Lead Reliability Engineer - Mechanical

Aligned Data Centers•PHX-01_05, TX

11d

About The Position

Unlike traditional operational support roles, the Lead Reliability Engineer is the supreme technical authority for hydronic and mechanical infrastructure across Aligned's fleet. Acting as a strategic bridge between Site Operations and Platform Delivery, this role utilizes advanced failure analysis to enforce continuous improvement. The Lead Engineer does not just troubleshoot abnormal conditions; they translate empirical failure data into binding engineering mandates to eliminate enterprise SLA risk.

Requirements

10+ years of advanced mechanical industry experience (or advanced degree in Mechanical Engineering and 6+ years), specifically focused on hyperscale data center infrastructure, complex hydronic loops, and massive-scale chiller plants.
Expert-level knowledge of critical system design, operations, repair, maintenance, and troubleshooting.
Deep understanding of data center cooling technologies (CDUs, CRAHs, CRACs, AHUs, etc.), chiller plants and equipment, and thermodynamics.
Proven ability to analyze critical infrastructure sequence of operations, design parameters, alarms, and performance trends to identify systemic architectural flaws.
Expertise to create standards and programs required to ensure "best in breed" data center operations, transitioning local site knowledge into fleet-wide engineering policy.

Responsibilities

Lead deep-dive thermodynamic, fluid-dynamic, and metallurgical forensics for critical fleet incidents.
Elevate standard post-mortems into highly technical root cause analyses, translating findings into immediate corrective actions.
Review construction drawings, contract documents, and equipment specifications not just for operational feasibility, but to issue binding Engineering Change Orders to Platform Delivery based on forensic failure data.
Conduct rigorous, programmatic audits of active Data Center sites to ensure strict compliance with Aligned's runbooks, operating conditions, and maintenance standards.
Lead technical review and validation of new technologies by designing physical tests within the Advanced Cooling Lab.
Partner with the Lab Manager to integrate mechanical failure data into the High-Fidelity System Simulator to proactively stress-test new cooling topologies.
Communicate complex mechanical vulnerabilities and strategic reliability initiatives to senior leadership and cross-departmental executives.