Principal or Associate Electrical Engineer (Data Centres and Mission Critical)

About us

Hoare Lea is a human-centric and planet-conscious engineering consultancy. We offer intelligent and sustainable solutions to complex design challenges for the built environment throughout the UK and further afield.

We provide a wide range of engineering and consultancy services including acoustics air quality building services (MEP) fire lighting security and sustainability to name but a few. Together our highly skilled teams use technical expertise and problem-solving skills to bring buildings to life. We ensure that whatever the building its design is outstanding and its operations meet the needs of the communities it serves.

We are as committed to providing an environment where everyone can realise their unique potential. So in joining Hoare Lea you will experience a business that enriches your knowledge supports your wellbeing and welcomes your individuality. Youll have the opportunity to participate in our 9-day fortnight scheme thriving community groups varied social and networking events and extensive professional and technical development schemes. We also offer an extensive benefits package including private medical cover an electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme stock options and 25 days of annual leave (increasing with service) alongside flexible and hybrid working.

Whatever your ambitions or circumstances our aim is to enable everyone to develop their knowledge give their best and enjoy what they do.

About the role

We have an exciting opportunity for a Principal / Associate Electrical Engineer to join our Data Centre & Mission Critical (MCDC) team at Hoare Lea.

Data centres are central to the modern economy and the technology that powers them is evolving rapidly. Our Mission Critical team helps clients navigate these changing requirements. At Hoare Lea youll gain a truly unique experience working across the full spectrum of the datacentre sector from early-stage site appraisal masterplanning and feasibility studies through detailed design live plant upgrades testfits commissioning and operational optimisation. This breadth means youll work on single-building and campus-scale schemes hyperscale colocation and enterprise/research clients and be exposed to cuttingedge topics such as AIready cooling highdensity power architectures and lowcarbon integration.

Youll work across complex live plant upgrades grey and white space in facilities electrical design critical engineering and duediligence reviews of existing facilities. Projects span mainly in the UK but also across Ireland and Europe.

You will join a collaborative knowledgeable and highly engaged team with a positive supportive and flexible culture. Working alongside the Project Leader you will engage directly with clients develop designs and produce reports specifications and guidance and support testing and commissioning activities to deliver consistent highquality outcomes.

In this key and varied role you will

• Own day-to-day technical delivery of electrical design services for data centre and missioncritical projects.
• Lead development of initial strategic concepts that meet the brief and regulatory requirements.
• Act as a clientfacing engineer: attend project meetings interpret and communicate the brief and maintain stakeholder relationships.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary inputs (sustainability acoustics fire engineering security etc.) to deliver integrated building and campus solutions.
• Prepare and review design deliverables specifications and technical reports and contribute to proposals scope development and bid content.
• Provide pragmatic technical input during earlystage site appraisals masterplanning and testfit studies.
• Oversee testing commissioning and handover activities to maintain resilience and uptime.
• Support monitoring of fee expenditure resource allocation and project delivery alongside the team leader.
• Mentor and develop nextgen professionals including apprentices and graduates.

About you

To be successful in this role youll need:

• Proven experience as an Electrical Engineer (or closely related role) delivering Mission Critical and Data Centre projects.
• Experience with modern technical delivery processes and software/tools such as Revit BIM workflows Electrical OM Dialux and Relux.
• Demonstrable client-facing consultancy experience working with clients contractors and architects on design-led projects.
• Strong technical judgement self-awareness a collaborative mindset and an open generous approach to teamwork.
• Experience mentoring and supporting others to develop knowledge skills and confidence.

Desired specialist experience:

• Experience in mission critical and data centre engineering across new-build live operational upgrades technical due diligence feasibility studies and test fits.
• Exposure to large-scale multi-megawatt data centre developments from single 3040MW buildings through to campus schemes in the 100600MW range.
• Understanding of hyperscale colocation and enterprise/research data centre environments and differing client drivers around resilience flexibility speed to market and scalability.
• Experience of early-stage site appraisal masterplanning and test-fit studies assessing site constraints utility availability incoming power planning topography flood risk and plant strategy.
• Knowledge of critical power and cooling infrastructure including HV/MV systems substations UPS generators PDUs cooling plant and resilient distribution strategies.
• Experience designing for resilience and uptime including single points-of-failure reviews FMEA concurrent maintainability and Tier-aligned design thinking.
• Interest or practical experience in high-density and AI-ready infrastructure (liquid cooling direct-to-chip immersion cooling hybrid air/water solutions).
• Capability delivering works in live operational environments plant replacement refurbishment and phased upgrades while maintaining critical services and uptime.
• Experience of complex campus-scale developments and coordinating multidisciplinary inputs (planning utilities sustainability acoustics air quality fire engineering security infrastructure).
• Appreciation of energy efficiency and sustainability in mission-critical design PUE reduction low-carbon strategies renewables integration heat reuse water efficiency and BREEAM / net-zero objectives.
• Experience working across the UK; interest or experience in international markets (particularly mainland Europe and the Nordics) is desirable.

If this sounds like you and you want to help shape resilient future-ready data centre infrastructure wed love to hear from you.

How to apply

To apply simply complete a CV profile and submit your application or for further information please contact

If shortlisted one of our recruitment team will be in touch to arrange an introductory call (about 30 minutes) to discuss the role and your experience in more detail. From there successful candidates will be invited to attend a panel interview either via Microsoft Teams or in person at one of our offices. We aim to provide feedback at each stage of the process.

Adjustments and accommodations

If there are adjustments or accommodations that we can put in place to help you participate and give your best at any stage of the recruitment process (whether relating to disability neurodivergence or anything else) please let us know.

Data privacy

We have updated our terms and conditions for candidatesclick here to find out more.

Recruitment agencies

We have a Preferred Supplier List of trusted partners who assist us when required. We do not acknowledge speculative CVs or unsolicited candidate introductions from agencies not on the list.

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