A data center engineer is a professional who is involved in designing or maintaining aspects of a data center for a company. This broad level professional title can mean several different things according to the individual job role that is desired. In general, a data center engineer will either maintain a structural edifice that houses a data center, or will actually work on the technology and hardware components of a data center, or may do elements of both of these tasks.
Those who work as data center engineers may be chiefly involved in maintaining the physical space in which the data center works. These individuals may be asked for credentials in HVAC, as well as electrical credentials and other qualifications in aspects of building design or maintenance. Some of these individuals will be involved in specific maintenance programs for the data center structure on a daily basis.
Other data center engineer professionals may be more uniquely involved in maintaining the actual data center. Some of these professionals will be involved in the ongoing calibration, monitoring, and evaluation of servers that operate within a data center environment. These individuals may also be tasked with evaluating data center energy efficiency, optimal environmental conditions for the data center, or broader renovations of a data center to make it more efficient.
Data center engineers may be asked to coordinate with outside departments including management, IT handlers, or even sales departments. These professionals will generally hold advanced degrees in engineering and information technology. They will often be asked to have a detailed knowledge of mechanical and electrical systems, not just for structural maintenance, but for maintaining the various accessories and hardware components of a data center.
Those who are working on engineering for data centers might also need to pursue cost calculations and get involved in some of the accounting practices of a business. When a business budget relates to the needs of a data center, a data center engineer might be involved on a consulting basis. Employers will often ask these professionals to have strong verbal and written communication skills, as well as good organizational skills, many different computer skills, and a high degree of literacy, including knowledge of the jargon around building maintenance and data center operations.
