Data Centre Mechanical SME Engineer

Mechanical Engineer (professional) – Technical Operations in Data Centre / Mission Critical environments.

Salary and Benefits:

• £70-£75,000 Basic Salary (may be more on review)
• 10% Annual Bonus
• Car Allowance: £600 a month before tax (£7200 annually)
• Pension: 5%
• Health Care
• Travel and Subsistence paid
• 25 Days Holiday
• 20% travel in EMEA
• Additional benefits and package included

Role Overview:

The Mechanical Engineer will be part of the EMEA Mechanical Engineering function within a global data centre business. Based in the UK and reporting into the Technical Operations department, this role provides regional engineering support across the construction, commissioning, operation, and optimisation of mechanical and cooling infrastructure within mission critical environments. The role is predominantly site-based, with a strong presence required at a flagship London data centre campus. The successful candidate must be flexible and comfortable working on-site as operational and project demands require, with additional travel across UK and selected European sites.

Key Role Information:

• Reporting Line: Technical Operations Department
• Primary Location: UK – London campus
• Travel Requirements: Approximately up to 80% across UK sites – Mainly London; Up to 20% travel to European locations including Spain, France, Holland, Germany
• Working Pattern: Typically up to four days per week on-site in London; Some remote working when not travelling or site-dependent

Key Responsibilities:

• Support the regional engineering teams in defining, implementing, and maintaining Technical Operations standards across mechanical and cooling infrastructure.
• Ensure mechanical systems are effectively maintained, optimised, and aligned with operational excellence and zero-downtime objectives.
• Provide consistent reporting on the condition, performance, and efficiency of mechanical and cooling systems, identifying risks and opportunities for improvement.
• Identify, plan, and support delivery of infrastructure improvement and energy efficiency projects, including development of business cases.
• Review and approve technical aspects of high-risk changes, incident reports, and complex mechanical designs.
• Provide operational support during incidents, including leadership of post-incident investigations and root cause analysis.
• Conduct regular site tours, audits, and ad-hoc inspections of regional facilities.
• Attend and contribute to internal and external quality and compliance audits.
• Review, develop, and maintain commissioning procedures, including oversight of subcontractors.
• Lead post-handover lessons learned reviews to drive continuous improvement.
• Chair or contribute to meetings regarding operational performance, providing regular updates to key stakeholders.
• Support training and development of regional teams in mechanical and cooling systems, including delivery of scenario-based training exercises.
• Participate in the EMEA on-call and escalation rota as required.
• Review and comment on complex mechanical designs, including interdependencies with electrical, controls, and fire/life safety systems.
• Provide project management support where required, including planning, costing, procurement, subcontractor selection, and supervision.

Candidate Requirements:

Experience:

• 5+ years working in mission critical mechanical environments within a large organisation.
• Experience within data centres, IT, or telecoms or mission critical environments.
• Proven experience in leading or contributing to a technical management function.
• Strong exposure to operational, maintenance, and governance frameworks.

Technical Knowledge and Training:

• Industry or manufacturer training in HVAC systems, including but not limited to cooling systems, evaporative cooling, pumps, and pressure systems.
• Subject matter expert-level understanding of operational principles, including incident response and root cause analysis.
• Working knowledge of continuous improvement frameworks such as Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) is desirable.
• Awareness of recognised root cause analysis methodologies is desirable.
• Understanding of health and safety practices within mission critical environments.

Certifications and Qualifications:

• Essential: Strong technical knowledge and hands-on mechanical expertise.
• Desirable: F-Gas Certification (Category 1 or Category 2).
• Desirable: Recognised health and safety qualification.
• Relevant regional HVAC or mechanical qualifications.

Skills and Competencies:

• Strong maintenance excellence mindset with a focus on reliability and zero downtime.
• Strategic thinker with a structured, target-oriented approach.
• Solution-focused and driven, with a positive and proactive attitude.
• Strong technical management and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Excellent communicator and relationship builder, both internally and externally.
• Ability to work effectively within multinational, interdisciplinary, and culturally diverse teams.
• Strong stakeholder focus with a service-oriented mindset.
• Fluent in English, both written and verbal.