CLOUDHQ - Mechanical Operations Director
Job DescriptionJob DescriptionDescription:
Who We Are
Our purpose at CloudHQ is to provide flexible, efficient, and resilient data center solutions to businesses of all sizes. Our growing organization was founded by the pioneer of data center REITs. CloudHQ has state-of-the-art data center sites located on two Northern Virginia campuses, as well as London, Frankfurt, Paris, Milan, and São Paulo, and we anticipate exponential growth over the next several years both in the US and abroad. Our company’s reach is expanded through our affiliate companies – Cloud Capital, Dalian Development, and WindHQ.
What The Role Entails
CloudHQ is seeking a Mechanical Operations Director to provide technical cross-team leadership across our operational data center portfolio in the United States. This exciting new role will drive operational excellence, lifecycle performance, and continuous improvement to maximize reliability, efficiency, and customer satisfaction across CloudHQ sites. The Director will be responsible for professionally representing CloudHQ’s Mechanical operations department across multiple functions within the organization as well as outside of the company. This role will be the primary point of contact and communication for Mechanical Operations, acting as a leader to the customer and vendors.
What You Will Get to Do
Technical Operations Leadership
· Lead mechanical operations strategy for chilled-water plants, CRAH/CRAC units, Fan Walls, CDUs, economizers, and airflow management across CloudHQ facilities.
· Own mechanical system performance standards, preventive maintenance strategies, and lifecycle asset plans.
· Ability to review Construction Documents and project specifications to provide operations improvements input.
· Ability to review Construction Administration activities for on-going or day two projects for CloudHQ standards adherence and industry best practice.
· Define and drive continuous improvement initiatives to reduce energy use, improve PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness), and increase mechanical system resiliency.
Commissioning, Troubleshooting, and Incident Response
· Monitor commissioning, retro-commissioning, and re-commissioning activities for retrofit projects.
· Promote team involvement in Factory Witness Tests and other construction/development activities as needed.
· Serve as first escalation for complex mechanical incidents; lead root-cause analysis and corrective actions to restore and harden site performance.
· Maintain on-call rotation and rapid response playbooks for critical incidents.
Standards, Tools, and Modeling
· Develop and maintain CloudHQ mechanical standards, specifications, and O&M procedures for consistent operations across sites.
· Understand CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics), energy modeling, BMS (Building Management System) analytics to diagnose issues, validate design changes, and optimize controls and sequences.
· Champion data-driven monitoring and trending to detect performance drift and optimize operations.
· Develop and review MOP/SOP/EOP and provide contingency plans where required.
Business & Client Engagement
· Act as CloudHQ’s technical representative in client operations reviews and technical walk-downs.
· Support customer success providing operational insight, lifecycle cost modeling, and reliability.
· Advise on vendor selection, service contracts, and spare-parts strategies to align with operational goals.
· Oversee the mechanical department budget processes and lead financial planning and analysis while driving cost-saving initiatives that will result in operational efficiency and profitability.
Mentorship & Knowledge Sharing
· Mentor operations managers, mechanical technicians, and facilities lead; develop training, checklists, and knowledge base content.
· Issue operational guidance and best practices and expand internal learning processes.
Requirements:
What You Will Bring to The Role
· A High school diploma or equivalent
· Minium of ten (10) years of professional experience in mission-critical, data center operations, commissioning, or design
· Experienced leader of mission critical staff
· Deep, proven expertise with chilled-water systems, economizers, CRAH/CRAC equipment, liquid cooling, pumps, and airflow management
· Hands-on experience with BMS/controls, energy modeling, and CFD for operations use cases
· Strong familiarity with ASHRAE Data Center guidance, applicable codes, and environmental regulations
· Proven success leading operational teams and programs
· Experience negotiating service contracts and managing vendor performance for mechanical systems
· Track record of leading incident response, root-cause analysis, and lifecycle performance programs
· Exceptional verbal and written communication, with demonstrated client-facing and team leadership experience
· Responsible attitude with strong work ethic; leading by example in attendance, attitude and technical work product
· Ability and willingness to work extended hours when required
Our Ideal Candidate Will Also Possess
· A bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or closely related field
· Professional Data Center mechanical engineering experience highly
What We Offer
CloudHQ’s people and culture are the most enriching aspects that make us a great place to work. We are strengthened by industry experts who bring extensive knowledge, skill, and experience; leaders who bring vision, innovation and commitment to our people; and an expanding team of individuals who believe in that vision and bring their best to support their customers and team.
Our U.S. employees enjoy competitive compensation and rewarding incentives, comprehensive benefits (medical, dental, vision, life insurance, ), 401(k) with match, 12 paid holidays, generous PTO, development opportunities, and the ability to closely impact and contribute to the growth of an exceptional organization.
Equal Employment Opportunity
CloudHQ is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to , , , sex, , , , , , or expression, marital status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or other legally protected status.