Senior Staff Data Center Engineer, Data Center Technology and Systems

Google; Reston (VA); On-site; USD 214,000 - 299,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

Disability insurance

Retirement benefits: 401(k) with match

Paid time off: 20 days/year

Job summary

Google is seeking a Senior Staff Data Center Engineer and Technical Lead to guide the physical, electrical, and thermal architecture of its global hyperscale data halls. You will bridge hardware systems engineering with facility infrastructure and construction execution to deliver scalable, factory-assembled solutions.

You will lead standards, drive modular design, and influence across teams to accelerate capacity delivery while maintaining strict compliance with codes and safety policies.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related field.
• 12 years of experience in mission critical facility design and construction environments.
• 12 years designing or engineering server hall layouts, structural boundaries, or containment systems.
• 12 years of experience with HVAC, liquid cooling, and containment systems.
• People management experience with technical leadership.

Responsibilities

• Define multi-year engineering strategy, goals, and architectural standards for Google's data center fleet.
• Architect physical infrastructure for hyperscale data halls optimized for AI/ML clusters.
• Maintain global Basis of Design documents and data hall building blocks for rapid deployment.
• Drive factory-based assembly and modular design to minimize on-site construction timelines.
• Act as technical bridge between teams, OEMs, and industry consortia to align capabilities.

Skills

Mechanical Eng

Systems Eng

Technical leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field

Job description

The application window will be open until at least August 04, 2026. This opportunity will remain online based on business needs which may be before or after the specified date.

In accordance with Washington state law, we are highlighting our comprehensive benefits package, which is available to all eligible US based employees. Benefits for this role include:

• Health, dental, vision, life, disability insurance
• Retirement Benefits: 401(k) with company match
• Paid Time Off: 20 days of vacation per year, accruing at a rate of 6.15 hours per pay period for the first five years of employment
• Sick Time: 40 hours per year (increased to 69 hours per year for Seattle) including 5 discretionary sick days per instance
• Maternity Leave (Short-Term Disability + Baby Bonding): 28-30 weeks
• Baby Bonding Leave: 18 weeks
• Holidays: 13 paid days per year

Note: By applying to this position you will have an opportunity to share your preferred working location from the following: Sunnyvale, CA, USA; Austin, TX, USA; Boulder, CO, USA; Kirkland, WA, USA; New York, NY, USA; Reston, VA, USA; Seattle, WA, USA.

Minimum qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 12 years of experience in mission critical facility design and construction environments.
• 12 years of experience designing or engineering server hall layout frameworks, structural boundaries, or row-level or aisle-level containment systems (e.g., hot or cold aisle containment).
• 12 years of experience working with HVAC, liquid cooling (direct-to-chip, immersion), and hot/cold aisle containment systems.
• People management experience with emphasis on technical leadership.

Preferred qualifications

• Master’s degree or PhD in Engineering, or a registered Professional Engineer (PE) license.
• 12 years of engineering experience, with a track record of deploying hyperscale data center infrastructure, skidded solutions, or standardized equipment enclosures globally.
• Experience optimizing designs to balance cost, transportation dimensions, weight, and deployment speed against intense environmental constraints.
• Deep expertise in the specific physical infrastructure demands of modern AI/ML clusters, including liquid cooling loops (CDUs), high-density busways, control systems, process workflows, construction techniques.
• Ability to build consensus, establish a shared technical goal, and influence executive cross-functional executives and external fabrication vendors without direct authority.

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 are 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).

Google’s custom-designed machines and data centers constitute one of the largest, most efficient, and most powerful computing infrastructures in the world. As a Senior Staff Data Center Engineer and Technical Lead (TL) for the Data Hall Design team, you will be the primary technical authority steering the physical, electrical, and thermal architecture of our global fleet of hyperscale data halls. You will bridge the gap between hardware systems engineering, facility infrastructure (power and cooling), and construction execution that safeguards Google’s global fleet. You will lead the team responsible for productization, standardization, and modularization of data center building shells, server halls, and the associated critical yard enclosures. In this leadership role, you will partner with cross-functional engineering, architecture, supply chain, and deployment teams to deliver scalable, factory-assembled solutions that drastically reduce field labor and accelerate capacity delivery worldwide.

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 are 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: $214,000 - $299,000 (USD) + 25% bonus target + equity + benefits

Responsibilities

Learn more about benefits at Google.

• Define multi-year engineering strategy, technical goal, and architectural standards for Google’s global data center fleet as the Technical Lead and ultimate authority.
• Architect physical infrastructure, layouts, and frameworks for hyperscale data hall white space and configurations optimized for next- generation compute, storage, and high-density AI/ML clusters.
• Author and maintain global Basis of Design (BoD) documents, physical topologies, and standardized data hall building blocks to ensure rapid, repeatable, and high-quality deployment.
• Drive factory-based assembly methodologies and modular design principles to maximize design-for-manufacturability (DFM), minimize on-site construction timelines, and enhance advanced protective enclosure quality control.
• Act as the technical bridge between cross-functional teams, major equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and industry consortia to align capabilities with scaling commitments and shape global standards.

Google is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. See also Google’s EEO Policy and EEO is the Law. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know by completing our Accommodations for Applicants form.