Senior Mechanical Commissioning Engineer - Data Center Engineering

Summary

Do you want to help build some of the largest and most consequential enterprise and customer technology systems in the world? Join Apple’s Information Systems and Technology (IS&T) organization. IS&T is the engine behind everything Apple does for customers and for the people who build for them. It’s Apple’s central nervous system. Supporting 2.5 billion active Apple devices, processing billions of secure transactions, and keeping the technology that defines modern life running flawlessly, IS&T makes the impossible feel effortless. Do you love building solutions to handle global complexity and immense scale? Imagine what you could do here. Infrastructure Services is part of IS&T and the foundation of Apple's global network operations — managing data center equipment and systems to deliver compute, storage, and networking services for teams across Apple, including its internal developer community. From individual facilities to a worldwide network, Infrastructure Services ensures the technology underneath everything works without question. The Data Center Commissioning team is looking for a Senior Technical Mechanical Engineer with depth in mechanical cooling systems, hydronics, airflow dynamics, fire protection systems, and mechanical building automation. The successful candidate will serve as the primary mechanical technical authority across the full commissioning lifecycle (Levels 1–5) supporting all new Apple data centers, enterprise compute expansions, and specialized critical spaces/labs.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Architectural Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related engineering discipline (or equivalent practical/job-related experience). 5+ years of direct experience commissioning and or managing the commissioning of mechanical and HVAC systems in a Hyperscale data center environment. Understanding of large-scale mechanical cooling systems (such as central chilled water plants, cooling towers, air-cooled/water-cooled chillers, CRAH/CRAC units, and pumping infrastructure). Experience with the commissioning, testing, and or validation of data center fire protection, suppression, and early warning fire detection systems. Experience developing, reviewing, approving, and or overseeing the execution of Level 4 (Functional Performance Testing) and Level 5 (Integrated Systems Testing) test scripts and procedures. Experience with mechanical Sequence of Operations (SOO) validation under dynamic load conditions. Willingness and ability to travel approximately 40%, with availability for international travel as needed to support vendor factory testing and global site commissioning activities.

Preferred Qualifications

Professional Engineer (PE) license in Mechanical Engineering strongly preferred. 8+ years of mission-critical mechanical commissioning leadership experience covering greenfield hyperscale data center campuses and specialized R&D/hardware lab facilities. Deep practical expertise in high-density compute cooling, including liquid-to-liquid / liquid-to-air Coolant Distribution Units (CDUs), secondary fluid loops, manifold design validation, and direct-to-chip cooling commissioning. Experience with commissioning management software platforms (such as CxAlloy, Facility Grid, or similar tools) for script management, issue tracking, and project reporting. Practical knowledge of Building Automation Systems (BAS) and Direct Digital Control (DDC) platforms, including PID loop tuning, sensor calibration validation, network architecture, and communication protocols (BACnet, Modbus). Experience with data center load bank deployment, variable-capacity heat-load testing strategies, acoustic testing, and thermal imaging/infrared thermography. Demonstrated track record of resolving complex field engineering challenges, conducting Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA), and driving continuous improvement into corporate commissioning standards and specifications. Experience utilizing data trending, BMS telemetry, and Python scripting or data visualization tools to evaluate equipment performance curves, plant efficiency (kW/ton, PUE), and transient response during failover tests. Proficiency with AI tools to enhance daily work — including AI-assisted authoring and redlining of commissioning scripts, automated parsing of submittals and sequences of operations, and leveraging predictive analytics and anomaly detection over operational telemetry.

Description

In this role, you will govern the end-to-end commissioning lifecycle by managing third-party Commissioning Agents (CxA) rather than executing tests directly. With a strong emphasis on technical oversight, script validation, and cross-functional leadership, you will direct all project phases, including design commissionability reviews, Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT), Pre-Functional Testing (PFT), Functional Performance Testing (FPT), and Integrated Systems Testing (IST).

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary mechanical commissioning senior engineer across all new Apple data centers and critical infrastructure, governing the complete Level 1 through Level 5 commissioning lifecycle. Develop, author, and standardize global mechanical commissioning playbooks, test scripts, functional performance procedures, and Integrated Systems Testing (IST) execution plans. Evaluate, onboard, manage, and audit third-party Commissioning Agents (CxA), mechanical contractors, and Test and Balance (TAB) firms during onsite testing and verification. Perform technical commissionability reviews on Basis of Design (BOD), MEP drawing packages, P&IDs, and sequences of operations (SOO) to guarantee testability and operational resilience. Oversee and validate Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) for major mechanical equipment, including chillers, cooling towers, custom AHUs, CRAH/CRAC units, and hydronic pump skids. Lead the technical validation of advanced high-density liquid cooling topologies, including direct-to-chip loops, hydronic distribution, secondary fluid quality, and CDU performance. Oversee the commissioning of critical fire protection and life safety systems, while managing strict adherence to Methods of Procedure (MOPs) and mechanical Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) safety protocols. Drive mechanical root cause analysis during live load testing, partnering with Controls and Electrical engineers to validate cross-domain interlocks, emergency power-off (EPO), and complex failover schemes. Guide the operational turnover process by ensuring accurate baseline trending, comprehensive O&M documentation, warranty readiness, and hands-on facility training.