Principal Systems Engineer

Fleet Data Centers•Mercer Island, WA

149d•$150,000 - $200,000•Remote

About The Position

We are seeking an experienced and analytical Principal Data Center Capacity Planner to lead strategic long-range capacity planning for our global data center footprint. This role requires a deep understanding of utility infrastructure constraints, capital planning, and customer demand forecasting to ensure reliable and cost-efficient deployment of IT and facility capacity. The ideal candidate will blend quantitative modeling expertise with a strong business acumen and data center industry knowledge. This role will be the strategic architect of our datacenter footprint. Also responsible for the lifecycle of physical capacity, from long-range forecasting of space and power to the granular execution of rack-level deployments. The mission is to ensure we never run out of "white space" while maintaining maximum efficiency in power and cooling utilization. We are considering candidates that reside in Seattle, WA, Denver, CO, Arlington, VA or Austin, TX

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Data Science, Operations Research, Economics, or a related technical field.
6+ years of experience in infrastructure capacity planning, demand forecasting, supply chain analytics, or related roles.
Deep understanding of utility-scale infrastructure planning (power and cooling), with demonstrated experience in long-range capital planning or utility interconnect strategy.
Advanced proficiency in Excel, SQL, Tableau, AutoCAD/Revit
Demonstrated experience presenting high-impact analyses to VP- and C-level audiences.
Strong business acumen with an ability to connect technical forecasts to investment and strategic decisions.
Integrity and Ethical Standards: Build trust, ensure fairness, and foster long-term, transparent relationships with suppliers.
Effective Communication: The ability to clearly convey expectations and requirements to suppliers and negotiation parties, while understanding their needs and concerns. Comfortable delivering written and verbal presentations to internal leadership teams.
Emotional Intelligence (EQ): Ability to understand the emotions, cultural nuances, and motivations of others, while effectively managing one's own emotions during high-pressure negotiations.
Strategic Thinking: Recognize how supplier relationships and negotiations align with the broader organizational goals, while aiming for outcomes that benefit both parties.
Critical Thinking Skills: Finding innovative solutions and being flexible in addressing unexpected challenges.
Analytical Ability: Make data-driven decisions, assess cost structures, and identify potential risks, ensuring informed and strategic outcomes.
Influence and Persuasion: Able to effectively advocate for their position, build consensus, and secure favorable agreements without compromising relationships.
Operational Paranoia: Anticipate risks, identify vulnerabilities, and proactively implement mechanisms to prevent and minimize disruptions and safeguard safety, security, availability, and scale.
Relationship Management: Cultivate trust, collaboration, and long-term partnerships, while building a broad network that provides valuable benchmarking, industry insights, and alternative sourcing options.
Leadership and Team Management: Inspire and guide teams to achieve their objectives while enhancing performance, effectively managing disputes, and fostering a collaborative team environment.

Nice To Haves

Experience in hyperscale or colocation data center planning, energy procurement, or cloud infrastructure strategy.
Familiarity with capital expenditure planning processes and financial modeling concepts (e.g., ROI, IRR, DCF).
Prior experience modeling multi-regional infrastructure rollouts under regulatory and capacity-constrained conditions.
Working knowledge of cloud workloads, compute density trends (e.g., AI/ML), and data center PUE/efficiency metrics.

Responsibilities

Develop multi-year capacity roadmaps by translating business growth and IT service demands into physical infrastructure requirements (Space, Power, Cooling, and Network ports).
Build and maintain complex "What-If" scenarios to predict the impact of new hardware technologies (e.g., high-density AI/GPU clusters) on existing facility limits.
Design and approve detailed rack elevations and floor maps, ensuring optimal airflow (Hot/Cold aisle containment) and weight distribution.
Manage Stranded Capacity: Identify and remediate imbalances where power and cooling is available but space is restricted, or vice versa.
Ensure that cabling, power placement, and network topologies align with engineering standards.
Ensure liquid fill stations are managed for a pre-determined throughput per day and enough liquid buffer in place. Fill station capacity plan should be included in overall rack deployment planning.
Plan for spare parts for all critical infrastructure
Act as the Subject Matter Expert for DCIM tools (e.g., Sunbird, Nlyte, etc), ensuring 100% data accuracy for all physical assets.
Monitor real-time power consumption at the rack and electrical equipment levels to prevent circuit overloads and maintain redundancy.
Partner with Finance and Procurement to manage CAPEX/OPEX budgets related to datacenter expansion and hardware refreshes.
Collaborate with Site Operations and Facilities Engineering to coordinate maintenance windows and capacity handoffs.
Develop and maintain long-term (2–10 year) data center capacity plans for all active and emerging regions.
Align plans with utility availability, capital investment cycles, infrastructure deployment timelines, and customer demand profiles.
Produce and update rolling multi-year capacity models and P90+ scenario analyses that support utility contract commitments and long-lead procurement.
Translate long-range plans into utility-specific load ramping forecasts and infrastructure phasing schedules.
Partner with utility planning and real estate teams to support site acquisition and transmission interconnect negotiations.
Support contract structuring, including curtailment strategies, contracted capacity buffers, and milestone-based delivery tranches.