Building Engineering Lead

Do you want to work with high caliber professionals in a dynamic and growing company? Are you entrepreneurial, hard-working, and collegial? Join us at SB Energy, a leading company backed by SoftBank and Ares pairing cutting-edge innovation with best-in-class execution. Our Mission is to provide reliable, affordable energy at scale to support America’s growing energy demands.

Headquartered in Redwood City, CA, SB Energy develops, builds, owns & operates some of the largest and most technically advanced energy and data center infrastructure projects in the United States. Since launching in 2019, the company has rapidly grown into a top-tier integrated platform with over 3 gigawatts (GW) in operation and a multi-GW pipeline of energy and data center infrastructure nationwide. SB Energy also utilizes its strong culture of innovation to identify and incorporate new technology into our projects, including our AI-based digital platform, to deliver energy infrastructure that is local, reliable, and matched to load. We are building the energy and technology future—today.

Come join us in accelerating the energy transition to cleaner, more sustainable sources of power!

Basic Function

The Data Center Lead Building Engineer is responsible for ensuring all electrical, mechanical, and fire/life safety systems operate at peak efficiency to support 100% uptime. This role serves as the primary point of accountability for facility operations within the data center, overseeing preventative maintenance, corrective work, and emergency response activities.

Reporting to the Director of Operations, the Lead Building Engineer leads a team of Critical Facilities Engineers (CFEs), managing work order execution, training programs, event coordination, customer communication, and team performance. The Lead Building Engineer also serves as the primary technical resource for onsite Engineering Operations Technicians (EOT) and third-party vendors.

This role requires deep technical expertise to guide complex maintenance and operational strategies, including MOP development, testing protocols, sparing strategies, capital planning, and end-of-life equipment replacement or expansion—while minimizing operational risk.

The Lead Building Engineer is expected to be a hands-on leader who can actively support and execute technical work as needed. This position is best suited for a seasoned professional with demonstrated experience in critical facilities who can lead by example and drive operational excellence across the site.

Responsibilities

- Manage daily engineering and facility operations to ensure safe and efficient performance of all building systems

- Delight our tenant and onsite teams, using a data driven decision making approach for identifications of risk, probability of risk becoming issue, service level impact of risks regarding the preventative maintenance and upkeep of the critical infrastructure

- Execute and enforce preventative and corrective maintenance programs, including direct oversight of work order management

- Perform root cause analysis (RCA) and troubleshooting of system failures to prevent recurrence

- Develop, implement, and maintain site-specific procedures, including MOPs, SOPs, and emergency response protocols

- Direct and coordinate the execution of maintenance and repair activities by internal teams and vendors

- Monitor system performance, identify deficiencies, and implement corrective actions to maintain operational efficiency

- Maintain CMMS and associated documentation, including work orders, maintenance logs, and asset records

- Support budget tracking and assist in preparation of operational and capital budgets

- Ensure adequate inventory of tools, materials, and critical spare parts to support operations

- Evaluate system performance using operational data and recommend improvements to efficiency and reliability

- Support planning, execution, and closeout of maintenance and infrastructure-related projects

- Respond to emergency situations and support after-hours maintenance activities as required

Qualifications/Requirements

- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical field

- 5+ years of experience in data center engineering or critical environment operations Minimum 3 years of experience leading teams, vendors, or both

- Demonstrated experience developing and implementing operating procedures, including Method of Procedure (MOP) change control and service-impacting work plans

- Proven experience managing vendor relationships, including maintenance coordination and contract negotiation

- Experience establishing systems for documentation, tracking, and operational reporting

- Strong cross-functional collaboration skills, with the ability to build relationships across internal teams, external partners, and local municipalities

- Deep knowledge of 3-phase electrical systems, HVAC/cooling systems, and Building Management Systems (BMS)

- Experience supporting predictive and preventative maintenance programs, including coordination with third-party providers

- Ability to identify operational risks, inefficiencies, and improvement opportunities within critical environments

- Strong communication skills with the ability to translate complex technical information for non-technical stakeholders

- Experience leading onboarding, training, and team development initiatives

Location:

On-site

Base Pay - $160,000-$190,000

The pay range mentioned above is a guideline. We tailor each offer based on your unique skills, experience, location, and market benchmarks—while ensuring internal parity across our teams. In addition to competitive base pay, total compensation may include a discretionary annual bonus and a market leading comprehensive health and wellness benefits package. Final details will be discussed during the later stages of the hiring process.

Our Health & Wellness Benefits

At SB Energy, we invest in our people and their families with benefits designed for flexibility, support, and peace of mind. Full-time employees enjoy:

- 100% Company-Paid Medical, Dental & Vision (for employees and dependents)

- 401(k) with Company Match

- Generous Paid Time Off + 11 Paid Holidays

- 12 Weeks Paid Parental Leave

- Life, AD&D & Long-Term Disability Coverage

- Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) for Medical, Dependent Care, Transit & Parking (with company contributions)

- Mental, Physical & Social Wellness Support (with company contributions)

- Flexible Work Arrangements & Hybrid Office Setup Benefits

- Monthly Reimbursement for Phone, Internet & Data

- Optional Legal & Pet Insurance Plans

- Device Purchase Support

At SB Energy, the success of our projects is driven by a desire to see our projects benefit as many people as possible. We work to serve local communities through volunteering, fundraising, and much more. For example, we’re proud to support access and opportunity in engineering and clean energy through impactful mentorship programs and workforce training. When you join SB Energy, you can become a part of these efforts, collaborating with team members who share a vision of building a better future now!

SB Energy is built on a foundation of collaboration and inclusion. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, sex, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, citizenship, or any other legally protected class.

To learn more about us, visit www.sbenergy.com.