, and drive preventive/corrective maintenance, risk mitigation, and continuous improvement across power and cooling systems.

What you’ll do

Operations & Maintenance

Own daily facility operations for critical infrastructure: switchgear, generators, UPS/STS/PDU, power distribution, chillers, cooling towers, CRAC/CRAH units, building management systems (BMS/DCIM), and related systems.
Execute and document preventive and corrective maintenance with minimal customer impact; coordinate MOPs/SOPs/EOPs.

People & Vendor Management

Provide on-site direction to shift technicians, senior techs, subcontractors, and vendors; ensure work follows established procedures and safety rules.
Assist with recruiting, onboarding, and training of technicians; help cultivate a high-performance, safety-first culture.

Reliability, Risk & Compliance

Identify and mitigate risks; support root-cause analysis and post-incident reviews.
Maintain accurate logs, change records, and asset/inventory control; uphold compliance and audit readiness.

Capacity, Projects & Efficiency

Partner with IT/Operations leaders to coordinate projects, manage capacity, and optimize safety, reliability, performance, and energy efficiency.
Contribute to the design/build-out of new spaces and to projects that improve facility efficiency.

Monitoring, Reporting & Metrics

Establish performance benchmarks; analyze trends and produce reports on facility health, maintenance KPIs, and vendor/service performance.
Track and improve KPIs such as MTBF/MTTR, maintenance completion, and incident/action-item closure rates.

Basic qualifications

Bachelor’s degree or Technical/Military/Trade School degree with relevant experience.
0–2 years of relevant work experience in facilities, MEP, critical environment, or data center operations.
0–2 years of team lead/management exposure (informal leadership acceptable).
Strong verbal/written communication, leadership, and organization skills; high attention to detail.
Ability to prioritize in a fast-paced, complex environment and follow documented procedures.

Preferred qualifications

0–2 years specifically in data center engineering operations or critical facilities (hospital, pharma, semiconductor, financial trading, etc.).
Bachelor’s in Electrical, Mechanical, or related engineering field.
Familiarity with network room layouts and low-voltage cabling (copper/fiber) fundamentals.
Working knowledge of BMS/DCIM, change management, and incident management processes.
Experience coordinating external vendors and developing SOPs/MOPs/EOPs.
Pluses: OSHA-30, EPA 608, NFPA 70E awareness, CMMS experience, LEAN/6σ basics, CFA/CFD awareness for airflow.

Work environment & physical requirements

Ability to walk/stand for extended periods; safely lift up to 50 lbs with/without accommodation.
Comfortable working around mechanical/electrical equipment, ladders, and in hot/cold aisle conditions.
Willingness to participate in on-call coverage and occasional off-hours maintenance windows.

Why join

Direct impact on the reliability of mission-critical infrastructure.
Career growth across facilities engineering, reliability, and operations leadership.
Collaborative culture with strong emphasis on safety, documentation, and continuous improvement.

Job Types: Full-time, Contract

Pay: $30.00 - $35.00 per hour

Expected hours: 40 per week

Benefits: