A data center engineer is a person who works for a company and is responsible for the design and maintenance of a data center. Depending on the specific job role that is desired, this broad professional title can mean a variety of things. In general, a data center engineer will either maintain the structural edifice that houses a data center, or work on the data center’s technology and hardware components, or a combination of both.
Data center engineers may be primarily responsible for maintaining the physical space in which the data center operates. These individuals may be questioned about their HVAC credentials, as well as their electrical credentials and other qualifications related to building design and maintenance. On a daily basis, some of these people will be involved in specific data center structure maintenance programs.
Other data center engineer professionals may be more involved in the actual data center’s maintenance. Some of these professionals will be responsible for the ongoing calibration, monitoring, and evaluation of servers used in data centers. These individuals may also be tasked with evaluating data center energy efficiency, optimal data center environmental conditions, or broader data center renovations to make them more efficient.
Outside departments such as management, IT handlers, and even sales departments may be asked to collaborate with data center engineers. Advanced degrees in engineering and information technology are common among these professionals. They’ll be expected to have a thorough understanding of mechanical and electrical systems, not just for structural maintenance, but also for maintaining the data center’s various accessories and hardware components.
Those working on data center engineering may also be required to perform cost calculations and participate in some business accounting practices. A data center engineer may be involved on a consulting basis when a business budget relates to the needs of a data center. Employers will frequently require these professionals to have strong verbal and written communication skills, as well as good organizational skills, a wide range of computer skills, and a high level of literacy, including a working knowledge of building maintenance and data center operations jargon.