Principal Electrical Engineer in Newcastle upon Tyne

To be eligible, you'll need to be based in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, or Luxembourg. The role will also involve regular travel across our sites in EMEA.

Who We Are: At CloudHQ, our mission is to deliver flexible, efficient, and resilient data center solutions to businesses worldwide. Founded by a pioneer in data center REITs, we are a rapidly growing organization with state-of-the-art data center sites globally, with locations in Ashburn, London, Frankfurt, Paris, Milan, Osaka, São Paulo, and more. As we embark on an exciting phase of global growth, we are building a diverse and talented team to drive our success and help shape the future of mission-critical infrastructure at CloudHQ.

Role Overview: The Principal Electrical Engineer, Development will lead the design, planning, and execution of highly efficient and scalable electrical systems for developer-led data center projects. This critical role focuses on providing technical leadership and oversight across the entire development lifecycle, including concept design, detailed engineering, installation, and commissioning phases. The successful candidate will act as the trusted expert for high-voltage electrical systems, power distribution configurations, redundancy solutions, and operational optimization within hyperscale environments. This role requires advanced technical proficiency, project leadership experience, and the ability to collaborate across multidisciplinary teams to deliver resilient, energy-efficient data center infrastructure for global cloud service providers.

Key Responsibilities:

• Technical Leadership in Electrical Systems Design: Serve as the technical authority guiding the development and implementation of electrical systems, including:
• High-voltage power systems
• UPS systems (Uninterruptible Power Supply)
• Switchgear configurations and redundancy solutions
• Transformers, busbars, and power distribution panels
• Emergency backup generators
• Lead the development of electrical specifications, ensuring all systems meet CloudHQ's standards for reliability, scalability, and energy efficiency.
• Conduct and review advanced calculations on load distribution, fault currents, and energy usage to optimize designs for hyperscale environments.
• Support value engineering efforts to deliver cost-effective technical solutions without compromising on performance or redundancy.

Development Lifecycle Oversight:

• Manage electrical infrastructure across early-stage design and procurement phases of data center projects.
• Provide guidance to Pre-Development and Development teams to integrate electrical systems into early-stage master planning, feasibility studies, and land acquisition specifications.
• Review and evaluate contractor and vendor proposals to ensure compliance with project-specific electrical design requirements.
• Supervise the installation and commissioning of critical power components, performing detailed system validation and load testing throughout the facility's commissioning process.

System Integration & Stakeholder Collaboration:

• Collaborate with internal and external engineering teams to ensure seamless integration of electrical systems with mechanical, ICT, and tenant-specific systems.
• Lead design team meetings, presenting actionable insights and guiding technical decisions around electrical scopes.
• Partner with tenant teams to customize power infrastructure, meeting their specific needs for redundancy, scalability, and operational flexibility.

Compliance & Sustainability Standards:

• Ensure designs adhere to European building codes, ISO safety directives, and ASHRAE energy efficiency standards.
• Monitor and implement standards for energy optimization and carbon reduction in electrical systems, achieving low PUE targets across data center projects.
• Manage regulatory compliance for electrical permitting processes while aligning all designs with safety protocols and environmental sustainability goals.

Commissioning Oversight & Technical Validation:

• Oversee factory witness testing for critical electrical equipment, ensuring functionality and compliance before delivery to the site.
• Supervise electrical system commissioning, including system validation under peak load conditions to verify operational stability and reliability.
• Collaborate closely with commissioning agents to ensure seamless system handover to operations teams.

Innovation & Continuous Improvement:

• Research emerging technologies such as AI-driven power optimization systems, microgrid integration, and smart energy monitoring, incorporating these innovations into new projects.
• Identify opportunities for improving electrical redundancy strategies and fault tolerance capabilities to ensure uptime in mission-critical environments.
• Implement IoT-based infrastructure to enable real-time performance monitoring and predictive maintenance for electrical systems.

Requirements:

• Advanced Knowledge Of Electrical Systems For Mission-critical Facilities, Including High-density Power Distribution, Backup Power Integration, And Fault Tolerance Strategies.
• Proficiency In Electrical Load Calculations, Short-circuit Analysis, And Power Path Optimization For Hyperscale Environments.
• Familiarity With Electrical Equipment Such As: UPS configurations, High-voltage transformers, Switchgear systems and breakers, Emergency generators and fuel systems, Busway systems for large-scale distribution panels.
• Expertise in electrical design and analysis tools, including: AutoCAD, Revit, ETAP for power system modeling, and other BIM platforms for integrated design coordination.
• Thorough knowledge of European electrical standards, such as IEC, DIN, ISO, and ASHRAE TC9.9 for mission-critical facilities.
• Strong understanding of environmental regulations related to electrical system design for energy-efficient operations.
• Proven ability to manage multiple data center projects simultaneously while maintaining strict timelines and budgets.
• Skilled in developing technical reports, progress documentation, and compliance certifications for audits and regulatory submissions.
• Ability to guide multidisciplinary teams and influence technical decisions during complex project milestones.
• Willingness to travel across Europe for on-site inspections, commissioning oversight, and stakeholder meetings, with travel requirements up to 50%.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's or Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Power Systems, or related technical fields.
• Professional certifications such as PMP, LEED AP, CEng, or equivalents are highly desirable.
• Minimum 10+ years' experience in designing and delivering electrical systems for developer-led data center or mission-critical projects.
• Proficiency in English; fluency in German, French, or other European languages preferred for regional collaboration.

At CloudHQ, we deliver cutting-edge data centers that power the modern digital economy. As a Principal Electrical Engineer, Development, you'll lead the creation of resilient electrical systems for hyperscale environments, collaborating with global experts to build highly efficient infrastructure solutions. Join our growing team and help shape the future of mission-critical technology development in Europe.

Visit our LinkedIn page or contact recruiting@cloudhq.com for more information.