Senior Data Center Consultant

Ramboll • Charlotte, NC

3d • $125,000 - $155,000

About The Position

EYP Mission Critical Facilities, part of Ramboll Americas Engineering, provides data center consulting, strategy, design, and commissioning services. The consulting group develops data center strategies that account for clients’ IT and network architecture, future goals, facility options, reliability and redundancy needs, and financial decision-making. It also supports data center assessments for investors considering acquisitions or development.

The Senior Data Center Consultant provides leadership and technical expertise in assessing data center infrastructure for strategy and due diligence projects. The role spans electrical systems, mechanical systems, facility operations, and conceptual master planning. The consultant also manages and participates in major project delivery, serving as a client partner and project executive, overseeing project quality and client relationships, learning and using the group’s analytical tools, and managing projects against forecast financial measures.

The role requires professional, effective communication with clients, including senior executives, and participation as an industry expert in symposiums, professional journals, and webinars. Team members generally work from a home office and travel as needed. Travel averages 25%–50%, with periods of sustained travel possible, particularly for global projects.

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 such as N, N+1, and 2N; reliability principles; load calculations; power capacity; and single-point-of-failure identification and mitigation.
• Ability to assess the condition, operation, and maintenance effectiveness of critical power infrastructure, including UPS and battery systems, standby power, electrical distribution equipment, and associated controls.
• Experience collecting, analyzing, and interpreting operational data to evaluate infrastructure 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 practices in energized or critical infrastructure environments.
• Ability to interpret mechanical one-line drawings and assess mission-critical HVAC infrastructure, redundancy, and system load capacity.
• Ability to assess mechanical equipment and systems, including chillers, cooling towers, heat rejection systems, pumps, valves, piping, thermal storage, controls, and instrumentation.
• Ability to analyze mechanical designs, identify reliability risks and single points of failure, and recommend practical improvements to resilience, maintainability, and efficiency.
• Ability to analyze mechanical 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 including MTBF, MTTR, availability, and maintainability, and safe work practices.
• Ability to develop operational maintenance staffing plans and technical skill requirements for mission-critical facilities.
• Ability to operate and evaluate BMS/BAS systems supporting critical mechanical and electrical infrastructure.
• Knowledge of operational processes including maintenance management, change management, security systems, and the assessment of facility condition, maintenance, and documentation.
• 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 data center redundancy requirements and Tier levels, and ability to evaluate critical loading requirements for greenfield options.
• Ability to provide ROM estimates with approximately plus or minus 30% accuracy.
• Strong communication, presentation, writing, and computer skills, including use of Microsoft Office applications; ability to communicate technical findings clearly and persuasively with clients at all levels.
• Ability to manage and participate in major projects, act as a client partner and project executive, oversee project quality and client relationships, and manage projects to forecast financial measures.
• Ability to learn and use the group’s analytical tools.
• Ability to follow written and verbal instructions and work safely in mission-critical environments.
• Travel averaging 25%–50% is expected, with possible periods of sustained travel.
• Ability to pass a background check prior to an offer letter.

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.
• U.S. passport and ability to travel internationally.

Responsibilities

• Assess mission-critical electrical distribution systems, their condition, operation, maintenance, reliability, capacity, efficiency, and compliance with industry best practices.
• Interpret electrical one-line diagrams; evaluate redundancy, load calculations, and single points of failure; and recommend practical risk mitigation measures.
• Assess mechanical infrastructure, including cooling plants, HVAC equipment, heat rejection systems, pumps, piping, thermal storage, controls, and instrumentation.
• Interpret mechanical one-line drawings; evaluate system capacity, redundancy, reliability, energy performance, and opportunities to improve resilience, maintainability, and efficiency.
• Collect and analyze operational data from electrical and mechanical systems and perform relevant engineering calculations.
• 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 infrastructure.
• Assess facility condition, maintenance practices, operational documentation, fire detection and suppression systems, raised-floor environments, and critical equipment records.
• Evaluate maintenance management, change management, security systems, and other operational processes for reliability, compliance, and best practices.
• Identify infrastructure reliability risks and single points of failure, and develop practical, cost-effective recommendations to improve data center availability.
• Evaluate facilities and contribute to planning sessions and workshops; collaborate with engineering and design colleagues on conceptual infrastructure expansion or capacity-change designs.
• Evaluate redundancy requirements, Tier levels, and critical loading requirements for greenfield data center options.
• Prepare rough order of magnitude estimates, with an indicated accuracy of plus or minus 30%, for recommendations.
• Present findings and communicate technical recommendations to customers at all levels, including senior client executives.
• Manage and participate in major project delivery as the client partner and project executive, overseeing project quality, client relationships, and forecast financial measures.
• Learn and use the consulting group’s analytical tools and support their use as required.
• Participate as an industry expert in symposiums, professional journals, and webinars.
• Travel as required, including possible sustained travel for global projects.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package supporting well-being, professional development, and work-life balance.
• May be eligible for a bonus, overtime, or other forms of compensation in addition to base salary.
• Flexible work arrangements.

What This Job Offers

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