Central Utility Plant (CUP) Manager

Cushman & Wakefield•Austin, TX

2d•$153,000 - $180,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Central Utility Plant Operations Manager is responsible for the reliable, efficient, and high performance operation of a state of the art central chiller plant and associated facility infrastructure supporting comfort cooling, advanced laboratories, direct to chip cooling, semiconductor research environments, AI hardware development, and office spaces. The plant includes centrifugal chillers, cooling towers, hydronic distribution systems, industrial controls, medium voltage electrical infrastructure, and secondary process cooling loops supporting high density and liquid cooled research systems. This role leads all aspects of plant operations, building maintenance, system optimization, reliability engineering, and vendor management. The manager directs a team of in house experts, coordinates SME partners, and oversees contractors to ensure maximum uptime, energy efficiency, and a safe, well maintained facility environment.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Facilities Engineering.
10+ years of experience in central plant operations, facility operations, optimization, or mission‑critical mechanical/electrical systems.
Expertise with centrifugal chillers, hydronic systems, cooling towers, industrial controls, and building systems.
Hands‑on experience with secondary process glycol cooling loops, including systems from nVent, Vertiv, Motivair, CoolIT, or similar OEMs.
Experience with medium‑voltage electrical systems, substations, and protective equipment.
Background supporting laboratories, semiconductor environments, data centers, or high‑density research facilities.
Strong leadership, communication, and vendor management capabilities.
Demonstrated success managing budgets, contracts, and technical teams.

Nice To Haves

OEM chiller training (Trane, York, Carrier, Daikin).
Electrical safety or MV distribution training (NFPA 70E, NETA familiarity).

Responsibilities

Drive continuous optimization of chilled water production, distribution, and energy performance across all plant assets.
Analyze system trends, load profiles, and operational data to improve efficiency, stability, and reliability.
Optimize performance of secondary process glycol cooling loops, including systems from nVent, Vertiv, Motivair, CoolIT, or equivalent OEMs.
Implement performance strategies for laboratories, direct‑to‑chip cooling loops, critical systems, and AI hardware development environments.
Enhance performance of industrial control systems, BMS/EMS platforms, and advanced monitoring tools.
Maintain and refine SOPs, MOPs, EOPs, and system documentation to support consistent, high‑quality operations.
Oversee daily operations of the central plant to ensure high reliability, safety, and operational excellence.
Manage preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance programs for mechanical, electrical, controls, and process cooling systems.
Lead troubleshooting and root‑cause analysis for mechanical, electrical, controls, and glycol loop performance issues.
Ensure compliance with all safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements.
Oversee building operations and maintenance for office areas, laboratory support spaces, and shared facility infrastructure.
Ensure proper functioning of building systems including HVAC, plumbing, lighting, life‑safety systems, and general building services.
Coordinate with lab managers, researchers, and office occupants to support facility needs and resolve operational issues.
Manage space readiness, occupant comfort, and facility appearance standards across office and lab‑adjacent areas.
Support minor construction, tenant improvements, and facility modifications in collaboration with project teams.
Oversee operation and optimization of industrial control systems, including PLCs, BMS/EMS integrations, and networked controls.
Support operation and maintenance of medium‑voltage substations, switchgear, protective relays, and distribution equipment feeding the plant and facility.
Coordinate mechanical and electrical system performance to maintain redundancy, stability, and safe operating conditions.
Support electrical safety programs, arc‑flash studies, and breaker coordination.
Lead and develop a team of in‑house engineers, operators, and technicians.
Assemble and coordinate subject matter experts in controls, water treatment, vibration analysis, reliability engineering, and system optimization.
Foster a culture of safety, technical excellence, and continuous improvement.
Manage service contracts for chillers, controls, water treatment, electrical systems, building maintenance, and specialty services.
Oversee vendor support for glycol cooling systems, including maintenance, fluid management, filtration, and leak detection.
Develop scopes of work, evaluate proposals, and ensure contractor performance meets SLAs and operational standards.
Maintain strong vendor relationships and enforce accountability.
Develop and manage annual OPEX and CAPEX budgets for plant operations, facility maintenance, and long‑term asset planning.
Evaluate lifecycle costs, energy performance, and system upgrade opportunities.
Lead initiatives related to sustainability, energy reduction, and advanced cooling technologies.
Partner with R&D, lab operations, and AI hardware teams to support evolving cooling, facility, and reliability requirements.