Data Center Controls Engineer

Element Critical; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PPO and HDHP Healthcare Plans

401(k) with up to 4% Employer Match

Paid Vacation, Sick, and Personal Leave

Personal Development and Learning Opportunities

Job summary

Element Critical is hiring a skilled Data Center Controls Engineer for their Facility Operations team in Austin, Texas. The ideal candidate will manage building controls, develop automation logic, and oversee compliance with engineering standards. Bachelor's degree in mechanical, electrical, or systems engineering is required, along with over 5 years of relevant experience. Benefits include healthcare, 401(k) matching, and professional development opportunities.

Qualifications

• 5+ years experience in data center or critical facility environments.
• Experience with Building Management Systems, PLC programming, and SCADA architecture.
• Ability to manage projects in a Design/Build delivery environment.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with design and operations teams to develop automation logic.
• Manage partnerships to troubleshoot complex control issues.
• Conduct audits to identify security risks and operational reliability.

Skills

Building Management Systems

PLC programming

SCADA architecture

Project management

Facility operations

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical/Electrical/Systems Engineering

Job description

Element Critical provides hybrid infrastructure solutions in an expanding portfolio of data center facilities across the country. Our mission is to meet the diverse needs of today’s business and technology leaders by delivering superior service and product offerings, cultivating trusted relationships with our customers, and motivating and enabling our employees.

OVERVIEW

Element Critical is seeking to add a Data Center Controls Engineer to the Facility Operations team. The role will be responsible for all aspects of controls, including design standards, implementation, project management, and maintaining the building electrical power management systems (EPMS), automation systems (BAS), and building management system(s) (BMS) for all Data Centers. The Engineer will develop new processes and standards while innovating in the control space to create reliable and efficient controls that serve Operations and Customers.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Collaborate with design and operations teams to develop and enforce automation logic, ensuring systems meet operational standards.
• Manage cross‑functional partnerships with internal operations and engineering teams to troubleshoot complex control loop issues, utilizing third‑party vendors and contractors.
• Assist in procurement activities, including RFPs, RFIs, vendor proposal reviews, and submittal processing.
• Attend project meetings, coordinate with project leaders, and report status to management.
• Frequent visits to data centers to troubleshoot issues and supervise third‑party vendor work to ensure compliance with scope, design, and applicable local codes.
• Create and maintain standalone operating procedures (SOPs) and documentation of existing controls infrastructure, including an instrument and control engineering library, controls equipment inventory, vendor contacts, contracts, warranties, and passwords.
• Conduct initial and periodic audits of existing implementations to identify security risks, operations risks (reliability, SLA), and excess energy or maintenance costs.
• Prepare annual controls OPEX and CAPEX budgets covering critical remediation, maintenance contracts, end‑of‑life replacements, and upgrades for energy and operating efficiency.
• Develop, document, and publish design guidelines covering architecture, hardware, vendors, operator interfaces (ISA 101), naming schemes (ISA 5.1), SOPs, monitoring, and alerting.
• Serve as SME and leader for third‑party implementations (new construction, upgrades, special projects), leading scope definition, contractor vetting, pricing review, progress meetings, RFI reviews, change orders, QA/QC, commissioning, punch lists, and closeout.
• Lead internal support and customer integrations, collaborating with Facility Ops to enable local control sandbox integration for reliability, reporting, and training.
• Operate and maintain all controls hardware and software, oversee testing and tuning of mechanical plant controls, perform break‑fix, preventive maintenance, and participate in on‑call schedule for secondary escalation.
• Perform root cause analysis or corrective action for BAS, BMS, and EPMS issues in Element Critical’s data centers and provide per‑site and global plant performance reporting.
• Specify IT and network resources required for controls applications and manage EPMS, BAS, and BMS alarm frameworks to reduce false alarms and improve incident response.
• Lead special projects assigned by management.

REQUIREMENTS & QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
• 5 + years of experience in data center or critical facility environments, focused on commissioning mechanical systems and industrial controls.
• 5 + years of experience with Building Management Systems, PLC programming, and SCADA architecture (e.g., Modbus, BACnet, industrial networking).
• Experience managing projects in a Design/Build delivery environment for mission‑critical facilities, especially cooling and mechanical automation.
• Experience coordinating with contractors and site safety teams to align commissioning activities with construction schedules and safety protocols.
• Travel expected up to approximately 40 %.

BENEFITS

• PPO and HDHP Healthcare Plans
• FSA and HSA with above‑market Employer HSA Match
• Dental and Vision Insurance
• Employer‑Paid Disability and Life Insurance
• Additional Group Insurances
• Paid Vacation, Sick, and Personal Leave
• 10 Company Paid Holidays
• 401(k) with up to 4 % Employer Match
• Personal Development and Learning Opportunities
• Employee Referral Program

As set forth in Element Critical’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.