Senior Project Engineer – Electrical U.K (Data Centre Retrofit)

About Ethos

Ethos is a collaborative team of engineers, consultants, and creative thinkers designing and delivering data centre and energy infrastructure across the world's most dynamic markets. As a multidisciplinary consultancy, we combine technical expertise, creativity, and integrated delivery to lead complex, mission-critical projects.

About the Job

As a Senior Project Engineer – Electrical, you will play a key role within Ethos’ Data Centre Retrofit area, supporting the delivery of complex upgrades across mission-critical data centre environments.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the design and delivery of electrical building services upgrades within live data centre environments, including M&E upgrades, capacity increases, technology refreshes, phased refurbishments, and lifecycle replacements.

• Develop and manage retrofit-specific design strategies, including tie-ins to live systems, redundancy planning, outage and staging strategies, and resilience design.

• Conduct or oversee technical due diligence of existing data centre facilities, including capacity unlock assessments (power, cooling, and white space).

• Prepare and review detailed design drawings, schematics, schedules, technical reports, and tender documentation.

• Manage project scope, budget, programme, and contracts — identifying and mitigating scope creep, risks, and live-environment constraints.

• Liaise directly with clients (hyperscale, colocation, and enterprise operators), contractors, and vendors to ensure project goals are achieved with zero operational disruption.

• Drive quality assurance and governance across all assigned projects, adhering to WAP/PTW protocols in live environments.

• Mentor and support the development of junior engineers and graduate staff within the retrofit workstream.

• Support business development by contributing to proposals, client presentations, and technical strategies for retrofit opportunities across EMEA.

• Champion innovation in live-environment engineering and contribute to the continuous improvement of Ethos’ retrofit delivery model.

• Lead electrical system tie-in strategies for live power distribution upgrades, including UPS changeovers, busbar modifications, and generator integration in operational environments.

About You

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related discipline.

• Minimum 8 years’ experience in building services engineering, with at least 3 years focused on data centre or mission-critical projects.

• Demonstrable experience working in live, operational data centre environments — including brownfield upgrades, M&E replacements, or phased refurbishments.

• Chartered Engineer status (or actively working towards Chartership) with Engineers Ireland or equivalent.

• Proven track record managing multi-million-euro MEP projects from concept to completion.

• Strong understanding of EU building regulations; knowledge of LEED/BREEAM and the EU Energy Efficiency Directive is an advantage.

• Familiarity with BMS/EPMS integration and smart building systems within mission-critical environments is advantageous.

Technical Skills

• Proven expertise in electrical building services design for live data centre environments, including LV/MV power distribution, UPS systems, standby generation, busbar upgrades, and life safety systems.

• Experience delivering electrical upgrades within operational mission-critical facilities — including live switchgear replacements, UPS changeovers, and phased distribution upgrades.

• Strong working knowledge of AutoCAD, Revit MEP, Bluebeam, and Microsoft Office; experience with ETAP, Amtech, or DIALux for calculations.

• Excellent understanding of IEC, CIBSE, BS, IS, and EN standards applied to retrofit and live-environment projects.

• Experience producing single-line diagrams, schematics, and technical drawings for complex electrical retrofit scopes.

• Familiarity with commissioning, power system coordination studies, and compliance documentation for live data centre upgrades.

Soft Skills

• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with confidence in client-facing settings.

• Strong organisational and problem-solving abilities, capable of managing multiple concurrent retrofit projects.

• Collaborative approach to working across multidisciplinary teams including mechanical, electrical, sustainability, and BIM disciplines.

• Proactive, detail-oriented mindset with a sharp focus on risk management and technical quality in live environments.

• Calm under pressure — able to make sound engineering decisions within constrained, operational environments.

Why Join Us?

• Join collaborative leaders – Work alongside experienced, approachable professionals who

  combine technical excellence with calm, supportive leadership.

• Make a real impact – Contribute to mission-critical infrastructure projects that support the digital and energy transition across EMEA and beyond.

• Grow with us – As a rapidly growing consultancy, we offer opportunities to develop your skills, broaden your experience, and build your career.

• Shape a more sustainable future – Sustainability isn't an initiative—it's embedded in every project, every discipline, and every decision we make.

• Flexible Fridays and a 9-day fortnight working schedule — enjoy every second Friday off to maintain work–life balance.

• A culture that values flexibility, learning, and teamwork, with clear progression pathways and support toward professional accreditation.

• Opportunities to work alongside some of the most experienced engineers in the industry, within a forward-thinking, technology-driven consultancy.

Benefits:

• Flexible working times

• 25 Days holidays

• Pension Scheme

• Refer a Friend scheme

• Subsidised Health Insurance Allowance

• Working travel out-of-pocket expenses

• Regular training/mentoring / further college support

• Support for Chartership

• A Professional Subscription Fee paid by the company

• Paid Statutory Leaves

• Heavily subsidised social committee