Mechanical Lead

Description

Job Type: Full-Time l Location: Childress, TX l Department: Operations l Reporting to: HPC Mechanical Manager | Work Location Type: #onsite 

IREN is a vertically integrated AI Cloud provider, delivering large-scale data centers and GPU clusters for AI training and inference. IREN’s platform is underpinned by its expansive portfolio of grid-connected land and power in renewable-rich regions across North America, Europe and APAC.

With 100% renewable energy, we build, own and operate our data centers and take pride in being at the forefront of sustainable solutions for the ever-evolving applications of high-performance compute. We believe that human progress is invaluable, but it should be done in the right way – responsibly, sustainably and having a positive impact on the communities we operate in.

As a Mechanical Lead you will lead the team responsible for operating and maintaining the Central Utility Plant (CUP) and critical cooling infrastructure serving both liquid-cooled and air-cooled data halls. You will monitor and improve plant and building automation systems, complete operating rounds, manage response to alarms, and coordinate with senior engineers and vendors to protect uptime, safety, and efficiency. 

We have grown substantially since 2019, from our inception in Australia to now having several facilities across North America and being listed on NASDAQ… and we are just getting started! By joining us, you will be contributing to the future of sustainable high-performance compute and the local communities we strive to have a positive impact on.   

Responsibilities

• Optimize, monitor, and oversee the Central Utility Plant (CUP) and site cooling systems in a 24/7 mission-critical environment.
• Perform site rounds; record readings, trends, and equipment status for chillers, pumps, cooling towers/dry coolers, heat exchangers, expansion tanks, strainers/filters, and hydronic distribution.
• Analyze system performance data and develop operational optimization strategies for chilled water systems, liquid cooling infrastructure, and energy efficiency initiatives.
• Recommend capital improvements and operational investments based on reliability, maintainability, and energy performance analysis.
• Support liquid-cooled HPC infrastructure (e.g., CDUs, manifolds, pumps, filtration, leak detection) and coordinate thermal alignment with IT load requirements.
• Support air-cooled data hall infrastructure (e.g., CRAH/CRAC units or AHUs/MAUs as applicable), humidity control, and temperature compliance.
• Respond to alarms and abnormal conditions; troubleshoot root cause and execute corrective actions to prevent downtime or thermal excursions.
• Collaborate with engineering, construction, IT, and executive leadership teams regarding capacity planning, infrastructure upgrades, expansion projects, and operational risk mitigation.
• Exercise independent judgment in adjusting plant operating strategies, equipment sequencing, and thermal optimization methodologies to support changing HPC load requirements while maintaining system reliability and efficiency targets.
• Execute and improve preventative maintenance (PM) programs; coordinate contractors and verify work quality, documentation, and safe return-to-service.
• Operate and monitor water treatment/chemistry programs (as applicable) for condenser water, glycol/hydronic loops, and liquid-cooling loops; coordinate sampling and corrective actions.
• Use and train on BMS/SCADA/PLC systems to monitor equipment, trend performance, and adjust setpoints within approved operating envelopes.
• Review and ensure maintenance of accurate operating logs, work orders, incident reports, and shift turnover notes; participate in RCA and continuous improvement efforts (reliability, energy, water).
• Follow all safety requirements including LOTO, arc-flash awareness, confined space (if applicable), chemical handling, and safe work practices around rotating equipment and pressurized systems.

 Operating Discipline, Safety & Collaboration 

• Support on-shift operations by prioritizing assigned work, communicating status, and escalating issues promptly to the shift lead/senior engineer.
• Maintain high-quality shift logs and turnover notes; document readings, alarms, corrective actions, and open items clearly.
• Executes and manages alarm response and plant upset recovery steps per approved procedures (SOP/MOP/EOP) and under direction as required; communicate risks and status to stakeholders.
• Own all safety requirements including Permit-to-Work and LOTO; stop work and escalate when unsafe conditions exist; investigations and corrective actions.