Sr. Water Quality Engineer

QTS Data Centers; Cedar Rapids (IA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) matching

Paid time off

Parental & family leave

Stock purchase plan

Wellness program

Tuition reimbursement

Volunteer days

Holiday pay

Career development

Job summary

QTS Data Centers is seeking a Senior Water Quality Engineer to provide technical leadership for water quality programs supporting data center infrastructure. This role focuses on optimizing water quality for cooling systems, water treatment, and sustainability across hyperscale campuses.

The position requires 7+ years in water treatment or cooling systems and travel up to 50%. You’ll collaborate with engineering and sustainability teams to enhance reliability and efficiency in our

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a chemical, mechanical, or environmental field or equivalent experience
• 7+ years in industrial water treatment, water quality engineering, or cooling systems
• Strong knowledge of cooling water chemistry, corrosion, scaling, microbiological control
• Experience with cooling towers, chilled water systems, condenser water systems
• Experience leading complex engineering projects and cross-functional teams
• Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills
• Willingness to travel up to 50% to multiple data center locations

Responsibilities

• Lead water quality strategies for data center campuses
• Set engineering standards for cooling water chemistry and treatment
• Support design, commissioning, operation, and maintenance of cooling systems
• Evaluate water sources for data center cooling applications
• Develop water balance models and optimize Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE)
• Mentor engineers and collaborate across multidisciplinary teams
• Review vendor performance and recommend treatment improvements
• Support commissioning and startup of new facilities

Skills

Water quality engineering

Project management

Analytical skills

Technical writing

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

BS in Chemical, Mechanical, or Environmental Engineering

Tools

AutoCAD

Bluebeam

Water chemistry modeling

Job description

It’s exhilarating to find yourself at a pivotal moment in history— and even more so to be leading the way. At QTS Data Centers, we are proud to stand at the forefront of today’s dynamic digital transformation. Our world-class data centers empower our customers’ most strategic growth initiatives, positioning us as a global leader in digital infrastructure. QTS - Powered By People

As AI and cloud technologies fuel the demand for increased speed, capacity, and innovation, QTS has emerged as the global digital infrastructure leader. We are committed to connecting the globe for good. Driven by purpose and a spirit of innovation, we design, build, and operate some of the most advanced data centers worldwide. In addition to our cutting-edge technology, we are dedicated to sustainability, incorporating renewable energy solutions to minimize our environmental footprint and drive meaningful impact. As a proud portfolio company of Blackstone, QTS is uniquely positioned to achieve ambitious growth and innovation goals.

At QTS, we are Powered by People. Our team members are the cornerstone of our culture, innovation, and growth. They are mission-driven, resourceful, and committed to making a positive impact in the communities where we live and work. Together, we’re achieving remarkable things and shaping the future of digital infrastructure.

And we’d like to invite you to join us.

In addition to a variety of benefit packages, QTS goes above and beyond for our employees:

• Roth and Traditional 401(k) matching contributions with immediate vesting
• Every employee is bonus or commission eligible
• Generous PTO, Paid Volunteer Days Plus Floating Holidays
• Stock Purchase Plan (SPP)
• 11 paid Holidays Annually/Holiday compensation when worked
• Pet and Legal Insurance
• Q-Rest Sabbatical Program
• Q-Anniversary Service Award Program
• Parental Leave for primary and secondary caregivers
• Military Benefits Package
• QTS Charitable Matching Gift Program
• QTS Scholarship for Employee Dependents
• QTS Crisis Fund
• Wellness Program
• Tuition Reimbursement Program

Senior Water Quality Engineer

Position Summary

The Senior Water Quality Engineer is responsible for providing technical leadership for water quality programs that support the design, construction, commissioning, and operation of mission-critical data center infrastructure. This role focuses on optimizing water quality and treatment for cooling systems, chilled water plants, cooling towers, reclaimed water systems, and other mechanical infrastructure to maximize reliability, efficiency, and sustainability.

This role requires work hours to support a 7X24X365 data center environment.

RESPONSIBILITIES, Other Duties May Be Assigned

• Lead the development and implementation of water quality strategies for hyperscale and enterprise data center campuses.
• Establish engineering standards for cooling water chemistry, treatment programs, and system performance.
• Support the design, commissioning, operation, and maintenance of cooling towers, chilled water systems, heat rejection equipment, and associated water infrastructure.
• Evaluate municipal, reclaimed, groundwater, and alternative water sources for data center cooling applications.
• Develop water balance models and optimize facility Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE).
• Collaborate with engineering and sustainability teams to integrate water-efficient cooling solutions into data center designs.
• Analyze water chemistry, corrosion, scaling, microbiological activity, and treatment performance to ensure long‑term equipment reliability.
• Develop water management plans that comply with applicable regulations and industry standards, including Legionella risk management.
• Review water treatment vendor performance and recommend improvements to chemical treatment programs.
• Support commissioning activities, startup procedures, and operational readiness for new facilities.
• Investigate water quality incidents, equipment failures, and operational issues, performing root cause analyses and implementing corrective actions.
• Evaluate innovative cooling technologies, including liquid cooling, closed-loop systems, reclaimed water reuse, and alternative cooling strategies.
• Mentor junior engineers and provide technical leadership across multidisciplinary project teams.
• Support global infrastructure expansion by providing subject matter expertise on water quality and water stewardship initiatives.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's of Science degree in Chemical, Mechanical, or Environmental Engineering, OR equivalent professional experience in lieu of degree
• Minimum of seven years of experience in industrial water treatment, water quality engineering, cooling water systems, or mission-critical infrastructure.
• Strong knowledge of cooling water chemistry, corrosion control, scaling prevention, microbiological control, and chemical treatment programs.
• Experience with cooling towers, chilled water plants, condenser water systems, and industrial water treatment.
• Experience managing complex engineering projects across multiple stakeholders.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret water quality data and operational trends.
• Excellent communication, technical writing, and presentation skills.
• Ability to travel (up to 50%) to other Data Center locations as required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ten or more years of experience in industrial water treatment, water quality engineering, cooling water systems, or mission-critical infrastructure, four or more years of which were conducted in hyperscale or enterprise data centers.
• Knowledge of liquid cooling technologies for high‑density computing environments.
• Experience with ASHRAE guidance related to data center cooling and water systems.
• Familiarity with water sustainability strategies, water reuse, and alternative water sourcing.
• Experience supporting commissioning and startup of mission-critical facilities.
• Knowledge of environmental permitting, industrial wastewater management, and stormwater compliance.

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

• Advanced knowledge of industrial water treatment and cooling water systems.
• Strong understanding of corrosion science, scaling mechanisms, microbiological control, and water chemistry.
• Knowledge of water efficiency metrics, including Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE).
• Familiarity with CFD‑informed cooling strategies and heat rejection systems is desirable.
• Ability to develop engineering standards and best practices for global infrastructure.
• Strong project management and organizational skills.
• Ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, AutoCAD, Bluebeam, BIM collaboration platforms, and water chemistry modeling and data analysis tools.

Working Conditions

• Combination of office, laboratory, and field work.
• Periodic travel (up to 40%) to domestic and international data center sites.
• Site visits may include active construction environments, operating mission‑critical facilities, and industrial mechanical plants.
• Occasional after‑hours support during commissioning activities or critical operational events.

Core Competencies

• Mission‑Critical Infrastructure
• Water Quality Engineering
• Industrial Water Treatment
• Cooling Systems Optimization
• Sustainability & Water Stewardship
• Engineering Standards Development
• Root Cause Analysis
• Project Leadership
• Cross‑Functional Collaboration
• Continuous Improvement

We conform to all the laws, statutes, and regulations concerning equal employment opportunities and affirmative action. We strongly encourage women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and veterans to apply to all of our job openings. We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin, age, disability status, Genetic Information & Testing, Family & Medical Leave, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We prohibit retaliation against individuals who bring forth any complaint, orally or in writing, to the employer or the government, or against any individuals who assist or participate in the investigation of any complaint or discrimination claim.

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QTS is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the employment process, please send an e-mail to [e-mail] and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information.