Data Center Chief Engineer

Key Responsibilities

• Act as the primary escalation point for all facilities‑related issues. Oversee operation and management of routine and emergency services on a variety of critical systems such as switch gear, generators, UPS systems, power distribution equipment, chillers, cooling towers, computer room air handlers, building monitoring systems, etc.
• Perform root cause analysis of equipment failures, and troubleshoot facility issues within internal Service Level Agreements (SLA).
• Provide training and guidance to Engineering Operations Technicians and be responsible for working with the Facility Manager (FM) to set team culture.
• Create and deploy new standard practices for Engineering Operations Technicians, Chief Engineers, and vendor support teams.
• May assist in the build‑out of new facilities and assist in projects to increase current facility efficiency.
• Work outside of normal business hours for routine maintenance as required, including responding to out‑of‑hours emergency calls.
• Communicate complex technical information to a non‑technical audience.
• Work with IT managers and other business leaders to coordinate projects, manage capacity, and optimize plant safety, performance, reliability and efficiency.
• Ensure all safety procedures are adhered to by vendor and Amazon staff.
• Establish building performance benchmarks, conduct analyses, and prepare reports on all aspects of the critical facility operations and maintenance.
• Utilize Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook and other basic administrative tools to perform day‑to‑day tasks.

• Regularly lift and/or move up to 39 pounds independently.
• Participate in group lifts for 40+ pounds.
• Maintain balance and perform construction tasks while on a ladder.
• Regularly walk, use hands and fingers, handle or feel, reach with hands and arms, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl, climb stairs, twist, bend, work above shoulders, grasp, carry, push and pull objects into position.
• Work in an environment requiring provided ear protection.

This role acts as Amazon’s front line when it comes to hands‑on electrical and mechanical equipment troubleshooting. It maintains, operates, and troubleshoots mission‑critical data center facility equipment, including electrical support equipment that must guarantee better than 99.999% uptime. Equipment includes, but is not limited to, stand‑by diesel generators and related fuel systems, 3‑phase electrical systems such as switch gear and UPS units, PDUs, and wet‑cell batteries and associated systems.

Mechanical equipment includes CRAHU units, centrifugal chillers, cooling towers, water systems, air handlers and associated systems, pumps, and motors. Additional support equipment is included in the scope of the role which includes fire/life safety equipment, building automation systems, and general facilities equipment.

The Chief Engineer directs, trains and supports technicians in providing hands‑on electrical and mechanical equipment troubleshooting and operations. Implementation and execution of site‑/equipment‑specific training exercises is also expected. It manages projects from conception to completion, involving independent work as well as collaboration with external support groups including engineering, automation, processing, and finance in both local and global settings. The Chief Engineer will be tasked with creating and delivering on key milestones, obtaining and tracking quotes for all necessary costs, and documenting project results for future implementation at other facilities.

AWS Infrastructure Services owns the design, planning, delivery, and operation of all AWS global infrastructure. In other words, we’re the people who keep the cloud running. We support all AWS data centers and all of the servers, storage, networking, power, and cooling equipment that ensure our customers have continual access to the innovation they rely on. We work on the most challenging problems, with thousands of variables impacting the supply chain — and we’re looking for talented people who want to help.

You’ll join a diverse team of software, hardware, and network engineers, supply chain specialists, security…