Job Summary

We are seeking an experienced Program Manager – Mechanical & Cooling Infrastructure to lead the mechanical and cooling workstream for an AI Data Center Campus in India. The role will oversee liquid cooling infrastructure, CDUs, dry coolers, adiabatic systems, trim chillers, pumps, piping networks, HVAC, ventilation, fire protection interfaces, water treatment, and mechanical commissioning.

This role is critical for an AI-focused data center where high-density GPU racks, liquid cooling, water systems, and thermal performance will directly impact facility readiness, reliability, and operating efficiency. The candidate must be capable of managing design coordination, vendor interfaces, mechanical construction, commissioning, and future scalability across multiple data center pods.

Key Responsibilities

1. Mechanical Program Leadership

• Lead the mechanical and cooling program across design, procurement, construction, commissioning, and handover.
• Own mechanical scope, schedule, budget, risk register, and interface management.
• Support phased deployment of multiple pods and campus-level cooling scalability.
• Coordinate mechanical requirements with IT load, electrical systems, CSA readiness, OEM requirements, and operational needs.

2. Cooling Infrastructure Delivery

• Oversee direct liquid cooling infrastructure, Coolant Distribution Units, and Technology Cooling System piping.
• Oversee facility water systems, dry coolers, adiabatic cooling systems, and trim chillers where applicable.
• Oversee pumps and hydronic systems, heat exchangers, expansion tanks, filtration, chemical treatment, and controls.
• Oversee cooling distribution headers and branch piping.

3. HVAC and Mechanical Systems

• Manage HVAC systems for electrical rooms, support spaces, admin areas, battery rooms, mechanical rooms, and other non-white-space areas.
• Coordinate ventilation, pressurization, filtration, and environmental control systems.
• Ensure maintainability and operational access for all mechanical systems.

4. Water and Utility Systems

• Coordinate water treatment, make-up water, storage, filtration, and chemical dosing systems.
• Support evaluation of water availability and consumption risks.
• Ensure water system design aligns with adiabatic assist, cooling performance, and local operating conditions.

5. Fire Protection and Life Safety Interfaces

• Coordinate with fire protection contractors and consultants for sprinkler systems, hydrant networks, fire pumps, clean agent systems, and mechanical interfaces.
• Ensure spatial and installation coordination between fire systems and other MEP services.

6. Equipment Vendor and OEM Coordination

• Coordinate with GPU rack OEMs, CDU vendors, dry cooler vendors, chiller vendors, pump suppliers, and controls vendors.
• Track design parameters such as supply temperature, flow, pressure, water quality, redundancy, and heat rejection capacity.
• Ensure facility-side cooling systems meet OEM requirements and future rack-density targets.

7. Construction and Installation Oversight

• Monitor mechanical installation progress and quality.
• Review piping routes, supports, flushing procedures, pressure testing, insulation, valve access, equipment installation, and controls integration.
• Resolve mechanical coordination issues with CSA and electrical teams.

8. Testing, Commissioning and Performance Validation

• Lead mechanical pre-commissioning, pressure testing, flushing, water treatment validation, functional testing, balancing, and performance testing.
• Support Integrated Systems Testing.
• Validate that cooling systems achieve required flow, pressure, temperature, redundancy, and control response.

9. Risk, Cost and Schedule Management

• Track mechanical package cost, schedule, procurement, risks, dependencies, and change orders.
• Identify risks related to cooling capacity, water availability, equipment lead times, installation quality, and commissioning.

Skill Requirements

• HVAC systems.
• Liquid cooling systems, CDUs, and technology cooling loops.
• Dry coolers and adiabatic cooling.
• Chilled water and hydronic systems.
• Pumps, piping, valves, heat exchangers, strainers, filters, and expansion systems.
• Water treatment and fluid quality management.
• Fire protection system interfaces.
• BMS and controls coordination.
• Mechanical testing, flushing, pressure testing, and balancing.
• Commissioning and IST process.
• Primavera P6 / MS Project familiarity.
• Contract and change management.

Soft Skills Required

• Ability to manage multiple contractors, vendors, and OEMs.
• Strong technical communication skills.
• Ability to translate cooling risks into schedule, cost, and business impacts.
• Strong analytical and root-cause problem-solving skills.
• Collaborative approach with electrical, CSA, IT, and operations teams.
• Ability to work under pressure during commissioning and issue resolution.
• High attention to detail.
• Proactive, accountable, and results-oriented mindset.
• Strong leadership, ownership mindset, and accountability.
• Excellent stakeholder management across a matrix organization.
• Clear written and verbal communication, with strong executive reporting capability.
• Sound decision-making under ambiguity and schedule pressure.
• Strong risk identification, mitigation, and escalation discipline — including the ability to communicate bad news early with a mitigation plan.
• Effective contractor management, commercial awareness, and negotiation skills.
• Strong conflict-resolution skills and discipline in follow-up and closure.

Other Requirements

• AI data center or high-density data center cooling.
• Liquid cooling infrastructure, including direct liquid cooling and CDU systems.
• Large hydronic systems.
• Dry coolers, adiabatic systems, chillers, and pumping plants.