Sr. Engineer, Data Center

Job description

This role will be based in Ashburn, VA. At LinkedIn, our approach to flexible work is centered on trust and optimized for culture, connection, clarity, and the evolving needs of our business. The work location of this role is hybrid, meaning it will be performed both from home and from a LinkedIn office on select days, as determined by the business needs of the team. We are seeking a Data Center Engineer, Field Engineering to support owner-side infrastructure validation, commissioning and operational readiness for mission-critical data center facilities across North America. This hands-on, multidisciplinary field engineering role focuses on verifying that mechanical, electrical, cooling, controls, low-voltage, and white-space infrastructure is installed correctly, performs as designed, and is ready for safe and reliable operation. The role places particular emphasis on high-density computing environments, including liquid-cooled GPU and AI infrastructure. You will collaborate with engineering, construction, commissioning, operations, vendors, and equipment manufacturers to identify technical issues, evaluate system performance, determine root causes, validate corrective actions and drive issues through resolution. You will serve as an owner-side technical resource, bridging design intent, installed conditions, commissioning results and operational requirements. Success in this role requires engineering judgment, troubleshooting skills, attention to detail and the ability to communicate technical findings clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders. Responsibilities: Perform field engineering activities across data center mechanical, electrical, cooling, controls, low-voltage and white-space infrastructure. Review engineering drawings, specifications, equipment submittals, sequences of operation, and technical design packages. Verify installed conditions against approved designs, technical standards, manufacturer requirements, and operational needs. Identify installation discrepancies, integration concerns, technical risks, and potential operational impacts. Conduct technical field inspections focused on functionality, quality, maintainability, and readiness for testing and commissioning. Evaluate system performance and support troubleshooting and root-cause analysis for field and system-level issues. Document field observations, deficiencies, test results, and recommended corrective actions. Support issue resolution and verify that corrective actions satisfy design, performance, and operational requirements. Communicate technical findings through reports, issue logs, photographs, and stakeholder updates. Support validation and commissioning of liquid-cooling systems serving high-density compute, GPU, and AI environments. Evaluate CDUs, coolant distribution networks, rack-level cooling, manifolds, leak detection, controls, monitoring, and associated mechanical systems. Verify installations against approved drawings, specifications, sequences of operation, and manufacturer requirements. Assess temperatures, pressures, flow rates, instrumentation, alarms, control responses, and overall system performance. Troubleshoot leaks, cooling-performance deficiencies, control issues, sensor discrepancies, communication failures, and system-level anomalies. Support root-cause analysis, corrective-action development, and resolution validation. Collaborate with engineering, vendors, commissioning teams, and operations to confirm system performance and operational readiness. Support post-turnover monitoring, performance optimization, and reliability improvements. Basic Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience. Experience in field engineering, infrastructure engineering, commissioning, system validation, or data center engineering. Experience working in data center, mission-critical, industrial, manufacturing, utility, or similarly complex infrastructure environments. Experience with at least one major infrastructure discipline, including mechanical, electrical, cooling, controls, or low-voltage systems. Experience performing field inspections, installation verification, functional testing, commissioning support, or operational-readiness activities. Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, specifications, equipment submittals, sequences of operation, single-line diagrams, piping and controls diagrams, and technical design packages. Experience identifying and documenting field discrepancies, equipment faults, integration concerns, and system-performance issues. Experience supporting technical troubleshooting, root-cause analysis, corrective-action development, and resolution validation. Ability to communicate technical findings through reports, issue logs, photographs, and stakeholder updates. Ability to work safely in active data center and infrastructure environments. Ability and willingness to travel to project sites as required. Preferred Qualifications: Direct experience with data center white-space infrastructure and rack-ready environments. Experience with electrical distribution systems, including switchgear, PDUs, RPPs, busway, branch circuits, grounding, and rack-level power. Experience with mechanical and cooling systems, including chilled-water systems, air-handling equipment, pumps, heat exchangers, and associated controls. Experience with liquid cooling systems, including CDUs, coolant distribution networks, rack manifolds, leak detection, controls integration, and rack-level cooling. Experience supporting high-density compute, GPU, AI, or similar infrastructure environments. Familiarity with building management systems, electrical power monitoring systems, PLCs, controllers, sensors, alarms, and common communication protocols. Experience supporting commissioning, functional performance testing, integrated systems testing, or reliability validation. Familiarity with data center systems, including racks, servers, GPUs, structured cabling, fiber pathways, MMRs, and POP rooms. Experience working in live data center environments where technical activities must be coordinated with operational and uptime requirements. Suggested Skills: Field engineering Data center infrastructure knowledge Mechanical and electrical systems Liquid cooling systems Commissioning and system validation LinkedIn is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. The pay range for this role is $109,000 to $180,000. Actual compensation packages are based on several factors that are unique to each candidate, including but not limited to skill set, depth of experience, certifications, and specific work location. This may be different in other locations due to differences in the cost of labor. The total compensation package for this position may also include annual performance bonus, stock, benefits and/or other applicable incentive compensation plans. For more information, visit . Equal Opportunity Statement We seek candidates with a wide range of perspectives and backgrounds and we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. LinkedIn considers qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, sex, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, citizenship, or any other legally protected class. LinkedIn is committed to offering an inclusive and accessible experience for all job seekers, including individuals with disabilities. Our goal is to foster an inclusive and accessible workplace where everyone has the opportunity to be successful. If you need a reasonable accommodation to search for a job opening, apply for a position, or participate in the interview process, connect with us at and describe the specific accommodation requested for a disability-related limitation. Reasonable accommodations are modifications or adjustments to the application or hiring process that would enable you to fully participate in that process. 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However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by LinkedIn, or (c) consistent with LinkedIn's legal duty to furnish information. Pay Transparency Policy Statement ​ As a federal contractor, LinkedIn follows the Pay Transparency and non-discrimination provisions described at this link: . Global Data Privacy Notice for Job Candidates ​ Please follow this link to access the document that provides transparency around the way in which LinkedIn handles personal data of employees and job applicants: . Equal Opportunity Statement We seek candidates with a wide range of perspectives and backgrounds and we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. LinkedIn considers qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, sex, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, citizenship, or any other legally protected class. LinkedIn is committed to offering an inclusive and accessible experience for all job seekers, including individuals with disabilities. Our goal is to foster an inclusive and accessible workplace where everyone has the opportunity to be successful. If you need a Reasonable Accommodation to search for a job opening, apply for a position, or participate in the interview process, connect with us and describe the specific Accommodation requested for a disability-related limitation. Fill out an Accommodation request here: Reasonable accommodations are modifications or adjustments to the application or hiring process that would enable you to fully participate in that process. Examples of reasonable accommodations include but are not limited to: Documents in alternate formats or read aloud to you Having interviews in an accessible location Being accompanied by a service dog Having a sign language interpreter present for the interview A request for an accommodation will be responded to within three business days. However, non-disability related requests, such as following up on an application, will not receive a response. LinkedIn will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by LinkedIn, or (c) consistent with LinkedIn's legal duty to furnish information. San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance ​ Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, LinkedIn will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. Pay Transparency Policy Statement ​ As a federal contractor, LinkedIn follows the Pay Transparency and non-discrimination provisions described at this link: . Global Data Privacy Notice and Compliance Posters for Job Candidates Please use this link to access documents that provide information about how LinkedIn handles the personal data of employees and job applicants, as well as the E-Verify Participation Notice and the Department of Justice Immigrant and Employee Rights Section Right to Work posters: . LinkedIn is the world's largest professional network, built to create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce. Our products help people make powerful connections, discover exciting opportunities, build necessary skills, and gain valuable insights every day. We're also committed to providing transformational opportunities for our own employees by investing in their growth. We aspire to create a culture that's built on trust, care, inclusion, and fun – where everyone can succeed. Join us to transform the way the world works.