Overview
Microsoft’s Cloud Operations & Innovation (CO+I) is the engine that powers our cloud services. As a CO+I Senior Mechanical Engineer, you will perform a key role in delivering the core infrastructure and foundational technologies for Microsoft's online services including Bing, Office 365, Xbox, OneDrive, and the Microsoft Azure platform.
Our infrastructure is comprised of a large global portfolio of more than 200 datacenters in 32 countries and millions of servers. Our foundation is built upon and managed by a team of subject matter experts working to support services for more than 1 billion customers and 20 million businesses in over 90 countries worldwide.
With environmental sustainability and optimization at the forefront of our datacenter design and operations, we continue to grow and evolve as we meet the ever-changing business demands that hold Microsoft as a world-class cloud provider.
Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond. About the Role
The Senior Mechanical Engineer is responsible for ensuring the safe, reliable, efficient, and compliant operation of critical mechanical infrastructure within Microsoft data centers in the Charlotte Metro. This role is the on-site technical authority for mechanical systems, providing engineering leadership for operations, maintenance, incident management, water efficiency, vendor oversight, construction support, and continuous improvement initiatives that protect safety, availability, redundancy, and operational excellence.
You will work alongside a team of industry professionals across the Information Technology (IT) and Critical Environment (CE) spectrum to support 24x7x365 data center operations. The mechanical systems you will support include:
- Chilled water plants, including chillers, pumps, hydronic distribution, and thermal storage
- Air handling systems, including air handling units, supply and fan wall units, economizers, and airflow management
- Liquid cooling systems for high-density compute, including coolant distribution units (CDUs) and secondary fluid loops
- Evaporative and adiabatic cooling, cooling water treatment, and Legionella risk management
- Generator mechanical systems, including diesel fuel storage, fuel polishing and level monitoring, and engine cooling
- Fire protection system interfaces and building management system (BMS) controls and sequences of operation
Responsibilities
Key Responsibilities
Operations, Maintenance, and Change Management
- Act as the technical authority for on-site operation of large-scale mechanical systems and designs.
- Serve as the final technical approver for mechanical Methods of Procedure (MOP), Method Statements of Work (MSOW), and high-risk maintenance activities.
- Review Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) and partner with CE Operations Managers (CEOMs) and CE Program Managers (CEPMs) to prioritize, schedule, mitigate risk, and execute corrective actions.
- Participate in Change Advisory Board (CAB) reviews and provide technical approval for changes impacting critical mechanical infrastructure.
- Establish and coordinate maintenance and safety procedures for redundant high-capacity cooling systems and backup power mechanical systems.
- Review preventive maintenance (PM) activities and reports to ensure compliance with manufacturer requirements and Microsoft operational standards.
- Monitor and trend mechanical system performance through the BMS, analyze alarms, validate control sequences and setpoints, and drive infrastructure reliability initiatives.
Incident Response
- Lead incident response for mechanical-related service events such as loss of cooling, thermal excursions, water leaks, and generator fuel or cooling issues.
- Perform root cause analysis (RCA) and drive corrective and preventive actions to closure.
- Support rotational on-call responsibilities and provide engineering leadership during high-severity incidents.
Water Efficiency and Sustainability
- Own site Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE) performance: track water consumption, identify savings opportunities, and implement improvements in evaporative cooling operation, cycles of concentration, and makeup and blowdown control.
- Partner with water treatment vendors to manage water chemistry, Legionella risk management, and sump and basin cleaning programs.
- Support Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) optimization through airflow management, economization, and setpoint optimization.
- Represent the site on water efficiency and sustainability working groups and share best practices across the Microsoft data center fleet.
Vendor and Contractor Management
- Assist with supplier selection and oversee mechanical supplier and contractor execution.
- Hold OEMs and service contractors accountable for safety, quality, scope, and schedule; review service reports, quotes, and scopes of work.
- Manage OEM escalations and warranty claims, and support critical spare parts strategies.
Engineering Programs and Documentation
- Collaborate with the Operations and Design teams to develop data center mechanical designs, from project conception to issue for construction (IFC), for new builds and major infrastructure upgrades.
- Manage mechanical engineering programs including equipment lifecycle and obsolescence planning, cooling capacity planning, and system reliability improvements.
- Maintain engineering documentation, building modifications, as-built drawings, and asset records within Microsoft systems and repositories.
Safety, Culture, and Team Development
- Empower a culture of safety, security, and compliance in all aspects of data center activities.
- Provide technical mentoring, equipment training, and professional development for Critical Environment technicians and engineers.
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on safety, security, availability, operational efficiency, and infrastructure resilience.
- Learn, live, and coach the One Microsoft culture and values. Lead through change by bringing clarity, generating energy, and delivering success.
Construction and Commissioning Support
- Partner with Design, Construction, Commissioning, and Operations teams throughout project delivery and turnover.
- Perform site inspections, punch walks, and operational readiness reviews to identify and resolve deficiencies before handover.
- Review mechanical designs, equipment submittals, OEM documentation, test and balance reports, and commissioning results to ensure operational suitability and maintainability.
- Participate in Level 3-5 commissioning activities, including integrated systems testing, and validate system performance prior to production service.
- Ensure Day-1 operating procedures, training requirements, documentation packages, BMS readiness, and turnover deliverables are completed before facility acceptance.
- Support successful integration of new infrastructure while maintaining operational safety, availability, and reliability standards.
Success in this role is measured by the safe operation, reliability, availability, efficiency, and continuous improvement of Microsoft's critical mechanical infrastructure while supporting business growth and operational excellence.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications:
- Doctorate in Mechanical Engineering, or related field OR Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, or related field AND 3+ years related technical engineering experience
- OR Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, or related field AND 4+ years related technical engineering experience
- OR equivalent experience.
Background Check Requirements:
Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements are required for this role. These requirements include, but are not limited to the following specialized security screenings:
- Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud background check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.
Preferred Qualifications:
- 10+ years related technical engineering experience
- OR Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, or related field AND 8+ years related technical engineering experience
- OR Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, or related field AND 6+ years related technical engineering experience
- OR Doctorate degree in Mechanical Engineering, or related field AND 4+ years related technical engineering experience
- OR equivalent experience.
Experience operating or maintaining mission-critical facilities such as data centers, hospitals, semiconductor, or manufacturing plants.
Hands-on knowledge of chilled water, air handling, liquid cooling, and evaporative cooling systems, including psychrometrics, thermodynamics, and fluid dynamics.
Experience with building management systems (BMS), controls sequences, and trend analysis.
Experience leading water efficiency or water treatment programs.
Experience managing vendors, OEMs, and service contractors.
Professional Engineer (PE) license, or the ability to obtain one.
Mechanical Engineering IC4 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $119,800 - $234,700 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $160,200 - $261,000 per year.
Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here: https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay
This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.
Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.