Critical Operations Engineer

Darwin Recruitment; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Darwin Recruitment seeks a Critical Operations Engineer I to support data centers nationwide, focusing on reliable operation of electrical, mechanical, cooling, and life-safety systems. You will monitor, maintain, and troubleshoot critical facility infrastructure, working with engineers, contractors, and customers to ensure high availability.

The role involves power distribution, generators, UPS, HVAC and related systems, with opportunities for site-based placements near your location.

Qualifications

• 2–5 years of experience in data center facilities or similar engineering role.
• Hands-on with electrical and mechanical systems in mission-critical environments.
• Knowledge of generators, UPS, switchgear, PDUs, and power distribution.
• Experience with HVAC, chilled water, CRAC/CRAH units, pumps and VFDs.
• Familiarity with BMS/BAS, PLC controls, and monitoring systems.
• Experience with preventative maintenance, alarms, and incident reporting.
• Understanding of NEC, NFPA 70E/Bas, NFPA 72, NFPA 25, OSHA requirements.
• Ability to collaborate with engineers, contractors, and customers.
• High school diploma; military electrical/HVAC training welcomed.

Responsibilities

• Monitor and maintain electrical, mechanical, cooling, and fire/life safety systems.
• Respond to alarms, troubleshoot issues, and assist with upgrades.
• Support infrastructure installations and power distribution upgrades.
• Maintain documentation, safety compliance, and incident reporting.
• Support rack installations and customer infrastructure projects.
• Collaborate with teams, contractors, vendors, and customers in a high-availability environment.

Skills

Data center operations

Electrical systems

Mechanical systems

HVAC systems

Fire/life safety

Troubleshooting

Communication

Education

High school diploma

Tools

CMMS

BMS/BAS

Test equipment

PLC basics

Job description

Job title: Critical Operations Engineer I

Client Location: Various locations across the USA. Please specify your preferred location when applying.

Remote work offering: Site-based at a data center facility, with opportunities matched to your preferred location where possible.

Client Industry: Data Centers / Mission-Critical Infrastructure

Project focus

We are looking for Critical Operations Engineers to support data center and mission-critical facilities across the United States. We are keen to speak with candidates nationwide who have hands-on experience operating, maintaining, and troubleshooting critical facility infrastructure.

You will be responsible for monitoring and maintaining electrical, mechanical, cooling, and fire/life safety systems to ensure reliable data center operations. Working alongside other engineers, contractors, vendors, and customers, you will support routine maintenance, respond to alarms, troubleshoot issues, and assist with infrastructure installations and upgrades.

The role will involve supporting critical power distribution, generators, UPS systems, HVAC, chilled water systems, building management systems, and other essential infrastructure. You will also contribute to maintenance planning, operational documentation, safety compliance, and continuous improvement within a high-availability environment.

Key skills and Experience required

• 2 to 5 years of experience within the data center industry, ideally in critical facilities operations or a similar engineering role.
• Hands-on experience working with large commercial, industrial, data center, or other mission-critical electrical and mechanical systems.
• Working knowledge of critical electrical infrastructure, including generators, switchgear, UPS, STS, ATS, PDUs, transformers, and power distribution systems.
• Experience operating or maintaining mechanical and cooling systems, including HVAC, chilled water, CRAC/CRAH units, pumps, VFDs, cooling towers, and heat exchangers.
• Understanding of building management systems (BMS/BAS), PLC controls, and integrated facility monitoring systems.
• Experience carrying out facility inspections, preventative maintenance, troubleshooting, and responding to alarms or abnormal operating conditions.
• Knowledge of fire protection and life safety systems, including sprinkler systems and pre-action systems.
• Ability to support customer infrastructure projects, including rack installations, power additions, cabling, and associated data center infrastructure work.
• Familiarity with maintenance management systems (CMMS), work orders, service tickets, operational documentation, and incident reporting.
• Understanding of relevant electrical safety standards and regulations, including NEC, NFPA 70E, NFPA 72, NFPA 25, OSHA, and applicable fire/life safety requirements.
• Comfortable using hand tools, electrical test equipment, and standard computer applications.
• Strong troubleshooting, problem-solving, and communication skills, with the ability to work collaboratively with engineering teams, contractors, vendors, and customers.
• A high school diploma or equivalent is required.
• Military experience with electrical or HVAC training is welcomed, alongside candidates with relevant commercial or industrial engineering experience.

Location and employment options

We are supporting data center and mission-critical facilities across the United States and welcome applications from Critical Operations Engineers based nationwide.

Where possible, candidates will be matched to opportunities close to their current or preferred location.

Both permanent and contract opportunities may be available, depending on project and facility requirements and candidate preference.

Please specify your current location, preferred work location, relevant data center experience, and preferred employment type when applying.