Senior Data Center Consultant

Ramboll • Chicago, IL

1h • $125,000 - $155,000 • Remote

About The Position

EYP Mission Critical Facilities, part of Ramboll Americas Engineering, provides data center consulting, strategy, design, and commissioning services. The Senior Data Center Consultant supports analysis of data center infrastructure for strategy development and due diligence projects, bringing expertise across electrical systems, mechanical systems, operations, and conceptual master planning. The role helps clients determine data center sourcing solutions using existing facilities, colocation, cloud services, or new builds, and supports assessments for investors acquiring or developing data centers.

The successful candidate provides technical and project leadership, serves as a client partner and project executive for projects they develop, and participates in project delivery. Responsibilities include managing project quality, client relationships, and forecast financial measures, as well as learning and using the group’s analytical tools. The consultant communicates findings and recommendations to clients, including senior executives, and may contribute as an industry expert through symposiums, professional journals, and webinars.

Team members generally work from a home office and travel as required. Travel averages 25%–50%, with periods of sustained travel possible, particularly for global projects. The anticipated base salary range is $125,000–$155,000 per year. The position may also be eligible for bonus, overtime, or other compensation and includes a comprehensive benefits package supporting well-being, professional development, and work-life balance.

Requirements

• Demonstrated expertise interpreting electrical one-line diagrams and evaluating mission-critical electrical distribution systems, including utility service, switchgear, UPS, generators, transfer switches, PDUs, transformers, and grounding systems.
• Strong understanding of electrical redundancy concepts, reliability principles, load calculations, power capacity, and identification and mitigation of single points of failure.
• Ability to assess the condition, operation, and maintenance effectiveness of critical power infrastructure, including UPS and battery systems, standby power, distribution equipment, and controls.
• Experience collecting, analyzing, and interpreting electrical infrastructure operational data to assess performance, reliability, energy efficiency, and alignment with industry best practices.
• Working knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC), mission-critical facility design standards, and safe work in energized or critical infrastructure environments.
• Ability to interpret mechanical one-line drawings and evaluate mission-critical HVAC infrastructure, redundancy, and system load capacity.
• Ability to assess mechanical infrastructure, including chillers, cooling towers, heat rejection systems, pumps, valves, piping, thermal storage, controls, and instrumentation.
• Ability to analyze mechanical designs, identify components and reliability risks, and recommend improvements to resilience, maintainability, and efficiency.
• Ability to analyze mechanical equipment operational data and perform engineering calculations related to cooling capacity, power, kVA, power factor, and energy performance.
• Knowledge of mission-critical mechanical system best practices, redundancy classifications, reliability principles such as MTBF, MTTR, availability, and maintainability, and safe work practices.
• Ability to develop maintenance staffing plans and define technical skills needed for facility operations.
• Ability to operate and evaluate BMS/BAS supporting critical mechanical and electrical infrastructure.
• Ability to evaluate maintenance, change management, security, and other operational processes for reliability, compliance, and best practices.
• Comprehensive knowledge of mission-critical systems including EPO, VESDA, FM-200, Ansul, sprinkler and pre-action systems, and physical security technologies such as card access, video surveillance, biometric access, and perimeter protection.
• Understanding of redundancy requirements and Tier levels.
• Ability to manage and participate in major projects and manage project quality, client relationships, and financial forecasts.
• Strong verbal, written, presentation, communication, and computer skills, including use of Microsoft Office applications.
• Ability to communicate technical findings clearly and persuasively with customers and senior client executives.
• Ability to follow written and verbal instructions.
• Ability to work from a home office and travel as required.

Nice To Haves

• Applicable data center professional certifications.
• 10 or more years of data center operational experience in privately owned or colocation facilities.
• BA/BS from an accredited college or university; an engineering or computer science degree is a plus.
• Ability to pass a background check prior to receiving an offer letter.
• U.S. passport and ability to travel internationally.

Responsibilities

• Analyze data center infrastructure as part of client strategy development and due diligence projects.
• Evaluate electrical distribution systems, redundancy, reliability, capacity, operating condition, maintenance effectiveness, performance, energy efficiency, and compliance; identify failure points and recommend risk mitigations.
• Evaluate mission-critical mechanical and HVAC systems, their capacity, condition, maintenance, reliability, energy performance, and opportunities to improve resilience, maintainability, and efficiency.
• Develop maintenance staffing plans and define technical skill requirements for mission-critical facility operations.
• Operate and evaluate Building Monitoring and Control Systems (BMS/BAS) supporting critical mechanical and electrical infrastructure.
• Assess infrastructure condition, maintenance practices, documentation, operational processes, fire protection systems, and physical security systems.
• Identify infrastructure reliability risks and single points of failure and develop practical, cost-effective recommendations to improve availability.
• Evaluate facilities and contribute to planning sessions and workshops; assist engineering and design colleagues with conceptual designs for infrastructure expansion or capacity changes.
• Evaluate critical loading requirements for data center greenfield options and provide rough order of magnitude estimates for recommendations.
• Present findings and interact with customers at all levels.
• Manage and participate in major project delivery as client partner and project executive, overseeing project quality, client relationships, and forecast financial measures.
• Use the group’s analytical tools and support project delivery as needed.
• Communicate technical findings professionally, effectively, and persuasively to clients, including senior executives; participate as an industry expert in symposiums, professional journals, and webinars.
• Travel as required, averaging 25%–50%, with possible periods of sustained travel for global projects.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package supporting well-being, professional development, and work-life balance.
• May be eligible for bonus, overtime, or other forms of compensation.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed