Data Center Services Mechanical Engineer Metro Lead

Socket.dev; Kansas City (MO); On-site; USD 171,000 - 247,000; Full time

Job summary

Google seeks a Data Center Mechanical Engineer to lead on-site cooling infrastructure projects for high-availability data centers. The role involves ensuring installations align with engineered specifications, performing thorough site inspections, and guiding mechanical contractors and EORs to maintain construction momentum.

As the primary on-site authority, you will bridge high-level thermal designs with field execution, driving reliability and efficiency while coordinating with

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent practical experience.
• 10 years of experience with thermal topology, including evaporative and non-evaporative cooling topologies.
• 10 years of experience with piping and fluid dynamics, including chilled water plant overviews and pumping systems.
• 10 years of experience in mechanical engineering.

Responsibilities

• Act as the definitive technical resource for mechanical contractors and Engineers of Record (EORs).
• Perform periodic site walk-throughs to verify installations align with specifications.
• Ensure evaporative and non-evaporative cooling systems meet standards and optimize site thermal performance.
• Lead the field-side RFI process to resolve conflicts and support design changes during construction.

Skills

Thermal topology

Piping & fluid dynamics

Mechanical engineering

Cross-discipline collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Job description

Minimum qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience
• 10 years of experience with thermal topology, including both evaporative cooling (e.g., cooling towers, adiabatic systems) and non-evaporative cooling (e.g., air-cooled chillers, CRAHs, dry coolers, closed-loop liquid cooling) topologies
• 10 years of experience with piping and fluid dynamics, including chilled water plant overviews, pumping systems, and hydronic balancing
• 10 years of experience in mechanical engineering

Preferred qualifications:

• General understanding of electrical systems to facilitate effective cross-discipline collaboration
• Deep understanding of pressurized systems and heavy equipment rigging safety
• Ability to work closely with mechanical contractors to ensure high-quality delivery while maintaining strict adherence to the project schedule
• Ability to diagnose mechanical integration issues in real-time
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to navigate a complex matrix organization

About the job:

Our thirst for technology is a part of everything we do. The Data Center Engineering team takes the physical design of our data centers into the future. Our lab mirrors a research and development department – cutting-edge strategies are born, tested and tested again. Along with a team of great minds, you take on complex topics like how we use power or how to run state-of-the-art, environmentally-friendly facilities. You’re a visionary who optimizes for efficiencies and never stops seeking improvements – even small changes that can make a huge impact. You generate ideas, communicate recommendations to senior-level executives and drive implementation alongside facilities technicians.

With your technical expertise, you ensure compliance with codes and standards, develop infrastructure improvements and serve as an expert in your specialty (e.g., cooling, electrical).

As a Data Center Mechanical Engineer, you will serve as the primary on-site authority, ensuring that complex cooling infrastructures—essential for high-availability environments—are installed, integrated, and optimized according to design intent.

In this role, you will act as the Lead Technical Point of Contact (POC) for all mechanical and HVAC-related engineering questions during the construction phase. You will serve as the "boots on the ground" expert responsible for bridging the gap between high-level thermal designs and physical site execution to ensure maximum system reliability and efficiency.

Behind everything our users see online is the architecture built by the Technical Infrastructure team to keep it running. From developing and maintaining our data centers to building the next generation of Google platforms, we make Google's product portfolio possible. We're proud to be our engineers' engineers and love voiding warranties by taking things apart so we can rebuild them. We keep our networks up and running, ensuring our users have the best and fastest experience possible.

Individual pay is determined by factors including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

US: $171000 - $247000 (USD) + 20% bonus target + equity + benefits

Learn more about benefits at Google.

Responsibilities:

• Act as the definitive technical resource for mechanical contractors and Engineers of Record (EORs), supporting mechanical system design and resolving ambiguities to maintain construction momentum.
• Perform periodic, rigorous site walk-throughs to verify that mechanical installations align with engineered specifications, focusing on pressure testing, weld inspection requirements, insulation integrity, and equipment placement.
• Ensure that both evaporative and non-evaporative cooling systems are installed to meet Google and project-specific standards while managing overall site thermal performance.
• Lead the field-side RFI process to resolve spatial or mechanical conflicts, providing immediate engineering solutions to avoid rework, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to resolve complex design changes during construction.