Controls Engineer - Data Center Operations

Fluidstack

Abernathy +2 more

On-site

Who this role is best for

Aimed at experienced data center operations professionals who thrive in high-autonomy, high-urgency environments and are capable of building operational standards from scratch.

Best fit for

Candidates with hands-on experience in mission-critical data center operations and a history of writing operational runbooks
— “You've written operating procedures and alarm response runbooks that other operators actually run.”
Individuals who can diagnose and resolve complex control faults under pressure in live data center environments
— “You've resolved a real controls fault under pressure, on a live floor, with load on the line.”
Professionals familiar with BMS, SCADA, and EPMS platforms and able to troubleshoot at a deep level
— “You know BMS, SCADA, and EPMS platforms deep enough to diagnose a bad sequence or a misconfigured point, not just read the alarm.”

Things to consider

The role demands real-time fault resolution before impacting AI training operations
— “Diagnose and resolve controls faults on the floor, from a misbehaving chiller sequence to a breaker mis-operation, before they touch a training run.”
Candidates must be prepared to operate at unprecedented scale, managing systems that consume more power than some countries
— “The fleet you run will draw more power than some countries, on the way to tens of gigawatts.”

How to stand out

Highlight experience in creating new operational standards, not just following existing ones
— “Write the playbook, don't inherit it. No prior operations org has run at this speed and scale, so the standards you set become the standard.”
Emphasize your ability to operate in dynamic environments with ongoing construction and load changes
— “Own real-time load and thermal control across sites coming online in pieces, keeping the live halls running flawlessly while construction continues around them.”
Showcase your history of tuning control sequences and explaining tradeoffs between reliability, efficiency, and cost
— “You tune control sequences and setpoints and can explain the tradeoff between reliability, efficiency, and cost.”

Pace · Fast PacedCollaboration · LowAutonomy · HighDecision Impact · Company

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

operating gigawatt-scale data centers
writing operating procedures
diagnosing controls faults

Typical background

operating controls for live mission-critical facilities

Skills & requirements

Required

BMSScadaEPMSControls Fault DiagnosisLoad And Thermal ControlOperating Procedures Writing

Preferred

Data Center OperationsAI Infrastructure

Stack & domain

BMSScadaEPMSControls SystemsLoad And Thermal ControlOperating ProceduresAlarm Response RunbooksControl SequencesPUE And Reliability TargetsChiller SequenceBreaker Mis-operationControl Sequences And SetpointsData Center OperationsThermal Control

About the role

Original posting from Fluidstack via Ashby

ABOUT FLUIDSTACK
We exist to make humanity more free. For most of human history, you farmed or you starved. Technology gave people more time for the things they wanted to do, instead of things they had to do. Powerful AI will be the biggest lever for human choice we've ever built - but only if models are aligned with what humanity actually wants. There are groups building AI who don't share these goals. Whoever deploys frontier compute infrastructure fastest will decide whether AI expands human freedom or shrinks it.
We're singularly focused on delivering 10 to 100s of GWs of compute faster than anyone else, rethinking every layer of the stack. We acquire power, design and build data centers, and operate them - with teams spanning hardware and software. Speed and scale are our key differentiators. Come be a part of building civilization-scale infrastructure for AI.
We hire people who care deeply about this problem space. If that is you, please apply!
HOW WE OPERATE
Be a barrel. Full autonomy. Own things end to end, take on scope without being asked, no permission required to operate outside your core role.
Insane urgency. We drive everything forward as fast as possible.
Reason from first principles. Challenge every assumption. Zero analogy thinking, no egos, the best idea wins.
Love of the game. The frontier of AI is the most interesting problem of our time. We put in long hours at high intensity to push the frontier forward.
Build something that actually matters. If you're going to spend your time, spend it on something that matters to the world.
THE DATA CENTER OPERATIONS TEAM
Examples of key problems the team is working on
Operate at the scale of a nation, not a building. The fleet you run will draw more power than some countries, on the way to tens of gigawatts.
Fly the plane while it's being built. Sites come online in pieces, and you keep the live ones running flawlessly while construction continues around them.
Write the playbook, don't inherit it. No prior operations org has run at this speed and scale, so the standards you set become the standard.
ROLE SCOPE
Run the building management and controls systems (BMS, SCADA, EPMS) that keep live gigawatt-scale data centers cooling and powered in real time.
Own real-time load and thermal control across sites coming online in pieces, keeping the live halls running flawlessly while construction continues around them.
Write the operating procedures, alarm response runbooks, and control sequences that become the standard for every site that follows.
Diagnose and resolve controls faults on the floor, from a misbehaving chiller sequence to a breaker mis-operation, before they touch a training run.
Tune control sequences and setpoints to hold PUE and reliability targets as load ramps and hardware generations change.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR
The below is a starting point. We always make space for exceptional people, so if you don't fit this role exactly, tell us where you would https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/fluidstack/05c2e69c-42f9-4fcb-9cf0-a467aaf98f1c.
You've operated the controls for live mission-critical facilities, data center, industrial, or power, and kept them running through faults, ramps, and construction next door.
You know BMS, SCADA, and EPMS platforms deep enough to diagnose a bad sequence or a misconfigured point, not just read the alarm.
You've written operating procedures and alarm response runbooks that other operators actually run.
You've resolved a real controls fault under pressure, on a live floor, with load on the line.
You tune control sequences and setpoints and can explain the tradeoff between reliability, efficiency, and cost.
You catch the drifting sensor or the wrong setpoint before it becomes an outage.
Bonus: Hyperscale or colocation data center operations. Liquid cooling controls. Electrical power monitoring systems. Behind-the-meter generation. Building the controls standards for a new fleet.
We are committed to pay equity and transparency.
Fluidstack is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability and protected veterans’ status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Fluidstack will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records pursuant to applicable law.
You will receive a confirmation email once your application has successfully been accepted. If there is an error with your submission and you did not receive a confirmation email, please email careers@fluidstack.io with your resume/CV, the role you've applied for, and the date you submitted your application-- someone from our recruiting team will be in touch.

Source: Fluidstack careers (Ashby)