Guide

What a critical facilities technician does (and how to become one)

For electricians, HVAC techs, building engineers and military veterans looking at data center operations jobs.

Once a data center is built, someone has to keep it running every hour of every day. That's the critical facilities technician. Job titles vary (critical facilities technician, data center facilities technician, critical environment technician, facilities engineer), but the work is similar: keep the power and cooling on, catch problems early and never cause an outage.

What the job looks like day to day

Rounds. Walking the site on a schedule, checking readings on switchgear, UPS systems, batteries, generators, chillers and air handlers, and writing down what you see.
Preventive maintenance. Filter changes, generator test runs, battery checks, infrared scans and other scheduled work from the maintenance system.
Working with vendors. Escorting and supervising outside specialists who service UPS units, generators or chillers, and checking their work.
Responding to alarms. When something trips or a temperature climbs, you're the first one there, following the emergency procedure.
Following procedures. Work on live equipment is done from written step-by-step documents, often called a MOP (method of procedure) or SOP, usually with a second person checking.
Paperwork. Logging readings, closing work orders and writing up what happened during an incident.

Shifts and schedule

Data centers never close, so many of these jobs are shift work: days, nights, or rotating 12-hour shifts (some sites use schedules where you work about half the days of the month). Expect some weekends, holidays and on-call time. In return, the work is usually steady and long-term, without the travel that construction can need.

What employers look for

A background in a trade: electrical, HVAC/mechanical, or general building maintenance. Many sites hire a mix and cross-train.
Experience with critical equipment: UPS, generators, automatic transfer switches (ATS), switchgear, chillers, CRAH/CRAC units, building management systems (BMS).
Helpful credentials: a state electrical license, EPA Section 608 for refrigerants, NFPA 70E arc flash training, and OSHA 10 or 30.
Military experience as an electrician, power generation tech or HVAC tech (Navy nuclear and Seabee backgrounds are often mentioned in job ads) translates very well.
Careful, calm work habits and good written communication.
Ability to pass a background check and drug screen, and work shifts.

How to become one

Build trade experience first. Two or more years in commercial or industrial electrical, HVAC or maintenance work makes you a strong candidate. Hospitals, manufacturing plants, campuses and large buildings count.
Get the common certifications. EPA 608, NFPA 70E and OSHA training are inexpensive compared with how often they show up in job ads.
Rewrite your résumé for operations. Lead with uptime, preventive maintenance, procedures and the specific equipment you've worked on. Mention any 24/7 environment.
Look at entry-level titles. "Technician I," "facilities technician" and some construction-to-operations transition roles take less experience and train you on site.
Use construction as a door. Electricians and pipefitters who build data centers often get to know the operations teams and move over once the site opens.
Keep learning. Cross-training on the side you don't know (electrical if you're mechanical, or the other way around) is one of the clearest ways to move up to senior tech, lead or shift supervisor.

Where the jobs are

Operations jobs follow finished data centers, so the largest numbers are in established markets: Northern Virginia, Phoenix, Dallas–Fort Worth, Atlanta and Chicago. Set up job alerts to see new openings, and read our data center electrician guide if you're coming from the electrical side.