THE ROLE - Lead Design Engineer - Building Automation Systems (BAS)
This is the person who designs and controls the brain of the data centre. Every connected system — network infrastructure, heating and cooling, fire suppression, pressure sensors, ambient air management — interfaces through the Building Automation System and must be precisely controlled to maintain conditions at 72°F. If it blinks, it goes through this system.
The Lead Design Engineer owns the full controls and sensor package: selecting hardware platforms, designing system architecture, managing the visual layer, and overseeing factory acceptance testing through to commissioning. This is a revenue-generating position within the sales engineering function, directly contributing to customer acquisition and project delivery.
KEY PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES
Based on Emmerick’s performance-based hiring methodology, these are the measurable outcomes a top performer will deliver in the first 6–12 months:
- Within the first 90 days, take full ownership of BAS design standards and establish the Rockwell PLC / Ignition architecture as the standard platform across all active data centre projects
- Lead the design and integration of controls systems across mechanical, electrical, fire, and environmental subsystems — ensuring all sensor packages maintain 72°F ambient conditions with zero unplanned deviations
- Build and manage a high-performing team of three (Graphics Engineer, Design Engineer, FAT Engineer) — establishing clear workflows from design through factory acceptance to site commissioning
- Support sales engineering efforts: respond to RFIs, interact directly with customers, and contribute to winning new project work through technical credibility and design excellence
- Own blueprint review and design approval processes, ensuring zero critical defects reach FAT stage and maintaining first-pass acceptance rates above 95%
- Establish and maintain relationships with the client’s project management and operations teams, providing technical authority on all BAS-related decisions
TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
Must-Have:
- Rockwell Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) platform — this is the primary controls system; non-negotiable
- Ignition SCADA software (visual/supervisory layer) — deep working knowledge required
- Electrical and mechanical design capability across BAS subsystems (HVAC, fire, environmental monitoring, network cooling)
- Blueprint reading and design ownership — responsible for producing and approving designs, not just reviewing
- Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) process oversight and quality assurance
- Data centre sector experience — understanding of the specific environmental control demands of mission-critical facilities
Preferred:
- Familiarity with Honeywell and Siemens PLC platforms (competitor systems; useful for migration and integration knowledge)
- Sales engineering exposure — comfortable in customer-facing environments, contributing to RFI responses and technical presentations
- Experience managing multi-discipline design teams in a fast-paced project delivery environment
EXPERIENCE AND SENIORITY
- Minimum 6 years performing at Lead/Senior Design Engineer level in BAS or controls engineering
- Proven managerial capability — must have led a team of engineers, not just individual contributors
- Entry path: mechanical or electrical engineering background with progression into controls/BAS specialisation
- Open to slightly younger candidates where project scale, complexity, and autonomy compensate for years of experience
WHAT A TOP PERFORMER LOOKS LIKE
For this role, that means:
- Assigned to increasingly complex data centre projects because previous employers or clients trusted them to deliver
- History of being pulled into customer-facing situations (RFIs, design reviews, sales support) because of their technical credibility
- Promoted or given expanded scope ahead of peers — especially when this happened across different companies or under different managers
- Can point to specific design outcomes: systems commissioned on schedule, FAT pass rates improved, integration problems solved before they reached site
- Gets called back by the same clients or firms on subsequent projects
