Sr. Data Center Commissioning Manager

LotusWorks•Charlotte, NC

About The Position

The Sr. Data Center Commissioning Manager is accountable for the end-to-end commissioning program for mission-critical facility systems, from planning and execution through documentation, integrated testing, and turnover. The role ensures MEP, controls, and life-safety systems meet the Basis of Design (BOD) and Owner’s Project Requirements (OPR) before acceptance by facility operations. It coordinates with owners, construction management, contractors, design engineers, controls integrators, authorities, utilities, and facility operations teams throughout the commissioning lifecycle. The manager leads commissioning planning, scheduling, budgeting, staffing, documentation, and execution across commissioning Levels 1–5. Responsibilities include directing commissioning staff and field activities; developing and approving checklists, functional performance tests, and integrated systems testing scripts; managing testing under load and failure scenarios; and overseeing issue resolution, retesting, and final closure. The role also manages commissioning records and reporting, verifies turnover documentation and operator training, coordinates deferred or seasonal testing, and supports warranty and post-occupancy performance verification. This position provides management oversight for assigned commissioning engineers, managers, and technical personnel, including employee development, performance management, and workforce planning. It participates in hiring, promotion, and disciplinary decisions and exercises independent judgment over program priorities, staffing, resource allocation, budgets, and operational execution. The manager is accountable for commissioning program performance, financial objectives, client satisfaction, quality, and project delivery. Other duties or responsibilities may be assigned.

Requirements

Extensive experience managing commissioning programs for mission-critical or data center facilities.
Strong knowledge of Level 1–5 commissioning processes, including startup, functional performance testing, and Integrated Systems Testing.
Strong understanding of MEP, controls, and life-safety systems and their integration within mission-critical facilities.
Working knowledge of medium-voltage switchgear, generators, UPS systems, chilled water and air-cooled plants, BMS, EPMS, and fire suppression systems.
Experience developing commissioning plans, specifications, schedules, test procedures, and turnover requirements.
Ability to review OPR, BOD, design drawings, sequences of operation, submittals, and technical documentation.
Experience developing and executing failure scenarios and integrated testing under load.
Strong understanding of load bank testing, MOPs, system energization, and energized-work safety controls.
Experience with CxAlloy, BlueRithm, Facility Grid, or similar commissioning management platforms.
Working knowledge of Uptime Tier and TIA-942 criteria.
Working knowledge of NFPA 70, NFPA 72, NFPA 110, and applicable ASHRAE standards.
Strong issue management, troubleshooting, and technical problem-solving capabilities.
Ability to manage commissioning engineers, field technicians, contractors, and multiple technical disciplines.
Strong leadership, stakeholder management, and decision-making skills.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Strong organizational, documentation, and reporting capabilities.
Ability to coordinate effectively with owners, contractors, design engineers, controls integrators, AHJs, utilities, and facility operations teams.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Construction Management, or a related technical field.
Certified Commissioning Authority (CxA) certification.
Certified Commissioning Professional (CCP), Qualified Commissioning Process Provider (QCxP), or Certified Building Commissioning Professional (CBCP) certification.
Engineer-in-Training (EIT), Professional Engineer (PE), or applicable trade license.

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain the Commissioning Plan, commissioning specifications, and Level 1–5 commissioning definitions.
Review the OPR, BOD, design drawings, sequences of operation, and submittals for commissionability and testability.
Develop the integrated commissioning schedule and coordinate commissioning activities with the Construction Manager’s master schedule.
Define commissioning milestones, system readiness requirements, and gating criteria.
Establish commissioning budgets, staffing requirements, and test equipment and instrumentation needs.
Maintain commissioning issue logs, document control processes, and commissioning software workflows.
Use commissioning platforms such as CxAlloy, BlueRithm, Facility Grid, or similar systems to manage execution and documentation.
Direct commissioning engineers and field technicians, assign systems, and coordinate activities with contractor startup teams.
Author, review, and approve pre-functional checklists, Functional Performance Tests (FPTs), and Integrated Systems Testing (IST) scripts.
Develop and execute failure scenario testing, including utility loss, generator and UPS transfers, chiller failover, and controls loss.
Witness Level 2 and Level 3 factory, site startup, and QA/QC activities.
Direct Level 4 functional performance testing and lead Level 5 Integrated Systems Testing under load.
Manage load bank strategy, Method of Procedure (MOP) reviews, and energized-work safety controls.
Chair commissioning coordination meetings and drive issues through corrective action, retesting, and final closure.
Escalate commissioning schedule, quality, technical, and system readiness risks to the owner and Construction Manager.
Coordinate with BMS and EPMS integrators to verify point-to-point testing, trending, alarms, graphics, and system functionality.
Own the commissioning issues log through final closure and independently verify corrective work before acceptance.
Manage commissioning test data, trend logs, system records, and supporting evidence packages.
Produce the Final Commissioning Report, systems manual inputs, and project lessons learned.
Verify O&M manuals, as-built documentation, operator training, and warranty documentation are complete before system turnover.
Lead coordination of operator training and ensure operations personnel participate in and witness key system testing activities.
Establish and execute system turnover criteria and coordinate seasonal or deferred testing requirements.
Support first-year warranty issues and post-occupancy system performance verification.
Coordinate commissioning interfaces with the owner’s representative, project management, CM/GC, MEP subcontractors, controls integrators, design engineers, AHJ/fire marshal, utilities, and facility O&M teams.
Participate in hiring, promotion, and disciplinary decisions, employee evaluations, and team member development.
Provide leadership and management oversight of assigned commissioning engineers, managers, and technical personnel, including employee development, performance management, and workforce planning.
Maintain accountability for commissioning program performance, financial objectives, client satisfaction, quality, and successful project delivery.
Exercise independent judgment over commissioning program priorities, staffing, resource allocation, budgets, and operational execution.
Perform other duties or responsibilities that may be assigned.