Mechanical Engineer / Mechanical Operations Subject Matter Expert (Data Centers)

About Decima International

Decima International is a professional services company specializing in project management and controls services for clients in the United States and the Middle East. The company aims to be a premier professional services provider across its engaged industry sectors by fostering client partnerships, attracting talented professionals, and regulating growth to maintain service excellence.

Job Overview: Mechanical Engineer / Mechanical Operations Subject Matter Expert (Data Centers)

Decima International is seeking an experienced Mechanical Engineer / Mechanical Operations Subject Matter Expert (SME) to support mission-critical data center projects. This full-time role, based in Riyadh, requires strong knowledge of mechanical infrastructure for Tier III and Tier IV data centers, focusing on design review, commissioning, operational readiness, and facility operations. The position involves evaluating operational risks, developing procedures, and supporting clients throughout the facility lifecycle. This is a future opportunity associated with the planned launch of operations in Saudi Arabia.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide technical expertise for critical mechanical systems, including chilled water plants, CRAH/CRAC systems, cooling towers, pumps, heat exchangers, evaporative cooling systems, HVAC equipment, fuel systems, and fire protection systems.
• Review mechanical designs for operability, maintainability, reliability, and alignment with client operational standards.
• Participate in design reviews, constructability reviews, commissioning readiness reviews, operational readiness assessments, project meetings, and technical workshops.
• Evaluate mechanical system performance, operational risk, maintenance access, redundancy, resilience, and reliability objectives.
• Develop and improve preventive maintenance strategies for critical mechanical infrastructure.
• Review maintenance procedures, operating practices, commissioning reports, test scripts, and operational acceptance documentation.
• Develop, review, edit, and approve Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Emergency Operating Procedures (EOPs), and Methods of Procedure (MOPs), ensuring alignment with client standards, applicable codes, safety requirements, and industry best practices.
• Conduct technical reviews of procedures for operational accuracy, safety, risk mitigation, and alignment with actual facility configurations.
• Facilitate procedure validation exercises, tabletop reviews, operational readiness workshops, and cross-functional technical reviews.
• Support change management and operational governance programs related to mechanical systems, maintenance activities, and facility operations.
• Verify that mechanical systems operate in accordance with design intent, approved sequences, client requirements, and operational reliability objectives.
• Prepare clear and technically accurate documentation, including engineering reports, risk assessments, operating procedures, technical evaluations, and review comments.
• Serve as a trusted technical advisor to clients and coordinate with engineering, commissioning, construction, contractor, project management, and operations teams.
• Support business development activities by providing mechanical technical expertise during client engagements, where required.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related engineering discipline.
• 10+ years of experience in mechanical engineering, mechanical operations, commissioning, mission-critical engineering, or facility operations.
• Minimum 5+ years of direct data center or critical facilities operations experience.
• Strong understanding of mechanical infrastructure supporting critical facilities and Tier III / Tier IV data centers.
• Demonstrated experience developing, reviewing, and validating SOPs, EOPs, and MOPs.
• Technical knowledge of chilled water plants, CRAH/CRAC systems, cooling towers, pumps, heat exchangers, evaporative cooling systems, HVAC equipment, fuel systems, and fire protection systems.
• Experience evaluating mechanical systems for operational risk, redundancy, resiliency, maintainability, reliability, and compliance with operational requirements.
• Ability to review mechanical designs, commissioning documentation, test procedures, maintenance practices, operating procedures, and technical reports.
• Familiarity with mission-critical and data center standards, codes, and operational practices, including ASHRAE, NFPA, ISO, IEC, Uptime Institute Tier Standards, TIA-942, BICSI, local authority requirements, and applicable international building, mechanical, electrical, and fire codes.
• Ability to apply engineering standards to data center design, commissioning, operations, maintenance, operational readiness, and emergency response.
• Strong understanding of change management, Permit-to-Work systems, Lockout/Tagout, risk assessments, incident response, root cause analysis, preventive maintenance, and continuous improvement.
• Excellent technical writing, documentation, communication, and presentation skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally as required.

Preferred Attributes

• Experience supporting hyperscale, colocation, enterprise, or mission-critical facilities in Saudi Arabia or the broader GCC region.
• Ability to work effectively with clients, contractors, commissioning authorities, facility operations teams, and multidisciplinary project teams.
• Strong troubleshooting, problem-solving, organizational, and time management skills.

Application Information

This position is part of Decima International's anticipated expansion in KSA and is not currently active. By applying, candidates acknowledge that this is a future opportunity and not an offer of immediate employment. Decima International is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to the safety and well-being of all applicants.