Data Center Controls Engineer (BMS EPMS)

About the Team

OpenAI is building the infrastructure foundation for the next generation of AI. The Data Center Engineering team defines the strategy reference architectures technical requirements and delivery standards for the large-scale data centers that support OpenAI research products and infrastructure partners.

As a Data Center Controls Engineer you will program configure integrate and commission the controls systems that support high-density AI data centers. You will work hands-on with mechanical or electrical controls partnering with mechanical electrical IT/networking security commissioning operations and external delivery teams.

About the Role

We are seeking hands-on early-career controls engineers with practical experience in building management systems (BMS) and mechanical controls or electrical power monitoring systems (EPMS) and electrical controls. This role focuses on implementing and commissioning control systems including PLCs field devices instrumentation and sequences of operation rather than owning OT/IT network or cybersecurity architecture.

The ideal candidate has day-to-day experience programming and commissioning controls ideally with a controls systems integrator. We welcome depth in either BMS/mechanical or EPMS/electrical controls; expertise in both is not required. You will work with experienced engineers and delivery partners to turn design requirements into reliable tested systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Program and configure PLCs and control systems for mechanical/BMS or electrical/EPMS applications in AI data center campuses.

• Implement and test sequences of operation control logic alarms and interlocks against approved functional requirements.

• Review and maintain controls documentation including control diagrams I/O and point lists instrumentation details sequences of operation and commissioning records.

• Integrate field devices sensors instrumentation equipment controllers and supervisory systems; validate point mapping communications and data quality.

• Maintain control programs configuration backups version history change records and rollback procedures to support safe commissioning and operations.

• Partner with mechanical electrical IT/networking cybersecurity and operations teams to resolve integration issues and implement approved OT connectivity and security requirements.

• Configure and troubleshoot relevant industrial communications such as BACnet/IP BACnet MS/TP Modbus TCP/RTU OPC UA or IEC 61850 according to the system and controls discipline.

• Work directly with controls integrators equipment vendors contractors and commissioning teams to resolve programming installation and functional performance issues.

• Execute and document factory and site acceptance testing point-to-point checks sequence verification and integrated systems testing; troubleshoot control logic instrumentation alarms and device communication failures.

Qualifications

• Practical hands-on experience programming configuring integrating or commissioning control systems in data centers industrial automation buildings or other critical infrastructure environments.

• Working knowledge of PLC programming and control logic with the ability to implement and troubleshoot sequences of operation.

• Experience in either BMS/mechanical controls or EPMS/electrical controls with an understanding of the equipment and operating sequences in that discipline.

• Experience configuring field devices and instrumentation validating I/O and point mapping and diagnosing control system behavior.

• Working knowledge of relevant industrial communication protocols and basic OT networking needed to connect and troubleshoot control systems.

• Ability to read control diagrams equipment documentation I/O lists and functional specifications and keep implementation records accurate.

• Hands-on experience with functional testing commissioning and systematic troubleshooting using trends alarms logs and field observations.

• Ability to work closely with integrators vendors construction teams and operations communicate issues clearly and follow safe work and change-control practices.

• Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering Electrical Engineering Controls or Automation Engineering or a related discipline or equivalent practical experience.

Preferred Skills

• Experience at a controls systems integrator with regular responsibility for programming configuration field integration and commissioning.

• Experience delivering BMS/mechanical or EPMS/electrical controls for data centers or other mission-critical facilities.

• Familiarity with supervisory controls HMI/SCADA configuration telemetry and historian integrations.

• Familiarity with OT cybersecurity practices and working with networking or security specialists to implement approved access and connectivity requirements.

• Experience with scripting APIs or automation tools that improve controls testing integration documentation or troubleshooting.

Work Environment and Travel

• This role requires periodic travel to data center campuses vendors labs construction sites commissioning activities and controls/network cutovers.

• The engineer should be comfortable working across office lab construction and live data center environments including PPE lockout/tagout cyber hygiene and change-control requirements.

• Work may include time-sensitive support during commissioning startup vendor testing cutovers network changes telemetry issues automation failures and operational events.

Travel: 50%

About OpenAI

OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company dedicated to ensuring that general-purpose artificial intelligence benefits all of humanity. We push the boundaries of the capabilities of AI systems and seek to safely deploy them to the world through our products. AI is an extremely powerful tool that must be created with safety and human needs at its core and to achieve our mission we must encompass and value the many different perspectives voices and experiences that form the full spectrum of humanity.

We are an equal opportunity employer and we do not discriminate on the basis of race religion color national origin sex sexual orientation age veteran status disability genetic information or other applicable legally protected characteristic.

For additional information please see OpenAIs Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Statement.

Background checks for applicants will be administered in accordance with applicable law and qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment consistent with those laws including the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act for US-based candidates. For unincorporated Los Angeles County workers: we reasonably believe that criminal history may have a direct adverse and negative relationship with the following job duties potentially resulting in the withdrawal of a conditional offer of employment: protect computer hardware entrusted to you from theft loss or damage; return all computer hardware in your possession (including the data contained therein) upon termination of employment or end of assignment; and maintain the confidentiality of proprietary confidential and non-public addition job duties require access to secure and protected information technology systems and related data security obligations.

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Required Experience:

IC