Senior Electrical Engineer - Live Data Center Upgrades

Who does an operator trust to work on a board that cannot be switched off?

Not many people, which is the whole point of this role. Our client is looking for a senior electrical engineer to take charge of upgrade projects inside data centres that are already running, carrying live customer load, where the plan you write is the only thing standing between a planned improvement and an unplanned outage.

The work is brownfield rather than new build, so you are replacing UPS systems, generators and MV/LV installations in buildings that cannot pause. That means phased execution plans, load transfer scenarios that have been thought through properly, and a clear-eyed view of what each step does to the redundancy the operator has promised their own customers. You would also be the one reviewing what contractors and suppliers put forward, and saying no when the design does not stand up.

Our client is an international engineering and design consultancy. Their Mission Critical Facilities team works with colocation providers, internet service providers and telecoms operators, and this position sits with the Dutch team with travel to the Amsterdam region, across Europe and occasionally further.

The work

• Leading brownfield upgrades in operational data centres from planning to completion
• Replacement and renovation of UPS, generator and MV/LV installations under live load
• Phased execution planning and load transfer strategy
• Technical risk analysis, including the effect of each change on redundancy architecture
• Design review of contractor and supplier submissions
• Compliance with IEC and NEN standards and data centre requirements
• Stakeholder coordination and budget control on small to medium projects

What the client is looking for

• Around eight years of electrical project engineering in data centres or mission critical facilities
• Deep working knowledge of MV/LV distribution, UPS and generator installations
• Practical experience of risk analysis and phased work in live environments
• Enough grounding in mechanical installations, BMS and fire safety to spot the interfaces
• Project experience covering planning, stakeholders and budget
• Fluent Dutch and English

Salary and benefits

€55,000 to €85,000 base salary depending on experience, with annual increases. On top of the base sit an 18.3% employer pension contribution, a 2.15% personal budget, annual profit sharing and a share purchase scheme, along with twenty-eight holiday days and the option to buy up to 16.5 more, hybrid working with flexible hours, a home office allowance and a sustainable commuting incentive.