Remote Position
Lead Mechanical Commissioning Engineer
🌍 Remote · United States
💼 Full-time
About Overwatch Mission Critical Overwatch is a service-disabled Veteran-owned small business (SDVOB) certified through the National Veterans Business Development Council (NVBDC), offering construction professional services, talent acquisition, and general contractor support for the mission-critical infrastructure industry. Our mission is the construction and management of state-of-the-art data centers with the precision and reliability this industry demands. From high-end engineers to seasoned professionals, we deploy the people you need to get your data center off the ground. At Overwatch, it's more than a job. Its purpose.
Position Overview
The Lead Mechanical Commissioning Engineer is a critical leadership role responsible for directing the mechanical validation program for large-scale, mission-critical data center construction projects. This role manages the end-to-end commissioning process across Levels 1 through 5 (L1–L5).
The successful candidate will provide ultimate technical oversight to Mechanical Cx Engineers, field technicians, and trade contractors. They will bridge the gap between design requirements and real-world field conditions, ensuring that hyper-complex HVAC, cooling, and automation systems deliver flawless, non-negotiable uptime under realistic failure scenarios.
Key Responsibilities
Phase Leadership & Execution (L1–L5)
- Full Lifecycle Management: Direct the commissioning sequence from initial factory acceptance testing (FAT/L1) to final Integrated Systems Testing (IST/L5) and ultimate turnover to Operations.
- L2–L3 Inspection: Oversee Level 2 documentation verification, on-site installation and construction-readiness checks and Level 3 equipment startup and vendor startup validation.
- L4 Functional Testing: Lead Level 4 functional performance testing, executing strict sequence-of-operations validation on complex mechanical systems.
- L5 Integrated Systems Testing (IST): Design, coordinate, and command the execution of L5 pull-the-plug heat-load testing to validate system redundancy, interlocks, failovers, and transient behaviors.
- Document Review: Critique complex mechanical design packages, P&IDs, sequence of operations (SOO) narratives, control scripts, and engineering submittals for risk and commissionability.
- Scripts & Procedures: Author and approve site-specific, rigorous test scripts, Method Statements (MOPs), and pre-functional checklists.
- Complex Troubleshooting: Root-cause analyze complex mechanical failures and controls errors discovered during high-stress testing environments.
- Deficiency Tracking: Contribute to the project issue log, ensuring mechanical discrepancies are categorized by risk, tracked, and remediated by appropriate vendors without impacting the master schedule.
- Field Direction: Manage and prioritize work assignments for a team of internal field commissioning engineers and third-party technicians.
- Interface Point: Serve as the unified mechanical voice and primary point of contact connecting the client, general contractors, mechanical/MEP sub-contractors, equipment vendors, and controls engineers.
- Meeting Leadership: Represent the mechanical commissioning discipline in master schedule reviews, construction coordination meetings, and client-facing performance updates.
- Chilled Water Systems: Centrifugal/air-cooled chillers, cooling towers, primary/secondary pumping loops, and thermal energy storage.
- Air Handling Systems: Computer Room Air Handlers (CRAHs), Computer Room Air Conditioners (CRACs), Direct/Indirect Evaporative Cooling (DEC/IEC) systems, and Fan Wall Arrays.
- Advanced Liquid Cooling: Direct-to-Chip (DLC) cooling manifolds, Coolant Distribution Units (CDUs), and immersion cooling infrastructure.
- Controls & Automation: Building Automation Systems (BAS), Direct Digital Controls (DDC), and Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) monitoring environmental setpoints.
- Support Infrastructure: Fuel oil storage/transfer systems, fire suppression/pre-action loops, and plumbing systems.
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, HVACR, Construction Management, or equivalent technical field experience.
- Experience: Minimum 3+ years of direct mechanical commissioning, engineering, or mission-critical facilities construction experience.
- Data Center Focus: Minimum 2+ years of dedicated data center project experience, with demonstrated experience leading L1–L5 programs on hyperscale, colocation, or enterprise builds.
- This position is heavily tied to deployment sites. It may require traveling 50% to 65% of the time.
- Ability to navigate construction sites, climb ladders, and lift up to 30 lbs.
Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, HVACR, construction management or equivalent; 3+ years mechanical commissioning or mission-critical construction experience; 2+ years data center project experience leading L1-L5 programs; ability to travel 50-65% and lift 30 lbs.
Key Responsibilities
- directing commissioning programs
- overseeing functional testing
- managing engineering teams
Skills & Tools
Building Automation Systems (BAS), Direct Digital Controls (DDC), Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs)
Job Details
- Category: Engineering
- Seniority: Senior Level
- Commitment: Full Time
- Workplace: Remote — United States
- Languages: English
Benefits
- Generous paid time off
- Retirement plan
- Relocation assistance
About Overwatch Mission Critical
A service-disabled veteran-owned small business providing construction professional services and general contractor support for mission-critical infrastructure. — Industry: Construction