About DC BLOX
At DC BLOX, we’re shaping the future of digital infrastructure. Our mission is to empower businesses with robust, secure, and reliable solutions that enable them to thrive in an increasingly connected world.
Founded on the principles of innovation, integrity, and customer-centricity, DC BLOX provides cutting-edge colocation, cloud services, and network solutions tailored to our clients' unique needs.
Our team is made up of passionate professionals dedicated to excellence. We foster a collaborative and inclusive workplace culture where every voice is valued and innovation is encouraged. Whether you’re an experienced industry veteran or just starting your career, DC BLOX offers a range of opportunities for growth and development.
DC Blox operates on a hybrid schedule. We work in the office Tuesday - Thursday and remote on Mondays and Fridays.
Description Summary
The Senior Controls Engineer - Data Centers is responsible for designing, implementing, and optimizing Building Management Systems (BMS) and Electrical Power Monitoring Systems (EPMS) that support the monitoring and control of mission-critical infrastructure. This role ensures the reliability, efficiency, and security of automation systems that manage HVAC, liquid cooling, power distribution, and fire suppression in data centers. Additionally, this role involves troubleshooting, commissioning, lifecycle support, and project management while collaborating with construction, operations, IT, and vendors to implement cutting-edge control strategies in high-availability data centers.
Essential Duties
- Controls System Design & Engineering
- Lead the design, configuration, programming, and implementation of BMS, EPMS, SCADA, and PLC-based control systems for data centers.
- Develop and implement control strategies for HVAC, cooling systems, power distribution, and fire suppression to optimize uptime and efficiency.
- Specify control system architecture, including sensor selection, network topology, and communication protocols (e.g., BACnet, Modbus, SNMP, OPC, LonWorks).
- Develop and iterate on controls sequences of operation (SOO), ensuring proper system function, redundancy, and efficiency.
- Develop and modify control logic programming and graphical user interfaces for BMS and EPMS systems.
- Troubleshooting & Lifecycle Support
- Troubleshoot and perform Root Cause Analysis (RCA) for BMS and EPMS issues in data center environments.
- Provide technical assistance and lifecycle support for data center operations.
- Review and resolve action items from quarterly maintenance results for BMS and EPMS.
- Support real-time monitoring, diagnostics, and predictive maintenance using SCADA/BMS/EPMS analytics.
- Project Execution & Management
- Develop project scopes of work (SOW), schedules, and budgets for BMS & EPMS projects requested by internal stakeholders.
- Manage scope, schedule, finance, and execution of BMS and EPMS improvement projects at DCB data centers.
- Assist in procurement activities, including RFQs, RFPs, vendor proposal reviews, and purchase order issuance.
- Oversee vendor and contractor work, ensuring compliance with scope, design, SOO, and local codes.
- Attend project-related meetings, coordinate with project leaders, and report status updates to Controls and stakeholder management.
- Lead commissioning activities for Controls projects for greenfield and retrofit data centers.
- Operations Support & Stakeholder Training
- Train and assist internal customers and stakeholders in the creation, design, configuration, validation, installation, commissioning, and operation of BMS and EPMS systems.
- Develop and implement best practices for controls system monitoring and optimization.
- Frequently visit assigned operational data centers to troubleshoot issues, engage with customers along with DCB operations, and supervise vendors.
- Compliance, Cybersecurity, & Standardization
- Ensure BMS and EPMS systems adhere to industry standards and best practices (e.g., ASHRAE TC9.9, Uptime Institute, NFPA, BICSI Data Center Standards).
- Maintain and enforce standardized BMS/EPMS architectures, programming methodologies, and documentation across all data center sites.
- Collaborate with cybersecurity teams to enhance system security, implement network hardening strategies, and mitigate risks associated with remote monitoring.
Education/Training/Experience
- 10+ years of experience in controls engineering, automation, or industrial control systems, with at least 5+ years focused on data centers, mission-critical facilities, or industrial automation.
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
- Master’s degree or Certified Automation Professional (CAP), PE License is a plus.
- Strong expertise in BMS, EPMS, SCADA, and PLC-based control systems.
- Hands-on experience with troubleshooting, commissioning, and optimizing BMS and EPMS systems.
- Experience managing large-scale control system deployments, retrofits, and migrations.
- Knowledge of cooling infrastructure and power redundancy strategies in data centers.
- Expertise in PLC programming (Rockwell, Siemens, Schneider, or similar).
- Experience with SCADA software (Ignition, Wonderware, Tridium Niagara, Honeywell, Johnson Controls, or similar).
- Strong understanding of networking, cybersecurity, and industrial protocols (BACnet, Modbus, SNMP, OPC, LonWorks, MQTT).
- Proficiency in controls software and analytics tools for BMS and EPMS optimization.
- Familiarity with cloud-based monitoring, AI-driven automation, and predictive maintenance platforms.
- Strong leadership and project management skills.
- Excellent problem-solving and analytical thinking abilities.
- Effective communication and stakeholder management.
- Ability to train and mentor junior engineers and operational teams.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience working with hyperscale or colocation data centers (AWS, Google, Azure, etc.).
- Knowledge of ASHRAE TC9.9, Uptime Institute Tier Standards, and energy efficiency best practices.
- Experience with Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) and automation platforms.