Director, Commissioning & Handover

Big Watt Digital, LLC; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual Cash Bonus

Incentive Award Units

Short-term and long-term disability

Life Insurance

401(k) Plan with match

Job summary

Big Watt Digital LLC is seeking a results-driven Director of Commissioning & Handover to bridge capital construction and live facility operations in Austin, TX. You will own the full transition pipeline, drive gate reviews, and ensure assets are 100% operational and digitally linked before go-live.

You will oversee Level 1–5 commissioning for critical infrastructure, coordinate with engineers, vendors, and 24/7 ops, and push for zero-defect handovers while optimizing the digital thread and asset

Qualifications

• 15+ years leading commissioning for large-scale data centers or critical facilities.
• Deep knowledge of high-voltage electrical distribution, cooling plants, and automation systems.
• Proven ability to drive cross-functional alignment between engineering, construction, and 24/7 operations.

Responsibilities

• Lead Level 1–5 commissioning oversight across high-voltage substations, backup power, cooling, and automation.
• Establish gate reviews and ensure clean handover to live operations with zero defects.
• Ingest asset data and baselines into EAM/CMMS prior to handover to operations.

Skills

CxA leadership

Commissioning

Facilities turnover

Cross-functional leadership

Education

B.S. in Mechanical/Electrical Engineering

CxA/PMP/PE credentials preferred

Tools

BMS/EPMS

CMMS data ingestion

Job description

Big Watt Digital LLC Director, Commissioning & Handover Austin, TX·Full time Company website

We are seeking a results-driven Director of Commissioning & Handover to serve as the primary operational bridge between capital construction projects and live facility operations. Reporting directly to the VP of Critical Facilities Engineering, you will own the full transition pipeline, holding general contractors and commissioning agents accountable to ensure facilities are 100% operationally ready, fully integrated into our digital systems, and defect-free before commercial go-live.

Big Watt Digital is a mission-critical infrastructure platform developing and operating next-generation, high-density data center campuses built for the demands of AI and advanced digital workloads. Our model brings together large-scale power, digital infrastructure, development execution, and operational discipline to deliver speed, certainty, and scalability.
WHY BIG WATT DIGITAL: We are building at the intersection of energy, data centers, AI infrastructure, and large-scale development—where execution matters.

Description

WHAT YOU WILL OWN

• Commissioning Oversight & Quality Assurance: Lead operations-side oversight for Level 1 through Level 5 commissioning (Integrated System Testing) across high-voltage substations, backup power, cooling plants, and automation systems.
• Operational Readiness & Gate Reviews: Establish rigorous ‘Gate Check’ milestones that capital development teams must clear prior to handing over white space and grey space infrastructure to live operations teams.
• Digital Thread & Asset Ingestion: Ensure all newly commissioned assets, nameplate data, operating baselines, and spare parts linkages are correctly mapped and ingested into the Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) / CMMS platform prior to handoff.
• Punch-List & Defect Resolution: Manage post-commissioning punch lists and warranty enforcement, ensuring OEM vendors and contractors resolve all critical design and installation defects prior to final operational acceptance.
• Tenant Fit-Out & Handover Support: Oversee technical handover protocols for tenant white space, ensuring all physical/logical demarcation handoffs and customer delivery specifications are met flawlessly.

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

• First 90 days: Standardize Level 1–5 Cx gate check governance protocols and integrate commissioning checklists with the enterprise EAM platform.
• First 6 months: Successfully execute handover of current expansion phases at Appaloosa and Mustang campuses with zero zero-day operational defects.
• First 12 months: Reduce average commissioning-to-operations handover timeline by 20% while achieving 100% digital asset ingestion accuracy prior to go-live.

WHAT YOU BRING

• 15+ years leading commissioning (CxA), mission-critical construction handovers, or technical facilities turn-overs for large-scale data centers or heavy industrial facilities.
• Deep engineering fluency across high-voltage electrical distribution, chilled water/hydronic systems, BMS/EPMS controls, and fire life safety systems.
• Exceptional leadership in managing cross-functional alignment between engineering, construction, vendor OEMs, and 24/7 operations teams.

EDUCATION & CREDENTIALS

B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Building Services, or equivalent experience. CxA (Commissioning Authority), PMP, or PE credentials highly preferred.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

In addition to a competitive salary, Big Watt Digital offers:

• Annual Cash Bonus
• Incentive Award Units
• Short-term and long-term disability
• Life Insurance
• 401(k) Plan with match

HOW WE WORK

BUILD Create durable systems, not temporary fixes. | EXECUTE Move with urgency and accountability. | PARTNER Work across disciplines and stakeholders. | SCALE Design for the next campus, not just today.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

Big Watt Digital is committed to building a high-performing team and providing equal employment opportunities consistent with applicable law. Employment decisions are based on business needs, role requirements, qualifications, and merit.