Data Center Build Engineer - Memphis, TN

About xAI · xAI's mission is to create AI systems that can accurately understand the universe and aid humanity in its pursuit of knowledge. Our team is small, highly motivated, and focused on engineering excellence. This organization is for individuals who appreciate challenging ...

Job description

About xAI

xAI's mission is to create AI systems that can accurately understand the universe and aid humanity in its pursuit of knowledge. Our team is small, highly motivated, and focused on engineering excellence. This organization is for individuals who appreciate challenging themselves and thrive on curiosity. We operate with a flat organizational structure. All employees are expected to be hands-on and to contribute directly to the company's mission. Leadership is given to those who show initiative and consistently deliver excellence. Work ethic and strong prioritization skills are important. All employees are expected to have strong communication skills. They should be able to concisely and accurately share knowledge with their teammates.

About The Role

As a Data Center Build Engineer at xAI, you will be integral to the development and realization of our cutting-edge data centers. This role offers the chance to collaborate closely with construction teams, vendors, and internal stakeholders, addressing intricate coordination challenges to meet stringent project timelines and quality benchmarks. You'll immerse yourself in technical intricacies, optimize processes, and ensure seamless operations, directly contributing to the infrastructure that fuels xAI's transformative AI solutions and advances human scientific discovery on a global scale.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate communication between contractors, vendors, and xAI teams—think region-wide updates on safety, access, or procedural shifts, plus real-time troubleshooting of multi-site dependencies in a hyperscaler ecosystem.
• Track and manage design changes, RFIs, change orders, and milestones, building dashboards for leadership visibility—integrating live data feeds from BIM tools, IoT sensors, and project management platforms for predictive analytics.
• Review and optimize MOPs (Methods of Procedure) for risk and precision, ensuring safe execution of high-voltage systems, cooling infrastructure, and AI hardware deployments at scale.
• Onboard vendors and manage hyperscale logistics—handling badging, orientation, and compliance with strict SLAs, while aligning third-party schedules with rapid deployment cycles.
• Maintain and enhance project data ecosystems—milestones, docs, and vendor inputs—within cloud-based systems, ensuring real-time access and version control across global teams.
• Oversee delivery and integration of critical materials—think GPU clusters, liquid cooling rigs, and fiber optic backbone—coordinating just-in-time logistics to minimize downtime in 24/7 build schedules.
• Run checklists and audits for completion, safety, and quality, enforcing standards for seismic resilience, power redundancy (e.g., N+1, 2N), and thermal efficiency tailored to AI workloads.
• Be the daily bridge between construction crews and xAI's goals, translating technical requirements—like rack density or PUE targets—into actionable onsite plans while resolving design and construction conflicts in the field in real-time.
• Drive continuous improvement—identify bottlenecks in workflows, propose automation for repetitive tasks (e.g., RFI tracking via scripts), and adapt processes to hyperscale's iterative design-build cadence.
• Liaise with engineering teams on cutting-edge infrastructure—support commissioning of bespoke systems like advanced HVAC, renewable energy tie-ins, or modular data hall designs, ensuring seamless handoff to operations.
• Own the full project lifecycle—from scoping and budgeting to on-time, under-budget delivery—performing project control tasks like scheduling, cost tracking, and providing preliminary cost estimates based on scope.
• Facilitate approvals and stakeholder alignment—navigate city, county, and governmental permitting processes, gather proposals from architects and engineers, and coordinate with end users and facilities teams for operational handoff.
• Develop enterprise-wide tools and strategies—support space allocation, real estate planning, and adjudication processes across xAI's data center portfolio, taking on ad-hoc projects as business needs evolve.

Required Qualifications

• A four-year degree in a technical field such as engineering, construction management, or a trade school OR 4+ years of related construction experience in lieu of a degree.
• 3+ years of experience working in the construction industry or an engineering organization.
• Experience updating and managing construction data including milestone dates, requests for information (RFI), design changes, and change orders.

Preferred Qualifications

• 5+ years total experience, with 2–4+ years specifically in data center, hyperscale, mission-critical, or high-tech industrial construction (e.g., GPU/AI compute facilities, high-density power/cooling projects).
• Project Management certification (e.g., PMP) or data center-specific credentials (e.g., CDCMP, DCDC, BICSI DCDC, or relevant MEP/power certifications).
• Proven experience with critical infrastructure systems: high-voltage/power redundancy (N+1/2N), liquid cooling, HVAC optimization (PUE targets), seismic design, fiber optics, or commissioning of bespoke AI hardware setups.
• Hands-on familiarity with tools like BIM (e.g., Revit), Procore/Primavera, IoT/sensor data integration, dashboards, or basic scripting/automation for project tracking.
• Experience in fast-track/hyperscale environments: just-in-time logistics, vendor onboarding in regulated settings, multi-site coordination, permitting/governmental approvals, or iterative design-build cycles.
• Strong emphasis on safety/quality (MOPs, audits, checklists) and continuous improvement (bottleneck resolution, process automation).

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