Mechanical Manager - Data Centre
Location: Melbourne (On-site)
Employment Type: Full-time, Perm
Our client is a leading global data center developer and operator, with 4.0+GW of capacity built or under development, with an additional 6.0+GW of planned and potential development worldwide. They are actively expanding across APAC with Melbourne being one of the key focus. They are seeking a senior mechanical leader to join their expanding team. The successful candidate will be responsible for safe, reliable, and efficient operation, maintenance, and optimization of all mechanical systems supporting 24/7 mission-critical operations.
This is a technical leadership role for an experienced mechanical engineer who can set the standard for excellence across chilled water plants, cooling towers, pumps, CRAH/CRAC units, CDU and liquid-cooling distribution, and fire life safety interfaces. You will provide operational governance, vendor management, and technical direction to ensure all activities are executed to the highest standards.
Responsibilities
Operations & Maintenance Leadership
· Lead and embed a safety-first culture across all mechanical activities, including permit-to-work, isolations/LOTO, SWMS, and method statement compliance.
· Oversee operation, maintenance, and repair of mission-critical mechanical infrastructure:
· Chilled water systems (chillers, CDU, heat exchangers, headers, valves, differential pressure control)
· Cooling towers (water chemistry, basin management, fan and drive systems)
· Pumps and VFDs, strainers, and balancing valves
· CRAH/CRAC units and close-coupled/row/door coolers
· CDU and liquid-cooling distribution for high-density workloads
· Dehumidification/humidification, leak detection, and environmental monitoring
· Fire life safety interfaces (mechanical shutdowns, smoke control)
· Set and uphold mechanical maintenance standards and schedules; ensure PMs are completed on time, to scope, and with quality evidence.
· Review and approve MOPs, SOPs, EOPs, and sequences of operation; ensure risk assessments, hold points, and rollback steps are defined and executable.
Technical Leadership & Incident Management
· Provide technical leadership during incidents affecting mechanical systems; coordinate triage, stabilization, root cause analysis, and corrective/preventative action close-out.
· Use BMS/DCIM and analytics to monitor plant performance, identify anomalies, manage alarms, and verify efficiency and stability after changes.
· Direct and quality-assure testing programs (functional checks, flow/pressure verification, valve stroke, vibration, thermography, water treatment compliance).
· Drive optimization initiatives to improve reliability, resilience, and efficiency (e.g., chiller setpoint strategies, condenser water optimization, economizer strategies).
Vendor & Contractor Management
· Oversee mechanical contractors and OEM/service partners to ensure safe, compliant, and high-quality delivery.
· Set performance expectations, review maintenance and water treatment reports, track actions to closure, and run regular service reviews.
· Ensure vendor personnel are briefed on site rules, risk controls, and operational constraints before commencing work.
Governance, Readiness & Continuous Improvement
· Maintain robust document control for procedures, sequences, P&IDs, as-builts, commissioning records, and test results.
· Ensure operational readiness for new mechanical assets and systems (documentation, spares, labeling, CMMS updates, training/tooling).
· Lead continuous improvement initiatives that strengthen safety, reliability, maintainability, and efficiency.
People Leadership
· Lead, mentor, and develop Facilities Engineering personnel to build strong mechanical capability and confident execution in live environments.
· Promote teamwork and knowledge sharing across mechanical, electrical, controls, and operations teams.
· Provide clear direction, priorities, and expectations; ensure disciplined shift handovers covering plant status, risks, and planned works.
· Present mechanical performance, risk, and remediation updates to customers and leadership in clear, plain English.
Requirements:
You are a senior mechanical engineer with 6–8 years of experience in data centers or other mission-critical environments (pharmaceuticals, aviation, power generation, industrial utilities). You have supervised technical teams of five or more and understand what it takes to maintain 100% uptime.
· Technical Expertise: Deep knowledge of data center mechanical systems, including chillers, CDU, cooling towers, DX units, CRAH/CRAC equipment, dehumidification systems, leak detection, pumps, VFDs, and fire detection/suppression systems.
· BMS Proficiency: Strong understanding of BMS functionality and ability to use monitoring tools to trend, analyze, and optimize mechanical performance.
· Maintenance Governance: Experience managing preventative maintenance programs and reviewing/approving MOPs, SOPs, and EOPs.
· Incident Leadership: Proven ability to lead technical incidents, conduct root cause analysis, and drive corrective actions to closure.
· Vendor Management: Experience overseeing mechanical contractors and service partners against KPIs and SLAs.
· Communication: Strong written and verbal communication skills suitable for customer briefings and executive updates.
· Systems Proficiency: Experience with CMMS, BMS, DCIM, and Microsoft Office suite (Excel, PowerPoint).
Required Experience
· Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent professional experience.
· 6–8 years' experience in data center or critical environment operations.
· Experience supervising technical teams of five or more.
· Experience managing preventative maintenance programs.
· Strong understanding of relevant mechanical regulatory codes and permit processes.
· Experience with water treatment programs, legionella risk management, and compliance monitoring (preferred).
· Exposure to energy/water efficiency initiatives and continuous improvement programs in critical facilities (preferred).