About the Opportunity
Engaged Headhunters has been retained to recruit a Lead Data Center Commissioning Agent (L4 FPT / L5 IST) for hyperscale and AI-ready data hall buildouts centered in Northern Virginia (Ashburn / Loudoun County).
As rack densities scale from traditional air-cooled halls to 60-130+ kW direct-to-chip liquid-cooled AI clusters, our client seeks a seasoned commissioning authority who can author site-specific Level 4 Functional Performance Testing (FPT) and Level 5 Integrated Systems Testing (IST) scripts from one-line electrical diagrams and mechanical P&IDs, and lead live pull-the-plug integrated facility testing.
Compensation & Assignment Structure
- Base Compensation: $152,000 to $184,300 annualized base salary depending on credentials (ACG CxA, BCCB CCP, ASHRAE BCxP, or NETA Level 3/4) plus project completion and energization milestone bonuses
- Schedule & Location: Primary assignment in Northern Virginia (Data Center Alley) with home-every-night local structure or rotational per-diem options for regional hyperscale campuses
- Benefits: Full medical, dental, vision, 401(k) with employer match, paid certification renewals, and NFPA 70E / NETA continuing education sponsorship
Core Technical Responsibilities
- Level 4 & Level 5 Script Authorship: Write, review, and execute site-specific L4 FPT and L5 IST procedures covering utility loss, generator black-start sequences, medium-voltage (13.8kV to 34.5kV) switchgear failovers, rotary/static UPS transfers, and EPMS/BMS load shedding.
- High-Density Liquid Cooling Commissioning: Direct functional testing of coolant distribution units (CDUs), secondary technology cooling system (TCS) loops, chilled water plants, and thermal load bank testing.
- Issue Resolution & Root-Cause Analysis: Lead daily commissioning standups with general contractors, MEP subcontractors, OEM factory witnesses, and owner engineering representatives to clear punch-list deficiencies ahead of Ready-for-Service (RFS) turnover.
- Safety & Arc-Flash Governance: Enforce strict Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) and NFPA 70E energized electrical work protocols across all test boundaries.
Required Qualifications
- Experience: 5+ years of mission-critical data center commissioning, medium-voltage electrical testing, or U.S. Navy Nuclear Propulsion / maritime propulsion plant testing experience.
- Technical Fluency: Demonstrated ability to read and redline electrical one-line diagrams, three-line schematics, mechanical P&IDs, and PLC/SCADA sequence-of-operations (SOO) documents.
- Preferred Credentials: ACG Certified Commissioning Authority (CxA), BCCB CCP, ASHRAE BCxP, NETA Level 3 or Level 4, or Professional Engineer (PE) license; active OSHA 30 and NFPA 70E training.
Confidential Inquiries
All inquiries are handled confidentially by Engaged Headhunters. Your current employer is never contacted without your explicit permission.