Principal, Operations Engineer

Compass Datacenters•Dallas, TX

About The Position

Compass Datacenters is seeking a Principal, Operations Engineer, an individual contributor and senior technical expert who supports facility engineering, commissioning, troubleshooting, and vendor management across data center operations. The role partners with Operations, Design, Construction, Sales, and Solutions Engineering to address complex mechanical or electrical challenges, improve operational reliability, and support custom customer requirements. It also provides operational backup and 24/7 escalation support during critical facility events. The position involves customer-facing technical support, incident investigation, review of operational documentation, and engineering assistance for maintenance, repairs, commissioning, and equipment replacement. The Principal, Operations Engineer also contributes to design and customer solution work, vendor oversight, energy conservation and maintenance initiatives, technical training, facility inspections, reporting, and operations budgets. The role is based in Dallas, Texas or Toronto, Ontario, and requires approximately 50% international travel to data center sites, vendor locations, conferences, and off-sites. Support outside standard business hours is required, with work beyond standard hours occurring regularly.

Requirements

At least 10 years of experience in a data center or other mission-critical environment involving the operation, repair, and maintenance of mechanical or electrical equipment and building systems.
Specialized experience in either electrical engineering or mechanical engineering.
Fluent spoken and written English.
Ability to provide support outside standard business hours, with work beyond standard hours occurring regularly.
Ability to travel internationally to data center sites, vendor locations, conferences, and off-sites approximately 50% of the time.
Deep knowledge of mission-critical mechanical or electrical systems, including HVAC, water pumps and treatment systems, UPS, generators, electrical distribution, and control and monitoring systems.
Expertise in facility operations, commissioning, preventive maintenance, incident response, troubleshooting, and root cause analysis.
Knowledge of occupational health and safety requirements and a commitment to reinforcing a strong safety culture.
Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, Visio, and PowerPoint, as well as BMS and CMMS platforms.
Excellent interpersonal, coaching, written, and verbal communication skills.
Ability to influence leaders, peers, and technical teams and build strong working relationships with customers, employees, vendors, and contractors.
Strong organization, sound technical judgment, initiative, and ability to maintain detailed and accurate reports.
Ability to manage changing priorities in a mission-critical environment and make decisions that protect customer uptime and data center stability.
Self-starter who demonstrates Compass culture and willingness to learn and take on new responsibilities.

Responsibilities

Serve as a technical liaison for customers on operational issues, proactively communicate concerns, and lead root cause analysis discussions.
Conduct and document root cause analyses for facility incidents and support the problem management and OFIR lifecycle.
Review critical operational documentation for accuracy, integrity, and global consistency, and provide technical recommendations for approval.
Provide engineering support for preventive maintenance, repairs, critical-system troubleshooting, commissioning, and equipment replacement.
Partner with Design, Solution Engineering, Sales, and Construction teams on customer requirements, design reviews, Basis of Design changes, and complex technical solutions.
Support vendor management for Facility Operations, evaluate completed vendor work, and advise on maintenance scopes of work and service agreements.
Advise on operational expenditure initiatives, energy conservation strategies, maintenance programs, and spare-parts management for mission-critical equipment.
Support technical training content and drills and serve as a subject matter expert for complex Facility Operations topics.
Perform facility inspections, report building conditions, recommend corrective actions, and update operational processes as needed.
Prepare periodic engineering and management reports and support Operations opex and capex budget preparation.
Provide 24/7 escalation support during critical data center events and operational emergencies as required.