Mechanical Engineer

VIRTUS Data Centres; Greater London; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

VIRTUS Data Centres is seeking a Mechanical Engineer to oversee the design, installation and commissioning of mechanical systems for data centre projects. The role involves ensuring safety, standards, and uptime while coordinating with project teams and stakeholders on schedule and budget.

The successful candidate will have experience with chilled water, HVAC, and building services, and will contribute to energy-efficient, reliable data centre infrastructure across the portfolio.

Qualifications

• Technical understanding of chilled water and HVAC mechanical systems.
• Proficient knowledge of fluid and thermodynamic engineering principles.
• Experience in operations, maintenance, engineering, construction and delivery of mission critical facilities.
• Ideally experience in the data centre sector or with hyperscale operators.

Responsibilities

• Develop a strong understanding of building services within the VIRTUS portfolio.
• Manage mechanical engineering aspects of data centre projects from inception to completion.
• Oversee lifecycle of mechanical systems to meet technical and operational standards.
• Assist commissioning and change management processes with risk and impact assessments.
• Support energy efficiency improvements and delivery within project timelines and budgets.

Skills

Chilled Water

HVAC

Mechanical systems

Energy efficiency

Fluid engineering

Thermodynamics

Education

City and Guilds/NVQ in Mechanical discipline

Building Services or Mechanical Engineering degree (HNC/HND/BSc)

Tools

BMS / PMS (Trend, Citect Scada)

Job description

About VIRTUS

VIRTUS Data Centres is the UK’s fastest-growing data centre provider. We own, design, build, and operate some of the most energy-efficient, flexible, and secure data centres in Europe.

In 2023, we announced our expansion into continental Europe, starting with Berlin and Milan, with plans to grow further across the region.

At VIRTUS, we aim to be a positive force in the fourth industrial revolution—delivering innovative solutions while staying firmly rooted in our core values: Clarity & Quality, Accountability, Customer Commitment, Purposeful Innovation, and Capability & Growth.

Job Summary

As our business continues to grow and expand into new demographics, we are excited to announce a fantastic opportunity for a skilled Mechanical Engineer to join our dynamic team. This new role has been created to support our ongoing development and help us meet the diverse needs of our expanding clientele.

If you're passionate about mechanical systems and eager to contribute to an innovative, fast-paced environment, we invite you to explore this exciting opportunity.

The Mechanical Engineer is a crucial role within VIRTUS Engineering, within this role you will be overseeing the design, installation, and commissioning of the mechanical solutions and life safety systems for data centre projects and customer specific requirements.

This may well require the engagement of or the support for other engineering disciplines.

The role is pivotal in ensuring all mechanical systems adhere to the necessary technical standards, safety regulations, and operational specifications, while also focusing on optimizing energy efficiency and minimizing downtime.

The Mechanical Engineer may be conducting detailed mechanical surveys to determine technical requirements for various business requisitions within the VIRTUS Demand Process and produce comprehensive Scope of Works (SOW) documentation to support the tendering process and project delivery.

The Mechanical Engineer will regularly coordinate with various stakeholders, including contractors, vendors, and internal teams, supporting seamless execution and project success within the specified timeframes and budgetary constraints.

The Mechanical Engineer will be responsible for conducting scheduled Mechanical monthly configuration audits within the data centre environment, across the entire portfolio. These audits will ensure that all system configurations are aligned with operational standards, maintaining optimal performance, and identifying any discrepancies or areas of improvement.

The role involves a thorough evaluation of mechanical equipment and systems to ensure compliance with internal specifications and industry best practices.

The Mechanical Engineer will be responsible for the review of and approval within the VIRTUS Change Management process.

The reviews will consist of assessing the risk and impact of a requirements change of state to determine the correct procedure based on industry best practice, VIRTUS Standards and Health and Safety.

This role is primarily site based. The Mechanical Engineer must work effectively in a fast-paced environment and demonstrate flexibility to meet the needs of the project and customers.

As the Mechanical Engineer, you will join a collaborative and engaging team of engineers, driving the VIRTUS standards to achieve best in class for our customers and supporting the VIRTUS brand.

The Mechanical Engineer will work closely with the Project Management, MEP (Mechanical, and Plumbing) design, and construction teams to deliver Mechanical systems that meet the operational and business requirements of our clients.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaboration: Work closely with internal teams and external stakeholders, including clients, contractors, and consultants, to deliver integrated mechanical systems for data centre projects.
• Quality Assurance: Ensure that all mechanical designs meet industry standards, building regulations, and client specifications. This includes overseeing the development and production of technical drawings, specifications, and calculations.
• Technical Expertise: Provide technical support for the design, installation, and commissioning of mechanical systems in data centres. Perform detailed mechanical calculations, simulations, and load assessments to ensure optimal design solutions.
• Project Management: Contribute to project planning, and scheduling to ensure timely delivery of mechanical projects. Identify and resolve potential design issues, providing solutions to ensure minimal disruption to the project timeline.
• Risk Management: Identify mechanical design risks, conduct risk assessments, and implement mitigation measures to ensure the safety and functionality of the systems.
• Compliance and Standards: Ensure all designs adhere to industry codes, standards, and regulations, including ASHREA standards, as well as client-specific requirements.
• Sustainability: Contribute to energy-efficient and sustainable mechanical systems, with a focus on minimizing energy consumption, reducing emissions, and supporting VIRTUS’ commitment to green initiatives.

Duties and Responsibilities

The role includes but is not limited to the following: -

• Develop a strong and comprehensive technical understanding of all building services, systems, and components within the VIRTUS Data Centres portfolio.
• Manage mechanical engineering aspects of data centre projects from inception to completion.
• Oversee the complete lifecycle of mechanical, ensuring they meet the required technical and operational standards for data centre projects and customer specifications.
• Contributing integral member of the Engineering Department, supporting the wider engineering team with business deliverables.
• Support Commissioning, ensuring Commissioning is completed to a consistent quality and standard, in line with VIRTUS Commissioning Principles.
• Support VIRTUS Senior Mechanical Engineering Discipline objectives and goals.
• Survey and report on existing mechanical installations for defects and issues which could lead to service impact.
• Support the day-to-day engineering activities within the Data Centre Clusters.
• Review the Mechanical Engineering aspects of change approval tickets within the VIRTUS change management system.
• Mechanical engineering lead during construction, installation, and operational testing of building service equipment, to aid the development of full life cycle management of the critical infrastructure.
• Support the Mechanical Engineering Department in identifying opportunities to improve site infrastructure and reduce our power usage effectiveness.
• Review and analyse Capacity of Installed infrastructure as part of the Data Centre capacity management, to the Energy manager.
• Support Campus Technical Teams in an advisory nature on Mechanical Engineering requirements.
• Perform Bi-Annual mechanical Configuration Audits across all data centre clusters.
• Advise DCO (Data Centre Operation) teams on optimising existing technical infrastructure, balancing energy effectiveness with resilience.
• Support VIRTUS in ensuring that all fire, health and safety regulations and best practices are upheld.

Qualifications

Essential

• City and Guilds, NVQ or equivalent in a Mechanical discipline
• A Building Services or Mechanical Engineering degree or higher educational qualification (HNC/HND/BSc).

Experience

Essential

• Technical understanding of Chilled Water and HVAC mechanical systems.
• Proficient knowledge of Fluid & Thermodynamic Engineering principle.
• Demonstrated experience in the operations, maintenance, engineering, construction, and delivery of mission critical facilities.
• Ability to conduct analysis of problems affecting critical operation of facilities, and propose solutions, at times with limited information
• Ideally experience within the data centre industry, with hyperscale data centre operators, lease providers or allied sectors such as Petro-Chem/Pharma/Process control – any heavy process sector or multi complexity (power/cooling) experience valid.

Desirable

• Mission Critical Environment I.e., Hospitals, Finance, Data Centres.
• ASHRAE Mechanical or Commissioning Understanding.
• BMS and PMS (Trend, Citect Scada, Schneider PMO, Schneider StructureWare).
• Control Systems (Zelio logic and PLCs).
• Electrical/Mechanical/Controls and Fire & Life Safety conceptual design.
• Generator and UPS systems.

This role comes with an on-call element, which will require the post holder to participate in an out-of-hours on-call escalation rota.

In line with VIRTUS’ Vetting Policy, the successful applicant must be willing to undergo a BS7858 screening process.

VIRTUS is an equal opportunity employer. As part of our commitment to fight for equality, we work to ensure a fair and consistent interview process. We celebrate diversity and we are committed to an inclusive work environment.

We reserve the right to close this post for applications should sufficient applications be received.

Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully

VIRTUS Data Centres does not accept unsolicited support from search firms for employment openings. CVs/resumes submitted by search firms to any VIRTUS employee without an active, written search agreement for a specified role will become the property of VIRTUS. No fees will be paid for candidates hired from agency submissions made without such an agreement. Existing agency partnerships must adhere to position-specific terms outlined in their agreements. Please refrain from calling or emailing regarding this matter.

Our talented teams design, build and operate of the world's best Data Centres.