# Mechanical Lead

**Company**: OpenAI
**Location**: Remote, US
**Work arrangement**: remote
**Experience**: senior
**Job type**: full-time
**Salary**: $177K - $285K
**Category**: Engineering
**Industry**: Technology
**Wikidata**: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q124605186

**Apply**: https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/openai/86133dea-e4e2-4030-b8e6-8f944be27b0e?utm_source=yubhub.co&utm_medium=jobs_feed&utm_campaign=apply
**Canonical**: https://yubhub.co/jobs/job_aa732855-12e

## Description

OpenAI's data center construction teams work with various partners to deliver infrastructure supporting computing needs. As a Mechanical Lead, you will oversee mechanical field delivery for data center construction, focusing on cooling infrastructure, piping, and data hall fit-out.

Key Responsibilities:

- Manage mechanical contractors, equipment installers, and general contractors against approved scope, schedule, and quality requirements.

- Oversee installation readiness and delivery of cooling plant, pumps, heat rejection equipment, air handling, piping, and liquid-cooling infrastructure.

- Coordinate equipment placement, pipe routing, and maintainability with structural, electrical, controls, and hardware teams.

- Review contractor work plans, constructability, submittals, RFIs, and change proposals; resolve field issues with engineering teams.

- Oversee pressure testing, flushing, cleaning, and inspection records; verify completion, defect closure, and commissioning readiness.

- Support commissioning specialists with mechanical startup and system tests, corrective work, and documentation.

- Set contractor priorities, review staffing and progress, identify constraints, and coordinate recovery actions with construction leadership.

- Maintain clear progress, risk, and change reporting.

Qualifications:

- Substantial mechanical construction, installation, or field engineering experience in data center cooling or comparable critical facilities.

- Demonstrated leadership of mechanical contractors or crews.

- Practical knowledge of cooling, ventilation, hydronic, and pumping systems.

- Ability to review drawings, specifications, and submittals for constructability and installation readiness.

- Experience coordinating inspection, pressure testing, and controls checkout.

- Clear communication and sound judgment.

Preferred Skills:

- Owner-side or specialist-contractor experience with high-density data center cooling, liquid cooling, or phased cooling-system startup.

- Experience with integrated systems testing, factory or site acceptance activities, and digital commissioning or field-reporting tools.

- Relevant mechanical trade, controls, balancing, or commissioning qualifications, or professional engineering credentials.

## Skills

### Required
- mechanical construction
- installation
- field engineering
- data center cooling
- leadership
- cooling systems
- piping
- electrical
- controls

### Nice to have
- high-density data center cooling
- liquid cooling
- phased cooling-system startup
- integrated systems testing
- digital commissioning
- field-reporting tools

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Source: [Apply at jobs.ashbyhq.com](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/openai/86133dea-e4e2-4030-b8e6-8f944be27b0e?utm_source=yubhub.co&utm_medium=jobs_feed&utm_campaign=apply)