Sr. Principal Controls Engineer- Data Center Design and Innovation

Oracle is a company leading the development of AI and cloud solutions that combine data, infrastructure, applications, and expertise. The Sr. Principal Controls Engineer will define controls architecture and engineering standards for OCI's hyperscale data centers, lead controls software and platform innovation, and drive reliability, automation, analytics, and thermal management initiatives. The role provides influential technical leadership across multiple engineering, operations, vendor, and partner organizations without direct people management responsibilities.

Responsibilities:

• Define and evolve the technical architecture for BMS and EMPS controls systems across OCI's global data center portfolio
• Develop long-term controls and automation roadmaps supporting hyperscale cloud and AI infrastructure growth
• Establish standardized controls philosophies, software frameworks, integration architectures, and deployment models
• Drive innovation in software-driven infrastructure management focused on resiliency, automation, telemetry, observability, and operational efficiency
• Provide technical leadership for controls integration across mechanical, electrical, thermal, and critical infrastructure systems
• Develop global engineering standards, design guidelines, software requirements, and integration protocols for BMS/EMPS platforms
• Define controls cybersecurity, alarming, telemetry, redundancy, and data integrity requirements for mission-critical operations
• Create scalable design patterns that ensure consistency across regions, vendors, and deployment models
• Establish validation, testing, commissioning, and lifecycle management practices for controls software and hardware platforms
• Lead technical development of next-generation controls platforms, automation systems, and operational analytics capabilities
• Drive adoption of intelligent monitoring, predictive analytics, automated optimization, and AI-enabled operational controls
• Partner with software engineering teams to define data architectures, APIs, visualization platforms, and enterprise integrations
• Design scalable approaches for fleet-wide controls management, remote operations, and digital infrastructure visibility
• Evaluate and qualify controls vendors, hardware platforms, and software technologies
• Define interoperability requirements, performance benchmarks, and technology selection criteria
• Collaborate with manufacturers and strategic partners to drive innovation and influence future product roadmaps
• Conduct technical reviews and provide expert guidance during vendor engagements and product evaluations
• Serve as a trusted technical advisor across engineering, operations, commissioning, construction, manufacturing, and software teams
• Lead complex technical initiatives spanning multiple disciplines and organizations
• Review designs, resolve critical technical issues, and provide subject matter expertise throughout project lifecycles
• Mentor engineers and contribute to the development of OCI's controls engineering community
• Ensures response to data center build and construction related emergencies as needed
• Oversees design and debug investigations and support failure analysis and resolution activities
• Leads the research of new designs, materials, and construction methods for data center equipment and related components, including site and building
• Spearheads the identification of and monitors the need for new tools to improve the quality of data and analytics
• Architects and evaluates new power and advanced cooling technologies that enable the delivery of artificial intelligence (AI) products and other technologies driving up density and performance in data centers
• Drives the development of optimal components and solutions for future OCI fleet requirements by partners (e.g., technology providers and design partners)
• Spearheads the identification of opportunities to generate intellectual property to help strengthen OCI's position as a leader in Cloud Computing
• Drives the development of OCI data center facilities requirements documentation
• Oversees product evaluation
• Ensures that quality benchmarks are upheld for new sites, regions, and/or deployments
• Drives implementation of updates to design standards and specifications for consistency, maximum system reliability and optimal facility utilization
• Monitors adherence to global data center infrastructure standards
• Ensures adherence to whitespace design standards
• Leads communication and collaboration with third-party vendors (e.g., data center lease providers, equipment manufacturers), internal cross-functional stakeholders, and data center engineering organizational team
• Ensures the translation of team needs into program goals
• Leads the prioritization of deliverables based on OCI priorities and industry/historical insights
• Drives success criteria and performance metrics (e.g., OKRs, KPIs) for feature areas and works across multiple business lines (e.g., Hardware Development, Engineering, Procurement, Data Center Software Analytics) to ensure objectives are supported
• Leads partnership cross-functionally (e.g., data center design, construction, mechanical/electrical engineering teams) to ensure the provision of optimized, scalable cooling solutions, as well as thermal solutions optimized for the entire stack
• Ensures alignment with power and cooling standards (e.g., input voltage, rack density, heat rejection, power consumption) for OCI shapes throughout data center fleet
• Leads the review of thermal simulation models from partners to identify risks and improve efficiency
• Ensures alignment of OCI thermal hardware design and data center physical infrastructure
• Leads collaboration with multifunctional engineering groups to deliver hardware and data center sites that meet the associated thermal specifications
• Leads collaboration with firmware and controls engineering teams to create robust thermal control and monitoring systems
• Contributes to high-level thermal design direction and data center strategy for complex systems (e.g., general purpose compute, high-performance computing [HPC], other specialized programs)
• Manages and provides direction on timelines, deliverables, and budgets when applicable for critical high-impact projects or initiatives that impact the line of business, ensuring timely completion and adherence to requirements. Anticipates and plans for shifts in resources or timelines based on changing business priorities, ensuring optimal outcomes
• Influences cross-functional leaders and external stakeholders to gain alignment on strategic objectives. Fosters partnerships with key business leaders, stakeholders, and/or customers, identifying opportunities for expanding partnerships and promoting long-term organizational success. Champions transparency and inclusivity by actively seeking, listening to, and incorporating diverse perspectives
• Leads specialized, advanced problem-solving efforts, serving as an escalation point for complex issues. Guides others to leverage innovative data-driven techniques to address ambiguous or novel issues, identify root causes, and drives the implementation of solutions that prevent future issues
• Leverages deep industry knowledge and expertise to serve as a thought leader within the organization. Contributes to the advancement of the field or industry through thought leadership (e.g., conference presentations, white papers, research contributions). Maintains and evolves expertise in relevant areas by proactively monitoring emerging trends, technologies, and industry standards, ensuring the organization remains current with best practices. Champions continuous learning and knowledge sharing, promoting professional development across teams. Applies new knowledge to drive advancement and mentors others to do the same
• Develops innovative solutions and drives the implementation of ideas that increase the efficiency and effectiveness of processes, protocols, and workflows across the organization. Evaluates effectiveness of updated approaches and methods for continued improvement to enhance efficiencies and ensure changes align with organizational goals. Designs and develops metrics to measure success of improvement initiatives
• Serves as a subject matter expert regarding talent needs and organizational talent strategy. Imparts leadership and expert knowledge throughout the talent development pipeline including candidate interviews, candidate assessment, and hiring decisions, ensuring alignment with organizational talent strategy

Requirements:

• Deep expertise in BMS, EMPS, SCADA, PLC, or mission-critical controls systems within hyperscale data centers, industrial infrastructure, or large-scale critical facilities
• Proven experience designing controls architectures and engineering standards for large-scale infrastructure deployments
• Strong understanding of mechanical and electrical plant operations, thermal systems, power infrastructure, and mission-critical reliability requirements
• Experience developing controls software strategies, automation platforms, telemetry systems, and operational analytics solutions
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex cross-functional technical initiatives through influence and technical expertise
• Strong vendor evaluation and technology assessment experience across controls hardware and software ecosystems
• Excellent technical communication, problem-solving, and stakeholder management skills
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high-growth, highly technical environment
• Experience supporting hyperscale or GW-scale data center infrastructure
• Familiarity with AI/HPC infrastructure, liquid cooling, and high-density compute environments
• Experience with digital twins, advanced analytics, machine learning, or autonomous infrastructure operations
• Knowledge of global regulatory and compliance standards related to controls systems and critical infrastructure
• Background in cloud infrastructure, industrial automation, or large-scale critical facilities engineering