Water Treatment Engineer

ABOUT THE ROLE:

We are seeking an exceptional Water Treatment Engineer to design, implement, and optimise water treatment systems for xAI's high-density AI supercomputing facilities.

This role focuses on treatment programmes for cooling tower water, chilled water loops, closed-loop systems, and process water used in liquid cooling infrastructure to ensure maximum reliability, efficiency, and minimal water usage (WUE) while preventing corrosion, scaling, and biological fouling.

You will play a critical role in maintaining uptime for our superclusters by delivering high-performance water chemistry and treatment solutions at massive scale.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Design and optimise industrial water treatment programmes for open and closed cooling systems, including chemical treatment, filtration, softening, reverse osmosis, and side-stream treatment.

• Develop and maintain water quality specifications, monitoring protocols, and automated control systems to protect cooling equipment and maximise system efficiency.

• Perform water chemistry analysis, corrosion monitoring, scaling tendency modelling, and biological control to prevent downtime and extend equipment life.

• Collaborate with thermal and mechanical teams to integrate water treatment with liquid cooling, heat exchangers, and cooling towers supporting extreme power densities.

• Manage vendor relationships for chemical supply, equipment, and on-site service; oversee bulk chemical storage and dosing systems.

• Ensure compliance with environmental regulations, discharge permits, and sustainability goals related to water usage and wastewater.

• Conduct root cause investigations for water-related issues, perform system audits, and drive continuous improvement in water treatment strategies.

• Support commissioning of new facilities, expansion projects, and ongoing operations while contributing to water conservation initiatives.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.

• 1+ years experience in industrial water treatment, preferably for data centres, power plants, or large-scale cooling systems.

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Direct experience supporting hyperscale data centre cooling systems or power generation facilities.

• Familiarity with liquid cooling loops, high-cycle cooling towers, and hybrid cooling architectures.

• Knowledge of relevant standards and regulations (ASHRAE, EPA, local discharge permits) and water sustainability metrics (WUE).

• Experience with automated water treatment controls, SCADA integration, and real-time monitoring.

• Background in Memphis/Tennessee or Texas water regulations and river-sourced makeup water treatment.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Willingness to work extended hours and be fully onsite as needed during critical project phases and system upsets.

• Ability to work in industrial/data centre environments, including occasional lifting and exposure to varying conditions.

• Strong communication skills for collaborating with internal teams, vendors, and regulatory agencies.