Senior Controls Engineer – Data Center Thermal System

About the Role

The engineer will architect control sequences for chiller plants, cooling distribution units, computer‑room air handlers, and liquid‑cooling loops, creating strategies that maximize energy efficiency while maintaining precise temperature and humidity setpoints and Tier III/IV redundancy. Responsibilities also include variable‑speed pump and fan control, valve sequencing, and thermal‑load balancing across the cooling infrastructure. Integration duties involve linking controls with Building Management Systems, DCIM platforms, and facility monitoring tools, overseeing commissioning activities such as I/O checkout, loop tuning, functional performance testing, and both factory and site acceptance testing. The senior engineer will serve as a subject‑matter expert, mentor junior staff, and collaborate with mechanical engineers, project managers, and customers to translate thermal requirements into robust solutions. • Architect and develop control sequences for chiller plants, CDUs, CRAHs, and liquid‑cooling loops. • Design energy‑efficient strategies that maintain precise temperature/humidity setpoints and Tier III/IV redundancy. • Program variable‑speed pump and fan controls, valve sequencing, and thermal load balancing. • Integrate controls with BMS, DCIM, and facility monitoring platforms. • Lead commissioning activities, including I/O checkout, loop tuning, and FAT/SAT testing. • Serve as subject‑matter expert and mentor junior engineers on controls best practices. • Collaborate with mechanical engineers, project managers, and customers to define thermal requirements. • Evaluate emerging technologies such as AI/ML‑based optimization and predictive maintenance. • Contribute to standardized control sequences and reusable code libraries.

Key Responsibilities

• ▸control sequencing
• ▸energy optimization
• ▸variable speed
• ▸bms integration
• ▸commissioning
• ▸sme mentoring

What You Bring

Johnson Controls is seeking an experienced Senior Controls Engineer to lead the design, development, and optimization of control systems for data‑center cooling infrastructure. The role focuses on intelligent, efficient thermal‑management solutions for high‑density computing environments, including advanced GPU clusters and liquid‑cooling systems. Required qualifications include a bachelor's degree in a relevant engineering field, at least seven years of controls engineering experience (four in data‑center or mission‑critical facilities), expert‑level PLC and DDC programming skills, and solid knowledge of chiller plant optimization, psychrometrics, and industrial communication protocols. Preferred credentials are a master’s degree, experience with liquid‑cooling technologies, a professional engineer license, and certifications such as Niagara 4 or Certified Energy Manager. • Required: B.S. in Engineering, 7+ years controls experience, expert PLC/DDC programming (Niagara, Siemens, Allen‑Bradley), chiller optimization knowledge, BACnet/Modbus/SNMP/OPC‑UA, ASHRAE data‑center guidelines. • Preferred: M.S. degree, liquid‑cooling system experience, PE license, Niagara 4 or CEM certification.

Requirements

• ▸b.s. eng
• ▸7 years
• ▸plc/ddc
• ▸niagara 4
• ▸pe license
• ▸liquid‑cooling

Benefits

The position offers the opportunity to work on cutting‑edge thermal solutions for hyperscale and enterprise data centers, a collaborative environment with industry‑leading engineers, professional development support, and a competitive compensation and benefits package. Johnson Controls is an equal‑opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion. • Benefits: work on hyperscale data‑center projects, professional development, competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits.

Work Environment

Onsite