Senior Data Center Consultant

Ramboll•Arlington, VA

5d•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 strategy development projects by analyzing data center infrastructure and contributing expertise across electrical, mechanical, operations, and conceptual master planning. The role helps clients determine data center sourcing strategies, including the use of existing facilities, colocation, cloud services, or new facilities, and supports assessments for investors considering data center acquisitions or development. The consultant provides technical leadership and due diligence analysis, identifies infrastructure risks and single points of failure, and develops practical recommendations for reliability, resilience, maintainability, and efficiency. The role also includes conceptual design support, capacity planning, rough-order-of-magnitude cost estimates, and presentation of findings to clients. The Senior Data Center Consultant is expected to lead and participate in major projects, act as a client partner and project executive for projects they develop, manage quality and client relationships, and monitor projects against forecast financial measures. The consultant will learn and use the group’s analytical tools and contribute to delivery as required. Strong client communication is central to the role, including communicating technical findings to senior executives and contributing as an industry expert at symposiums, in professional journals, and through webinars. Team members generally work from a home office and travel as required. Travel averages 25%–50%, with possible periods of sustained travel, 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, reliability principles, load calculations, power capacity, single-point-of-failure identification, and practical risk mitigation.
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 operational data from electrical infrastructure to evaluate 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 systems from central cooling plants through CRAC/CRAH systems, including 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 system designs, identify components and reliability risks, and recommend improvements to resilience, maintainability, and efficiency.
Ability to collect, interpret, and analyze mechanical equipment operating 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 operational staffing plans and evaluate maintenance, change-management, documentation, and security processes for critical facilities.
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, biometrics, and perimeter protection.
Ability to evaluate overall facilities, participate in planning workshops, support conceptual designs, understand redundancy requirements and Tier levels, and evaluate critical loads for greenfield options.
Ability to provide ROM estimates with approximately ±30% accuracy and present technical findings to customers.
Ability to manage and participate in major projects, serve as a client partner and project executive, and manage project quality, client relationships, and forecast financial measures.
Strong communication, presentation, writing, and computer skills, including effective use of Microsoft Office applications.
Ability to communicate technical findings clearly and persuasively with clients, including CIOs, CFOs, COOs, and other senior personnel.
Ability to work from a home office and travel as required; travel may average 25%–50% and may involve sustained periods, including for global projects.

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 offer letter.
U.S. passport and ability to travel internationally.

Responsibilities

Analyze data center infrastructure as part of strategy development and due diligence projects.
Evaluate mission-critical electrical infrastructure, including distribution systems, redundancy, reliability, capacity, condition, maintenance, operational data, energy efficiency, and compliance.
Evaluate mission-critical mechanical and HVAC infrastructure, including cooling capacity, reliability, condition, maintenance, operational data, energy performance, and optimization opportunities.
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 maintenance practices, documentation, equipment records, raised-floor environments, fire detection and suppression systems, operational processes, change management, and security systems.
Identify single points of failure and reliability risks, and develop practical, cost-effective mitigation recommendations.
Contribute to facility planning sessions and workshops and assist engineering and design colleagues with conceptual infrastructure expansion and capacity-change designs.
Evaluate redundancy requirements, Tier levels, and critical loading requirements for greenfield data center options.
Prepare rough-order-of-magnitude estimates (±30%) for recommendations.
Present findings and interact with customers at all levels, including senior client executives.
Manage and participate in major project delivery, serving as client partner and project executive for projects developed; manage project quality, client relationships, and forecast financial measures.
Learn and use the group's analytical tools and support project delivery as needed.
Communicate professionally and persuasively in written and verbal form, and participate as an industry expert in symposiums, professional journals, and webinars.
Travel as required to support client projects, including global projects.