Senior Data Center Commissioning Manager

Job Grade: 70–85 — Project Management Track (Sr Project Manager 2 · Principal Consultant 1 PM · Principal Consultant 2 PM)

Reports To: COO

Employment Type: Full-Time, Exempt

Travel Requirement: 75%

Position Summary

The Senior Data Center Commissioning Manager is the delivery leader and technical mentor for commissioning programs on hyperscale, colocation and enterprise data center projects. This role owns the commissioning team, schedule, budget and owner interface from OPR/BOD and design review through Integrated Systems Testing (IST), turnover and operational readiness, and develops the electrical, mechanical, controls, QA/QC and documentation staff who deliver the work. It is a player-coach role: credible enough in each discipline to review a test script, run an IST, and teach the engineer who wrote it, while carrying schedule, scope, budget and client accountability for the program. The Senior Commissioning Manager ensures every system is installed, tested and handed over right the first time, in alignment with the Anchor Mission Critical Playbook.

Key Responsibilities

- Own end-to-end commissioning delivery (Levels 0–6) on multi-system, multi-phase and campus data center programs, from OPR/BOD and design review through turnover and operational readiness
- Serve as the primary commissioning and delivery contact for owners, general contractors/EPCs, design teams, OEMs, utilities and trade partners; act as the first escalation point for technical disputes on the program
- Run schedule, scope, budget and change control with P&L accountability; track labor burn, staffing and progress against plan and report program status to Anchor leadership
- Build and run the Commissioning Plan, readiness gates and issue process in line with the Anchor Mission Critical Playbook
- Review OPR/BOD documentation, submittals and sequences of operation for commissionability
- Direct Pre-Functional Checks (PFCs, including L2/L3 readiness) and Functional Performance Testing (FPT, L4)
- Lead Level 5 IST across electrical, mechanical, controls and fire/life safety, including failure and recovery scenarios under live-load, schedule-critical conditions
- Review and approve test scripts, functional procedures, MOPs, load plans and commissioning reports before release to the client or the field
- Own the program issues log; drive deficiencies to closure and escalate risks using Anchor Mission Critical protocols
- Direct multiple Project Managers and discipline leads on site; manage delivery teams of 4–10+ engineers
- Mentor every grade below 85 — Project Managers (Grade 40–60) and Electrical, Mechanical, Controls, QA/QC and Documentation staff (Grade 10–70) — teaching judgment, not just tasks
- Determine when PMs and engineers are ready to own a test level or scope without supervision; recommend grade placement and development plans
- Serve as technical interviewer and backup hiring manager for PM, Lead and Senior roles
- Contribute to the Anchor Playbook, script library, Commissioning Plan templates and QA standards; support proposals and client presentations
- Enforce safe energization and testing practices, including LOTO, NFPA 70E and arc-flash requirements

Technical & Leadership Competencies

- Electrical: MV/LV distribution; UPS, generators, switchgear and paralleling; one-lines, schematics and protection coordination; redundancy concepts; safe energization
- Mechanical: chilled water, DX, evaporative and liquid cooling (CDU/TCS); CRAH/CRAC, chillers, pumps and heat rejection; sequences of operation; thermal failure and recovery testing
- Controls: BMS, EPMS and DCIM integration; DDC and SCADA; control diagrams and sequence-of-operation review; point-to-point verification; system interactions
- QA/QC: ITP authorship; non-conformance and punch-list management; audit programs; ASHRAE Guideline 0
- Documentation: commissioning platforms (CxAlloy, Facility Grid or BlueRithm) and scheduling tools; checklist, script and issues-log control; turnover and closeout packages
- Integrated testing: PFC (L2/L3), FPT (L4) and IST (L5) across all disciplines; FPT/IST script authorship and approval
- Program management: commissioning plan, schedule, scope, budget and change control aligned with construction milestones and readiness gates; contracts, subcontractor and vendor management
- Leadership: proven leadership of commissioning teams in fast-paced, high-risk construction environments; teaching complex technical judgment; competency assessment; clear, confident communication with owners, contractors and operators

Education & Experience Requirements

Required:
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Mechanical or Controls Engineering, Construction Management, or equivalent progression through commissioning field roles
- 13+ years of total industry experience, with 10+ years on mission-critical or critical-facility projects (Grade 70); Grade 80: 16–22 / 12–18 years; Grade 85: 20–28 / 15–22 years
- 5+ years leading full commissioning programs on hyperscale, colocation or enterprise data centers, owning Levels 0–6 through turnover
- Has personally led Level 5 IST on at least one large data center program across electrical, mechanical and controls
- Has written and approved FPT and IST scripts, not only executed them
- Has directly managed multiple PMs or discipline leads and developed engineers from entry level to lead

Preferred:
- Prior role as Commissioning Manager, Lead Commissioning Engineer or equivalent on hyperscale campus or multi-phase programs
- Liquid-cooled or AI-hall deployment experience
- Experience at a third-party commissioning firm, general contractor, or hyperscale owner/operator in a critical-facilities leadership role
- Electrical or mechanical trade background (licensed electrician, NETA, HVAC) or military technical background (for example nuclear, power or facilities)
- Prior methodology, template or script-library authorship
- Hands-on experience with CxAlloy or similar commissioning software (e.g., Facility Grid, BlueRithm)

Certifications (Preferred)

- Project Management Professional (PMP)
- Certified Commissioning Professional (CCP) or Certified Commissioning Authority (AABC or NEBB CxA)
- Professional Engineer (PE)
- OSHA 30-Hour Construction Safety
- NFPA 70E
- Uptime Institute ATD, DBIA or CCM

Performance Expectations

- Programs delivered on schedule and budget with clean turnover, minimal rework and zero client-attributable acceptance failures
- Safe energization and clean execution of IST failure scenarios across all disciplines, with no preventable incidents
- High-quality, defensible commissioning documentation
- A current development plan for every PM and engineer on assigned programs, with documented progression and staff ready for the next grade
- High owner satisfaction, repeat engagement, and retention and expansion of assigned client accounts
- Consistent application of Anchor Mission Critical Playbook standards

Compensation & Benefits

- Competitive base salary commensurate with experience
- Field Incentive Plan (FIP) eligibility
- Travel expenses and per diem per company policy
- Benefits eligibility per company plans

Salary Range

$195,000 – $224,000

This range applies to Grades 70–85 on the Anchor Mission Critical job ladder and nominal experience of 13–28 years total with 10–22 years in mission-critical commissioning. Final grade and base are set by experience at offer. Compensation above the stated range may be considered for exceptional technical depth or leadership capability.

In addition to base salary, this role is eligible for the Anchor Mission Critical Field Incentive Plan, a formula-based quarterly incentive calculated from billable field hours. Total compensation consists of a guaranteed base plus a variable field incentive.

Employment Status

This position is full-time and exempt. Employment is at-will, subject to applicable state and federal law.

About Anchor Mission Critical

Anchor Mission Critical is a professional services firm purpose-built to support hyperscale and high-reliability infrastructure projects. Anchor Mission Critical provides commissioning, integrated systems testing (IST), QA/QC, and operational readiness services for data centers and other no-fail environments.

Anchor Mission Critical was founded to address a persistent industry challenge: as data center projects grow in scale and complexity, execution quality too often depends on heroics rather than disciplined systems. The Anchor Mission Critical Playbook establishes a standardized delivery framework built on readiness, risk prevention, and repeatable execution—allowing teams to perform at a high level without chaos.

At Anchor Mission Critical, commissioning is engaged early and treated as a leadership function, not a back-end checkbox. Our teams operate with clear delivery cadence, defined readiness gates, and transparent issue management so professionals can focus on doing the work right – first time. Anchor Mission Critical supports both technical and leadership career paths and offers the opportunity to help build durable standards, mentor teams, and grow with a firm designed for scale without bureaucracy.