Principal Data Center Forensic Engineer

Switch; United States; Remote; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote opportunities

Generous benefits package

Job summary

Switch seeks a Principal Data Center Forensic Engineer to lead high-severity investigations into mission‑critical infrastructure incidents. You will drive evidence-based root cause analyses across electrical, mechanical, cooling and controls, and develop durable corrective actions fleet-wide.

You’ll collaborate with Operations, Controls, Engineering, Reliability and OEM partners, mentor engineers, and help establish forensic standards while ensuring systemic risk is eliminated.

Qualifications

• Forensic engineering authority for mission-critical infrastructure events.
• Experience leading high-severity investigations across electrical, mechanical, cooling, and controls systems.
• Strong root cause analysis and systemic risk reduction.
• Ability to communicate complex findings to executives and technical leaders.

Responsibilities

• Lead forensic investigations into major incidents across data center regions.
• Reconstruct event timelines using evidence, telemetry, logs and trip data.
• Produce evidence-based reports for leadership.
• Identify recurring patterns and define systemic risk statements.
• Drive containment and corrective actions fleet-wide.
• Apply structured root cause methodologies to determine failure mechanisms.
• Conduct on-site inspections and condition assessments when required.
• Validate findings against design intent and operating constraints.
• Establish and maintain forensic investigation standards and templates.
• Collaborate with Operations, Controls, Engineering, Reliability and OEM partners to implement actions.
• Mentor engineers and strengthen investigative capability.

Skills

Forensic engineering

Root cause analysis

Data center systems

Telemetry interpretation

Structured investigations

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical/Mechanical/Controls Engineering

Tools

OEM collaboration

Job description

At Switch, we don’t just design, build and operate data centers—we are enabling the technology of the future. Led by Founder & CEO, Rob Roy, we believe in revolutionary innovation, operational excellence and the principle of karma. Switch is where talented people come together to EVOLVE the digital world.

We believe that innovation isn’t just about technology—it’s about the people, culture, and purpose that make it happen. Every Switch team member contributes to a mission greater than themselves: to create the world’s most advanced digital infrastructure that powers the progress of humanity.

The Role: Principal Data Center Forensic Engineer

This role serves as Switch’s technical authority for forensic investigation of mission-critical infrastructure events. You lead high-severity investigations across electrical, mechanical, cooling, and controls systems, determine true root causes, and ensure systemic risks are permanently eliminated across the fleet. The role operates at enterprise scope and influences standards, containment strategy, and long-term reliability improvements without direct people management responsibility.

What You’ll Do

Lead forensic investigations into major incidents, equipment failures, and operational anomalies across all data center regions.

Reconstruct event timelines and failure sequences using physical evidence, telemetry, protection trip data, logs, and sequence-of-events records.

Produce clear, evidence-based forensic reports for executive and technical leadership.

Identify recurring patterns across sites, equipment classes, vendors, or configurations and define systemic risk statements.

Drive containment and corrective actions to ensure systemic issues are permanently resolved fleet-wide.

Apply structured root cause methodologies to determine underlying failure mechanisms.

Conduct on-site inspections, component evaluations, and condition assessments when required.

Validate findings against system design intent, operating constraints, and expected behavior.

Establish and maintain forensic investigation standards, templates, and documentation frameworks.

Partner with Operations, Controls, Engineering, Reliability, and OEM partners to implement durable corrective actions.

Mentor engineers and strengthen investigative capability across the organization.

What We’re Looking For

Enterprise-level authority in forensic engineering and mission-critical failure analysis.

Ability to remain objective and disciplined during high-visibility investigations.

Strong systems thinking across electrical, mechanical, and controls domains.

Clear, direct communication of complex technical findings.

Commitment to eliminating systemic risk, not just resolving isolated events.

What You’ll Bring

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Mechanical, or Controls Engineering required.

12 or more years of experience in hyperscale or mission-critical environments.

Deep expertise in electrical and mechanical system behavior, protection schemes, and failure mechanisms.

Mastery of structured root cause analysis and forensic investigation techniques.

Strong ability to interpret large operational datasets and telemetry.

Experience investigating multi-site or fleet-wide incidents preferred.

Experience working with OEM engineering teams or third-party forensic specialists preferred.

Why Switch?

A Culture of Karma – We are self-motivated by karma, ensuring our actions contribute to a positive, supportive and forward-thinking environment.

Industry Leading Designs – Work with the most advanced data center technology on the planet and be a part of emerging technology development.

Flexibility & Remote Opportunities – Whether in-office, hybrid, or fully remote, we offer the technology and support to keep teams connected and productive.

Career Stability & Growth – In this expanding industry, we invest in our people, providing opportunities & advancement in a stable, growing company.

Generous Benefits Package - Switch provides medical plan options of comprehensive coverage for you and your family that can be tailored to fit your personal needs, and more!

Join Us & Make a Difference

This is more than a job—it’s a mission. If you’re ready to lead rigorous investigations that protect uptime and eliminate systemic risk across mission-critical infrastructure, we want to hear from you.

*Remote applicants must reside in one of our registered states: AL, AZ, CA, CO, GA, IL, LA, MA, MI, MO, NC, NV, NY, OR, TX, UT, VA, WA.