Director of Availability Engineering - Electrical

The Role: Director of Availability Engineering - Electrical

The Director of Availability Engineering - Electrical leads Switch’s Regional Electrical Engineering organization and serves as the senior electrical engineering authority across existing data center campuses. This role sets direction for retrofit engineering, infrastructure upgrades, capacity expansion, and complex electrical initiatives that support reliable operations and customer growth.

You will lead Regional Electrical Engineers, establish engineering standards, allocate resources, and oversee the delivery of critical projects across multiple regions. You will also partner with Operations, Design Engineering, Construction, Sales, Solutions Engineering, and executive leadership to support infrastructure modernization and business priorities.

This role is accountable for Switch’s most complex electrical engineering programs, including large-scale retrofits, first-of-kind deployments, strategic customer initiatives, and upgrades that improve capacity, capability, and operational readiness.

What You’ll Do

• Lead Switch’s electrical retrofit engineering strategy across existing data center campuses.
• Manage and develop Regional Electrical Engineers, including setting priorities, performance expectations, and development plans.
• Allocate engineering resources across regions, customer initiatives, and capital projects.
• Establish standards, processes, and governance for electrical infrastructure modifications and upgrades.
• Provide oversight for major capital projects, customer-driven programs, and infrastructure expansion initiatives.
• Serve as the senior technical authority for medium-voltage and low-voltage distribution systems, generators, switchgear, UPS systems, batteries, and related mission-critical power infrastructure.
• Review and approve feasibility analyses, engineering designs, technical recommendations, and major infrastructure investment strategies.
• Review protection design packages, including single-line diagrams, relaying and metering diagrams, schematics, logic, and commissioning and testing procedures.
• Identify technical gaps and drive issues to resolution with developers, EPC partners, OEMs, consultants, and internal teams.
• Support Operations during complex technical events, equipment issues, and high-risk engineering decisions.
• Partner with Design Engineering to incorporate operational lessons into future standards and designs.
• Support Sales and Solutions Engineering by evaluating customer requirements and developing practical infrastructure solutions.
• Lead cross-functional reviews of new technologies, first-of-kind deployments, and strategic electrical initiatives.
• Interpret P&IDs, wiring diagrams, schematics, sequences of operation, submittals, and MEP drawing packages.
• Use operational data, engineering analysis, and business context to prioritize solutions and guide decisions.
• Mentor engineering talent and strengthen technical capability across the organization.
• Foster accountability, collaboration, technical discipline, and continuous improvement across the team.

What We’re Looking For

• You set clear priorities and hold teams accountable for safe, reliable execution.
• You make sound decisions by balancing technical risk, operational needs, cost, schedule, and customer impact.
• You communicate complex engineering matters clearly to executives, engineers, customers, and operational teams.
• You identify technical risks early and drive practical solutions through completion.
• You build alignment across Engineering, Operations, Construction, Sales, and external partners.
• You remain calm and effective during critical events and high-pressure decisions.
• You establish standards that improve consistency, reliability, and long-term infrastructure performance.
• You develop engineers through clear feedback, technical guidance, and meaningful accountability.
• You follow through on commitments and maintain high standards for engineering quality and documentation.

What You’ll Bring

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering.
• Fifteen or more years of progressive electrical engineering experience.
• Ten or more years of experience supporting data centers, mission-critical facilities, utilities, industrial infrastructure, or similar environments.
• Five or more years of engineering leadership or management experience.
• Experience leading electrical engineering teams across multiple projects, facilities, or regions.
• Proven experience delivering large-scale retrofit projects, electrical infrastructure upgrades, and complex engineering programs.
• Deep knowledge of medium-voltage and low-voltage distribution, generators, switchgear, UPS systems, batteries, protection systems, and mission-critical electrical infrastructure.
• Experience reviewing electrical protection designs, relay and metering packages, single-line diagrams, schematics, logic, and commissioning procedures.
• Ability to interpret P&IDs, wiring diagrams, sequences of operation, submittals, and MEP drawing packages.
• Experience reviewing feasibility studies, engineering designs, and infrastructure investment recommendations.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, prioritization, and business judgment.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to lead effectively in high-pressure, mission-critical environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field.
• Professional Engineer license.
• Experience with first-of-kind technology deployments.
• Experience supporting customer-driven infrastructure solutions and capacity expansion programs.
• Experience working with EPC firms, OEMs, consultants, commissioning providers, and utility partners.

We recognize that qualified candidates may not meet every preferred qualification. If your experience aligns with the core responsibilities of the role, we encourage you to apply.