Critical Facilities Technician - Electrical

Cantor Fitzgerald•Vista, CA

About The Position

Newmark is a commercial real estate advisory firm with professionals operating from more than 500 offices across six continents. The Critical Facilities Technician performs day-to-day operations, preventive maintenance, troubleshooting, and repairs for base-building and critical electrical infrastructure. The role focuses on reliable power generation, distribution, backup systems, and emergency power operations to support high-availability data center or facility operations. The technician monitors and operates facility systems, including electrical distribution, chilled water, building automation, and plant monitoring systems. The role includes preventive and corrective maintenance, emergency response and root-cause analysis, preparation and execution of operating procedures, safety and code compliance, vendor coordination, and electrical capacity and load management. The electrical focus includes troubleshooting and maintaining power distribution equipment, interpreting technical drawings, supporting upgrades and commissioning, and keeping equipment and controls documentation organized. Work may involve shift patterns, nights, weekends, and holiday coverage in a 24/7/365 environment. The work environment may include loud areas and mechanical or electrical rooms; the role requires the ability to lift up to 50 pounds and navigate those rooms safely.

Requirements

Trade or military school training, an electrical license, an associate degree in Electrical Technology, or equivalent.
Three to five or more years of hands-on operational experience in a critical environment, such as a data center, hospital, financial trading hub, or telecommunications central office.
Ability to read and comprehend complex blueprints, electrical schematics, mechanical drawings, and technical specifications.
Deep understanding of single-line diagrams, electrical power distribution, backup generators, parallel gear, and control systems.
Ability to work shift patterns, including nights, weekends, and holiday coverage in a 24/7/365 operation.
Ability to lift up to 50 pounds, work in loud environments with PPE, and safely navigate mechanical and electrical rooms.

Nice To Haves

Journeyman or Master Electrician license (highly preferred).
NFPA 70E certification or OSHA 10/30 (preferred).
Certified Data Center Professional (CDCP) or similar certification (a plus).
Knowledge of UPS topologies, static transfer switches, switchgear, transformers, and emergency diesel generators.
Proficiency with Electrical Power Monitoring Systems (EPMS), Building Management Systems (BMS), and SCADA.
Knowledge of NFPA 70E, the National Electrical Code (NEC), and LOTO procedures.
Understanding of electrical phase balancing, power factor correction, and load management across redundant circuits.
Structured root-cause analysis and troubleshooting skills.
Ability to make methodical decisions under pressure, communicate technical risks clearly, and detect subtle equipment anomalies.

Responsibilities

Perform tests, rounds, and data analysis to verify proper operation of critical facility systems, including chilled water, electrical distribution, building automation, and plant monitoring systems.
Monitor and operate computerized Building Automation Systems (BMS), verify operating parameters, make approved adjustments, manage alarms, perform manual overrides, and switch to backup systems as needed.
Perform scheduled preventive maintenance and corrective maintenance using computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS) or work-order software.
Lead emergency response during power outages, equipment faults, or utility anomalies; conduct root-cause analysis and implement corrective actions.
Write, review, and execute Methods of Procedure (MOPs), Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and Emergency Operating Procedures (EOPs) for critical work.
Enforce safety requirements, including Arc Flash safety, Lockout/Tagout (LOTO), NFPA 70E, and applicable local codes.
Coordinate with contractors, vendors, and specialists on repairs, approvals, and work logs.
Monitor electrical load distribution, redundancy, power usage effectiveness (PUE), and capacity to help prevent overloads.
Troubleshoot critical electrical distribution equipment, including switchgear, automatic transfer switches (ATS), UPS systems, batteries, remote power panels (RPPs), power distribution units (PDUs), and power supplies.
Make approved adjustments to systems, sequences of operation, and control parameters.
Review and interpret control drawings, mechanical plans, electrical diagrams, operating sequences, and system schematics.
Perform preventive maintenance and functional testing of electrical systems.
Assist with system upgrades, installations, integration projects, and commissioning of new equipment.
Maintain organized controls documentation, drawings, backups, programming files, and equipment records.