layiq

/la·yiq/adjective

worthy; deserving; fitting; suitable.

A role, opportunity, or path that merits attention, time, and pursuit.

Director, Data Center Electrical Engineering at Keel Infrastructure | LAYIQ

Engineering Leadership & Standards
Develop and own the company's electrical engineering design standards, basis-of-design documentation, and technical specifications governing all electrical systems across new data center development.
Establish and enforce electrical design criteria for critical power path systems: utility service entrance, medium-voltage switchgear, unit substation transformers, low-voltage switchgear and switchboards, UPS systems, static transfer switches (STS), PDUs, and IT busway/whip distribution.
Define standards for backup power infrastructure including diesel generator plants, automatic transfer switches (ATS), and battery energy storage systems (BESS).
Drive continuous improvement of power usage effectiveness (PUE) through efficient electrical system design, transformer loss optimization, and power factor management.
Lead evaluation, selection, and standardization of electrical equipment and systems across the portfolio to maximize reliability, reduce spare parts complexity, and improve procurement leverage.
Project Execution
Provide electrical engineering leadership and technical review across all project phases, from site feasibility and schematic design through design development, construction documents, and commissioning.
Review and approve electrical design packages from external engineers of record (EORs), ensuring compliance with company standards, NEC, NFPA 70/75/76, and jurisdictional requirements.
Oversee the development of single-line diagrams, system architectures, and load schedules as living design documents throughout the project lifecycle.
Lead electrical value engineering efforts, balancing first cost, lifecycle cost, equipment lead times, reliability, and schedule across each project.
Support RFP development, bid evaluation, and contractor/vendor selection for electrical scopes of work; review electrical subcontractor qualifications and proposed means and methods.
Oversee electrical construction administration including submittal review, RFI responses, field design changes, and coordination with the commissioning team during startup and energization.
Team & Stakeholder Management
Build, mentor, and lead an internal electrical engineering team as the company's development pipeline grows.
Manage relationships with external electrical engineers of record, specialty consultants (protection and relay, arc flash, power quality), equipment manufacturers, and utility contacts.
Collaborate with mechanical engineering to coordinate power requirements for cooling infrastructure, including chilled water plant electrical loads, VFD integration, and BMS/EPMS power interfaces.
Partner with commissioning to ensure electrical systems are designed for testability, including provisions for temporary load banks, metering points, relay test switches, and isolation capability for IST.
Present electrical design strategies, system architecture decisions, and capital investment recommendations to executive leadership and, where applicable, to customers and investors.
Innovation & Technology Roadmap
Evaluate and develop the company's strategy for high-density power distribution to support AI/HPC workloads — including 415V busway, direct 480V rack-level distribution, high-ampacity overhead busway systems, and 800VDC integration.
Develop roadmap for integration of battery energy storage systems (BESS) to support grid resiliency, demand response, and sustainability goals.
Monitor and respond to evolving NEC, NFPA, IEEE, and utility interconnection requirements across key development markets; update company standards accordingly.
Participate in relevant industry organizations (7x24 Exchange, NFPA, IEEE, Uptime Institute) and contribute to thought leadership.

Experience & Background
12+ years of progressive electrical engineering experience.
Demonstrated experience leading electrical design on hyperscale, colocation, or enterprise data center projects.
Experience as a technical owner or discipline lead, not just a contributor, on large capital projects.
Prior experience managing or mentoring engineering staff and external consultants.
Technical Knowledge
Deep knowledge of data center electrical distribution architectures.
Proficiency in medium-voltage system design.
Strong knowledge of UPS systems, battery systems, and static and mechanical transfer switch technologies.
Experience with backup power systems including diesel generator sizing, fuel systems, and generator controls integration.
Experience with electrical system modeling, including arc flash hazard analysis (NFPA 70E), short circuit studies, load flow analysis, and power quality assessments.
Familiarity with SCADA, EPMS, and BMS integration requirements for electrical infrastructure monitoring and control.
Leadership & Competencies
Ability to translate complex electrical engineering concepts for non-technical audiences including executives and investors.
Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects and competing priorities simultaneously.
Excellent written and verbal communication; experience authoring design standards and technical specifications.
Collaborative mindset with experience working cross-functionally in fast-paced development environments.
Educational Requirements
Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
Professional Engineer (PE) license strongly preferred.
Professional certifications (CDCDP, PMP, ATD, LEED AP, DCEP, or similar) are a significant asset.
Key Success Metrics
Performance in this role will be evaluated against the following outcomes: Standards Development — Publish company-wide electrical design standards.
PUE Performance — Achieve or exceed target annualized PUE for new facilities.
Design Schedule Adherence — Electrical design packages issued on schedule, measured against approved project milestones.
Quality outcomes — Facility delivered to Keel’s design specifications and critical infrastructure standards, with complete documentation and as-builts at handover.
Commissioning readiness — Successful L0–L5 commissioning execution and timely system handover to operations teams.
Stakeholder confidence — Clear, consistent, and accurate reporting to the VP of Engineering and senior leadership; strong working relationships with the owner’s rep, GC, engineering partners, and municipal stakeholders.
Risk management — Proactive identification and mitigation of project risks ahead of critical path impact.
Work Arrangement
Location: Remote
Schedule: On-site (NYC HQ) a minimum of one week per month.
Travel: Occasional travel to other Keel sites or vendor/partner locations as required.
NYC
$220,000 — $285,000 USD

Director, Data Center Electrical Engineering

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