Data Center Commissioning Lead (Hiring Immediately)

Job Description – Commissioning Lead Location - London - (With frequent Travel) Role Summary: The Commissioning Lead (CL)will generate the commissioning strategy, planning and execution for Verne development projects from early design through testing, integrated systems validation, handover and lessons learned. This role is responsible for ensuring that commissioning is embedded into the project from the outset so that systems are designed, procured, installed, tested and handed over in a safe, structured and fully documented manner. The CL will act as Verne’s commissioning lead across multiple data center developments, coordinating internal stakeholders, design teams, general contractors, commissioning agents, specialist vendors and operations teams. The role is accountable for establishing commissioning requirements, building and managing commissioning programmes, assuring quality and driving a disciplined commissioning process that supports reliable handover to appointed operational teams. The successful candidate must be able to shape commissioning strategy during design and procurement, while also leading delivery through the full life cycle of testing and handover. Key Responsibilities: 1. Commissioning strategy and leadership Own the commissioning approach for Verne development projects from concept and design through handover. Establish project-specific commissioning strategies, execution plans and governance aligned with Verne standards. Develop, maintain and own the Commissioning Implementation Plan, or equivalent project commissioning plan, for each project. Ensure commissioning activities are fully integrated into the master project schedule from the earliest stages. Develop and maintain commissioning trackers, action logs, issue resolution processes and reporting frameworks. Lead the overall commissioning programme across multiple concurrent projects, ensuring consistent methods, highest standards and a lessons learned process. 2. Early design participation and commissioning-by-design Working with the Engineering and Development teams, participate in design development from the earliest project stages to ensure systems can be safely and effectively commissioned. Review basis of design, technical specifications, equipment selections, control philosophies and sequence of operations from a commissioning perspective. Identify commissioning, operability, maintainability and testability requirements during design reviews. Ensure commissioning requirements are clearly reflected in design deliverables, technical specifications and Employer’s Requirements. Work with design consultants to ensure test points, isolation strategies, access provisions, controls integration, temporary systems and monitoring requirements are considered early. Support design teams in resolving commissioning issues that arise during design and construction. 3. Procurement and contract requirements Develop commissioning-related sections of Employer’s Requirements for the procurement of general contractors, design-and-build contractors, trade contractors, commissioning contractors and third-party commissioning agents or commissioning authorities. Define required commissioning deliverables in tender packages, including plans, procedures, scripts, documentation, staffing, software tools, reporting and handover requirements. Evaluate contractor and commissioning-agent capability during procurement, with particular focus on data center commissioning experience, competence, safety systems and resource plans. Review tender submissions and advise on contractor capability, exclusions and commissioning risk. Ensure contracts clearly allocate responsibilities for factory acceptance testing, witness testing, pre-functional testing, functional testing, integrated systems testing, training, documentation and final handover. 4. Programme, planning and project management Develop and lead commissioning schedules from project inception, ensuring dependencies are identified and managed. Integrate commissioning milestones into the overall design, procurement, construction, energisation and handover programme. Identify risks to commissioning readiness and drive mitigation actions early. Lead commissioning coordination meetings, workshops and progress reviews. Manage interfaces across design, construction, controls, vendors, operations and client requirements. Oversee third-party commissioning agents, commissioning coordinators, vendors and specialist test teams. Ensure adequate resourcing, sequencing, temporary power and cooling provisions, and access arrangements are in place to support testing. 5. Delivery of the commissioning process Lead the commissioning process through all stages, including factory acceptance and witness testing, installation verification and pre-commissioning, static and dead testing, energisation and vendor start-up, functional performance testing, integrated systems testing, and operational validation, training and handover. Oversee the creation, review and approval of test scripts, method statements, switching plans, commissioning procedures and associated documentation. Coordinate equipment and system walkdowns, tagging, punch listing and readiness verification. Ensure a robust and tactical close out process is in place between the Construction and Commissioning phases of projects to enable an efficient transition. Manage structured issue identification, prioritisation, close-out and re-test requirements. Ensure critical vendors and subcontractors are appropriately engaged and present for required testing windows. Support the orderly transition from construction to energisation to live operational handover. 6. Quality management and QA/QC integration Lead the development and implementation of commissioning-related quality standards, controls and documentation. Work closely with project quality teams to ensure commissioning is embedded within overall QA/QC processes. Develop and oversee inspection and test plans, checklists, sign-off workflows and evidence requirements. Ensure complete and accurate commissioning records are maintained for each asset and system. Drive early identification of defects, installation issues, incomplete works and documentation gaps. Support the development of project quality plans and broader quality assurance and quality control programmes for construction delivery. Ensure as-built documentation, operation and maintenance information, training records and final commissioning reports are complete and fit for handover. 7. Health, safety and safe systems of work Lead commissioning activities in full compliance with project and statutory health and safety requirements and Verne standards. Ensure commissioning is planned and executed under robust permit-to-work, LOTO, RAMS, energisation and isolation procedures. Work with project health and safety teams to identify and manage risks associated with live systems, temporary conditions, load-bank testing, switching and integrated systems testing. Ensure personnel involved in commissioning are trained, authorised and competent for their roles. Support commissioning readiness reviews focused on safe execution. Promote a safety-first culture throughout commissioning activities, with clear stop-work authority where conditions are unsafe. Ensure commissioning teams understand and comply with Verne’s site rules, project safety plans and behavioural safety expectations. 8. Technical scope oversight Lead commissioning across critical data center infrastructure including, as applicable, MV and LV electrical distribution, transformers, switchgear, UPS, generators and controls, cooling plant, hydronic systems, pumps, fan walls, CRAH and air systems, liquid cooling systems, BMS, EPMS, controls and monitoring systems, fire detection and suppression systems, security, alarms and supporting infrastructure. Ensure commissioning plans and activities are fully coordinated with customer equipment and customer deployment schedules. Ensure system-level and integrated testing verifies design intent, resilience, sequence of operations, failure response and maintainability. Coordinate with operations and engineering teams to confirm handover readiness and operational acceptance. 9. Handover, training and continuous improvement Coordinate commissioning documentation required for practical completion, handover and operational readiness. Ensure operators receive appropriate training, witnessing opportunities and usable handover documentation. Lead close-out of commissioning actions, exceptions and outstanding risk items. Contribute to final commissioning reports, variance documentation and recommendations for optimisation. Lead lessons-learned reviews at the end of each project and embed improvements into future Verne standards and templates. Required Experience Significant experience in commissioning leadership for mission-critical or data center projects. Proven experience as a Commissioning Coordinator, Commissioning Lead, Commissioning Engineer or similar, with end-to-end responsibility across the commissioning life cycle. Demonstrated experience delivering commissioning on multiple data center projects, ideally including live or phased environments. Experience engaging in commissioning from design review onward, not only at site execution stage. Strong experience managing commissioning contractors, third-party commissioning agents and specialist vendors. Experience developing commissioning plans, procedures, scripts, trackers, reports and close-out documentation. Strong experience writing procedures and leading cross-functional teams through structured test execution. Experience with integrated systems testing, failover testing and operational handover in mission-critical environments. Strong background in construction QA/QC and in establishing or improving quality control and assurance programmes. Experience in energisation planning, LOTO, permit-to-work and high-risk testi