Principal Building Automation Engineer; IC– Data Center Operations

Principal Building Automation Engineer (IC5) – Data Center Operations

About the Role

We are seeking a Principal Building Automation Engineer (IC5) to lead the development, standardization, and optimization of Building Automation Systems (BAS/BMS) across our hyperscale data center portfolio. This role sits within the Operations organization and is critical to ensuring scalable, reliable, and efficient control strategies across our triple-net (NNN) sites.

This individual will work cross-functionally with Design Engineering, Construction, Commissioning, Controls Vendors, and Site Operations teams to define and implement global automation standards, templates, and best practices that enable consistent deployment and operational excellence.

• Automation Strategy & Standardization
  • Develop and own enterprise-wide BAS/BMS standards, architectures, and control philosophies for hyperscale data centers.
  • Create scalable templates, sequences of operations, and naming conventions to support rapid deployment across NNN sites.
  • Drive standardization of control system integration across mechanical, electrical, and critical systems (HVAC, chilled water plants, power monitoring, etc.).
• Design & Implementation Support
  • Partner with Design Engineering and Construction teams to ensure automation requirements are embedded early in project life cycles.
  • Review and approve control submittals, sequences of operations, and network architectures.
  • Provide technical oversight for controls vendors and system integrators.
• Operational Excellence
  • Collaborate with site operations teams to ensure systems are designed for operability, maintainability, and fault tolerance.
  • Lead development of alarm rationalization, trending strategies, and analytics frameworks.
  • Drive improvements in system reliability, response time, and energy efficiency (PUE optimization).
• Commissioning & Turnover
  • Support and validate controls commissioning (Cx) processes and IST activities.
  • Ensure handoff quality by validating system performance, documentation, and training for operations teams.
  • Develop repeatable commissioning standards and checklists.
• Stakeholder Engagement
  • Act as the technical subject matter expert (SME) for building automation across internal stakeholders.
  • Influence and align across Operations, Engineering, and external partners.
  • Translate business and operational needs into technical control strategies.
• Continuous Improvement & Innovation
  • Identify and implement automation innovations, including advanced analytics, predictive maintenance, and AI-driven optimization.
  • Evaluate and integrate new technologies and platforms to enhance automation capabilities.
  • Drive lessons learned into future designs and standards (BOD updates).

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• 10+ years of experience in building automation / controls systems, preferably in mission-critical or hyperscale environments.
• Deep expertise in BAS/BMS platforms (e.g., Siemens, Schneider Electric, Johnson Controls, Tridium Niagara).
• Strong understanding of HVAC systems, chilled water plants, and critical power infrastructure.
• Experience with control sequences, system integration, and networked control architectures.

• Experience in hyperscale data center environments.
• Strong knowledge of commissioning practices and controls validation.
• Familiarity with power monitoring systems (EPMS) and integration with BAS.
• Experience working in triple-net (NNN) or colocation environments.
• Knowledge of ASHRAE guidelines, energy optimization strategies, and PUE metrics.
• Experience with data analytics, scripting, or visualization tools.

• Acts as a technical leader and standard setter across the organization.
• Drives alignment across multiple teams without direct authority (influence-based leadership).
• Owns large-scale, ambiguous problems and delivers scalable solutions.
• Mentors engineers and contributes to organizational capability building.
• Operates with a strong focus on customer impact, reliability, and operational excellence.

• Adoption rate of standardized automation templates and designs.
• Reduction in commissioning defects and post-turnover issues.
• Improvements in system uptime, alarm quality, and response efficiency.
• Measurable gains in energy efficiency (PUE) and operational performance.
• Stakeholder satisfaction and cross-functional alignment.

This role is foundational to scaling automation across a rapidly growing hyperscale footprint. By creating consistent, high-quality control standards and templates, you will directly impact speed to market, operational reliability, and long-term efficiency of our data center portfolio.