Senior Commissioning Manager – Data Center / Mission Critical Projects
CAI is a 100% employee-owned company established in 1996, that has grown year over year to almost 750 people worldwide. We provide commissioning, qualification, validation, start-up, project management and other consulting services to mission critical industries. We are global partner in providing professional services to enhance operational performance and reliability. We deliver consistently. Expertly. Completely.
Role Overview
The Senior Commissioning Manager is responsible for end-to-end site commissioning leadership and execution of large-scale, mission-critical Data Center projects. This role provides strategic and operational oversight of mechanical, electrical, and commissioning activities from mobilization through client handover.
The position requires strong expertise in hyperscale or enterprise Data Center environments, ensuring that all site activities are delivered safely, on schedule, within budget, and to Tier-level performance standards. The Senior Commissioning Manager serves as the primary on-site authority and is accountable for multi-site coordination, commissioning team performance, stakeholder alignment, and commissioning readiness across projects.
Key Responsibilities:
Site Leadership
- Lead and oversee the commissioning of multiple Data Center commissioning sites.
- Establish standardized site execution strategies aligned with corporate and client objectives.
- Prepare Commissioning implementation plans/ Commissioning management plan.
- Provide leadership to Site Managers, Construction Managers, and commissioning teams.
- Ensure consistency in safety, quality, and commissioning delivery standards across all project locations.
Mission Critical Project Execution
- Direct execution of all mechanical, electrical, plumbing (MEP), and associated commissioning activities for hyperscale Data Centers.
- Ensure critical systems achieve reliability, redundancy, and resilience targets prior to energization.
- Enforce structured commissioning processes including Level 0–5 commissioning where applicable.
- Drive readiness for Integrated Systems Testing (IST) and final client acceptance.
Critical Infrastructure Oversight
Oversee installation, testing, and commissioning of:
- HV/LV distribution systems and substations
- Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) systems
- Automatic Transfer Switches (ATS)
- Emergency Diesel Generators (EDG) and load bank testing
- Battery energy storage systems
- Chilled water plants, CRAH/CRAC units, and cooling systems
- Chiller plant management systems
- Power quality monitoring and analysis
Ensure systems meet uptime, redundancy and SLA requirements.
Safety & Compliance Governance
- Champion a zero-harm safety culture aligned with OSHA (or equivalent) and regulatory requirements.
- Ensure full compliance with statutory approvals, electrical inspectorate requirements, and local authority regulations.
- Conduct site audits/inspections and implement corrective actions where required.
Stakeholder & Client Management
- Act as senior on-site representative for clients, consultants, and hyperscale operators.
- Lead high-level coordination meetings and provide manager-level reporting on progress, risks, and mitigation plans.
- Align all stakeholders on commissioning deliverables, energization milestones, and go-live readiness.
Schedule, Risk & Change Management
- Drive project execution in line with master program milestones.
- Identify cross-site risks, resource gaps, and schedule conflicts.
- Collaborate with Project Directors and Commercial teams to manage scope variations, claims, and cost impacts.
- Implement recovery plans where project timelines are at risk.
Commercial & Performance Accountability
- Monitor team performance, productivity, and adherence to our service contracts.
- Oversee budget control at site level in coordination with the regional teams.
- Validate milestone completions tied to payment and commissioning achievement.
Reporting & Governance
- Provide structured weekly and monthly reporting to senior leadership.
- Ensure documentation, certifications, and as-built records are complete prior to handover.
- Drive lessons learned and continuous improvement across national projects.
Required Qualifications & Experience
- Bachelor’s or Post Graduation Degree in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering
- 15 to 18+ years of experience in construction/commissioning of mission-critical facilities.
- Proven experience delivering hyperscale or enterprise Data Centers in India or internationally.
- Experience managing multi-site or Pan India project portfolios preferred.
- Strong understanding of Tier standards (Uptime Institute or equivalent frameworks).
- Deep technical expertise in critical power and cooling infrastructure.
- Strong knowledge of power quality analysis and reliability testing.
- Demonstrated leadership managing large multidisciplinary teams.
- Strong contractual, commercial, and change management understanding.
- Excellent stakeholder management and executive communication skills.
Key Competencies
- Strategic leadership with operational execution strength
- Risk-based decision-making
- Cx Software- Compass, Facility grid, Cx Alloy, Procore.
- Crisis and incident management capability
- Strong commercial awareness
- High attention to quality and performance compliance
- Ability to manage culturally diverse teams across regions
Others
Primarily working for India region commissioning projects
Expected to support other Data Centre/Building commissioning projects in other global regions.
This job description is not all inclusive and you may be asked to do other duties related to the CAI projects.
CAI is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind.
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.
