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Commissioning Lead

Job Description

Job Title: Commissioning Director – Hyperscale Data Centres

Location: London (Flexible Working) – Extensive Travel across the UK & Europe

Salary: £145,000 - £165,000 Per Annum + Enhanced Benefits Package

Client:

Our client is a Tier 1 main contractor delivering major mission-critical facilities across the UK and Europe. As demand for hyperscale data centres accelerates, they are expanding their leadership team and seeking a highly experienced Commissioning Director to shape, grow, and lead our commissioning capability across multiple regions.

This is a senior leadership role suited to someone who combines deep technical expertise with strategic vision, commercial strength, and the ability to deliver world-class critical infrastructure.

Key Responsibilities

Hyperscale Commissioning Strategy

  • Develop and implement a portfolio-wide commissioning strategy aligned to hyperscale delivery models
  • Establish standardised commissioning methodologies, templates, and governance to support rapid, repeatable deployment
  • Drive early commissioning involvement from concept design through construction and handover
  • Align commissioning plans with:
  • Hyperscale client technical standards
  • Modular and phased delivery strategies
  • Campus and multi-building programmes

Portfolio & Programme Leadership

  • Provide executive leadership across multiple concurrent hyperscale projects or campuses
  • Oversee commissioning sequencing to support:
  • Early energisation
  • Partial handovers
  • Phased operational readiness
  • Manage and mentor regional commissioning leads and project teams
  • Act as escalation point for technical, safety, and programme-critical issues

Client & Stakeholder Interface

  • Serve as the senior commissioning interface with hyperscale clients, including:
  • Owner’s engineering teams
  • Operations & reliability teams
  • Independent Commissioning Authorities (ICA)
  • Lead high-level technical workshops, design assurance reviews, and readiness gates
  • Manage client witness testing and acceptance across phased handovers
  • Support client-driven operational readiness reviews and turnover processes

Technical Oversight – Mission Critical Systems

  • Provide technical governance and assurance across all hyperscale-critical systems, including:

Electrical

  • Utility intake, HV/LV infrastructure
  • Generators, paralleling systems, fuel systems
  • UPS (static and rotary), batteries, and energy storage

Mechanical

  • Air-cooled and liquid-cooled systems
  • Chillers, cooling towers, CRAH/CRAC
  • Direct-to-chip and rear-door heat exchanger solutions

Controls & Integration

  • BMS, EPMS, SCADA, and DCIM interfaces
  • Integrated Systems Testing (IST) and failure mode validation

Life Safety & Compliance

  • Fire detection and suppression systems
  • Integrated life safety testing
  • Regulatory and AHJ compliance
  • Ensure commissioning validates:
  • Fault tolerance and redundancy
  • Operational resilience
  • Client-specific performance metrics

Safety & Risk Leadership

  • Champion a zero-harm commissioning culture in live and energised environments
  • Govern safe systems of work for:
  • HV energisation
  • Load testing
  • Live failover testing
  • Identify and mitigate commissioning-related programme, technical, and operational risks
  • Ensure compliance with all local and international safety regulations

Commercial & Preconstruction Input

  • Lead commissioning input during bid, preconstruction, and early works phases
  • Define commissioning scope, resources, durations, and cost allowances
  • Support commercial negotiations, variations, and risk reviews related to commissioning
  • Drive continuous improvement based on lessons learned across hyperscale programmes

Digital, Data & Standardisation

  • Promote use of digital commissioning tools, data capture, and analytics
  • Ensure commissioning data supports:
  • Asset information models
  • Client operational platforms
  • Long-term reliability and maintenance strategies
  • Drive standardisation and automation where possible to support scale delivery

Key Accountabilities

  • On-time commissioning and phased handover across hyperscale campuses
  • Consistent delivery aligned to hyperscale client standards
  • Safe execution of all commissioning activities
  • Successful client acceptance and operational readiness
  • Development of scalable, repeatable commissioning capability

Required Experience

Essential

  • 10+ years in mission-critical MEP delivery
  • Proven leadership delivering hyperscale data centre projects (multiple buildings or campuses)
  • Experience managing commissioning across parallel, high-velocity programmes
  • Deep understanding of hyperscale delivery models and client-driven standards
  • Extensive experience with:
  • Integrated Systems Testing (IST)
  • Live environment commissioning
  • Phased handovers and early energisation

Desirable

  • Direct experience working with major hyperscale clients
  • International hyperscale programme experience
  • Experience with modular and prefabricated data centre solutions

Qualifications

Essential

  • Degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Building Services Engineering, or similar
  • Chartered Engineer (CEng) or equivalent professional status

Desirable

  • Uptime Institute Accredited Tier Designer (ATD)
  • Data Centre Commissioning certifications
  • Formal leadership or project management qualifications

Personal Attributes

  • Executive-level presence and credibility with hyperscale clients
  • Strong decision-making under programme pressure
  • Highly structured, process-driven, and data-led mindset
  • Collaborative leadership style with a focus on safety and quality