Mechanical Lead

IREN; Childress (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) match

Paid time off

Job summary

IREN is seeking a Mechanical Lead in Childress, TX to lead CUP operations and critical cooling infrastructure in a 24/7 data center setting. You will monitor plant performance, coordinate with engineers and vendors, and drive reliability and energy efficiency across liquid and air-cooled systems.

The role requires a 3rd Class Power Engineering License, 5+ years of utility systems experience, and strong BMS/SCADA/PLC skills. On-site, with on-call rotation and a comprehensive rewards package.

Qualifications

• Valid 3rd Class Power Engineering License (or ability to obtain/maintain per site/authority requirements)
• 5+ years operating and maintaining industrial or mission-critical utility systems
• Strong CUP fundamentals: chillers, condenser water, hydronic loops, pumps, heat exchangers, VFDs, refrigeration
• HPC liquid cooling experience: CDUs, manifolds, filtration, leak detection, pressure/flow control
• BMS/SCADA/PLC proficiency; interpret alarms and adjust setpoints safely
• Read one-lines, MEP drawings, and P&IDs; documentation and turnover communication
• Troubleshooting rotating equipment, hydronic systems, and mechanical refrigeration
• Physical ability; lift 50 lbs, climb ladders, on-call

Responsibilities

• Optimize, monitor, and oversee the Central Utility Plant (CUP) and site cooling systems in a 24/7 mission-critical environment.
• Perform site rounds; record readings and equipment status for chillers, pumps, and hydronic distribution.
• Analyze performance data and develop optimization strategies for chilled water and liquid cooling.
• Recommend capital improvements based on reliability and energy performance.
• Support liquid-cooled HPC infrastructure and coordinate with IT load.
• Support air-cooled data halls, humidity control, and temperature compliance.
• Respond to alarms, troubleshoot root causes, and prevent downtime.
• Collaborate across teams on capacity planning and upgrades.
• Adjust operating strategies to meet HPC load while maintaining reliability and efficiency.
• Execute and improve PM programs; coordinate contractors and ensure safe return to service.
• Operate water treatment programs for condenser water and glycol loops; coordinate sampling.
• Use BMS/SCADA/PLC to monitor and adjust setpoints.
• Maintain logs, work orders, incident reports; participate in RCA and continuous improvement.
• Follow safety requirements including LOTO and chemical handling.
• Support on-shift operations and communication.
• Maintain shift logs and turnover notes.
• Follow SOP/MOP/EOP for alarms and recovery.
• Own safety requirements and stop-work when unsafe.
• Support regulatory compliance and inspections.
• Contribute to procedure improvements.
• Coordinate with vendors for planned maintenance.
• Support RCAs and reliability improvements.
• Maintain training and onboarding support.

Skills

Chillers

Condenser water

Hydronic loops

Pumps

VFDs

Mechanical refrigeration

BMS/SCADA/PLC

Alarms interpretation

MEP drawings

P&IDs

Documentation

Shift turnover

Rotating equipment

Physical ability

Tools

CDUs

Manifolds

Filtration

Leak detection

Pressure control

Flow control

CMMS

Job description

Job Type: Full-Time l Location:Childress, TX l Department: Operations l Reporting to:HPC Mechanical Manager | Work Location Type: #onsite

IREN is a vertically integrated AI Cloud provider, delivering large-scale data centers and GPU clusters for AI training and inference. IREN’s platform is underpinned by its expansive portfolio of grid-connected land and power in renewable-rich regions across North America, Europe and APAC.

With 100% renewable energy, we build, own and operate our data centers and take pride in being at the forefront of sustainable solutions for the ever-evolving applications of high-performance compute. We believe that human progress is invaluable, but it should be done in the right way – responsibly, sustainably and having a positive impact on the communities we operate in.

As a Mechanical Lead you will lead the team responsible for operating and maintaining the Central Utility Plant (CUP) and critical cooling infrastructure serving both liquid-cooled and air-cooled data halls. You will monitor and improve plant and building automation systems, complete operating rounds, manage response to alarms, and coordinate with senior engineers and vendors to protect uptime, safety, and efficiency.

We have grown substantially since 2019, from our inception in Australia to now having several facilities across North America and being listed on NASDAQ… and we are just getting started! By joining us, you will be contributing to the future of sustainable high-performance compute and the local communities we strive to have a positive impact.

Job Requirements

• Valid 3rd Class Power Engineering License (or ability to obtain/maintain per site/authority requirements)
• 5+ years operating and maintaining industrial or mission-critical utility systems (data centers, central utility plants, hospitals, heavy industrial, or oil & gas)
• Strong CUP fundamentals: chillers, condenser water systems, hydronic/glycol loops, pumps, heat exchangers, VFDs, and mechanical refrigeration
• Experience with HPC liquid cooling (CDUs, manifolds, filtration, leak detection, pressure/flow control)
• Proficient with BMS/SCADA/PLC systems; ability to interpret alarms and make safe setpoint changes within approved procedures
• Ability to read one-lines, MEP drawings, and P&IDs; strong documentation and shift turnover communication
• Strong troubleshooting skills across rotating equipment, hydronic systems, and mechanical refrigeration
• Must lift 50 lbs., climb ladders, and work in varied environments; on-call rotation required

Preferred Qualifications

• EPA 608 Universal (or ability to obtain); OSHA 10/30; NFPA 70E or equivalent electrical safety training
• Cooling tower and closed-loop water treatment knowledge or certification
• CMMS proficiency: work order creation, PM tracking, outage coordination, and closeout documentation
• Experience with hydronic balancing and data center thermal operations
• Background in hyperscale data center, heavy industrial, or oil & gas processing environments
• Licensed/certified stationary or operating engineer credential (high-pressure steam/utility plant) or reciprocal equivalent required

Job Responsibilities

• Optimize, monitor, and oversee the Central Utility Plant (CUP) and site cooling systems in a 24/7 mission-critical environment.
• Perform site rounds; record readings, trends, and equipment status for chillers, pumps, cooling towers/dry coolers, heat exchangers, expansion tanks, strainers/filters, and hydronic distribution.
• Analyze system performance data and develop operational optimization strategies for chilled water systems, liquid cooling infrastructure, and energy efficiency initiatives.
• Recommend capital improvements and operational investments based on reliability, maintainability, and energy performance analysis.
• Support liquid-cooled HPC infrastructure (e.g., CDUs, manifolds, pumps, filtration, leak detection) and coordinate thermal alignment with IT load requirements.
• Support air-cooled data hall infrastructure (e.g., CRAH/CRAC units or AHUs/MAUs as applicable), humidity control, and temperature compliance.
• Respond to alarms and abnormal conditions; troubleshoot root cause and execute corrective actions to prevent downtime or thermal excursions.
• Collaborate with engineering, construction, IT, and executive leadership teams regarding capacity planning, infrastructure upgrades, expansion projects, and operational risk mitigation.
• Exercise independent judgment in adjusting plant operating strategies, equipment sequencing, and thermal optimization methodologies to support changing HPC load requirements while maintaining system reliability and efficiency targets.
• Execute and improve preventative maintenance (PM) programs; coordinate contractors and verify work quality, documentation, and safe return-to-service.
• Operate and monitor water treatment/chemistry programs (as applicable) for condenser water, glycol/hydronic loops, and liquid-cooling loops; coordinate sampling and corrective actions.
• Use and train on BMS/SCADA/PLC systems to monitor equipment, trend performance, and adjust setpoints within approved operating envelopes.
• Review and ensure maintenance of accurate operating logs, work orders, incident reports, and shift turnover notes; participate in RCA and continuous improvement efforts (reliability, energy, water).
• Follow all safety requirements including LOTO, arc-flash awareness, confined space (if applicable), chemical handling, and safe work practices around rotating equipment and pressurized systems.

Operating Discipline, Safety & Collaboration

• Support on-shift operations by prioritizing assigned work, communicating status, and escalating issues promptly to the shift lead/senior engineer.
• Maintain high-quality shift logs and turnover notes; document readings, alarms, corrective actions, and open items clearly.
• Executives manage alarm response and plant upset recovery steps per approved procedures (SOP/MOP/EOP) and under direction as required; communicate risks and status to stakeholders.
• Own all safety requirements including Permit-to-Work and LOTO; stop work and elevate when unsafe conditions exist; investigations and corrective actions.
• Support regulatory and code compliance relevant to plant operations (e.g., pressure systems, chemical handling, refrigerants where applicable) and maintain readiness for inspections.
• Participate in procedure improvement by providing feedback and lessons learned after maintenance and events.
• Coordinate with vendors/contractors during planned maintenance by supporting site access, safety requirements, and quality checks as directed.
• Contribute to reliability and continuous improvement efforts by identifying recurring issues, supporting RCAs, and sharing observations from trends and rounds.
• Maintain required training and competency; support onboarding and drills as assigned.

Job Benefits

At IREN, we offer a comprehensive, market-competitive total rewards package designed to support employees’ well-being, career advancement, and financial wealth. Our offerings reflect our commitment to Proceed with Purpose while rewarding high performance and long-term growth. C ompensation

• Actual compensation will be determined based on factors such as experience, qualifications.

Health & Wellness

• 100% company paid health insurance premiums (medical, dental, and vision) for employees, 75% company paid coverage for dependents
• Company-paid short-term and long-term disability insurance
• Voluntary life, critical illness, and accident coverage available
• Health Savings Accounts (HSA) – when combined with the High-Deductible Health Plan
• Employee Assistance Program and wellness resources

Retirement &FinancialWealth

• 401(k) retirement plan with company match
• Paid professional development and access to financial planning and legal services

Time Off &Leave Programs

• Paid Time Off (PTO) and paid holidays

Growth & Development

• Professional development to support certifications, continuing education, or role related training

Community & Culture

• Company events and team-building activities

IE US Operations Inc., the employing entity and proud member of the IREN group is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to creating an inclusive workplace. We are committed to evaluating qualified applicants and do not discriminate against protected characteristics under applicable legislation.

IE US Operations, Inc. “IREN”participatesin E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that youare authorized towork in the United States.