Critical Mechanical Shift Engineer

Critical Mechanical Shift Engineer - £52,000 - Essex

Location:

Essex

Salary: £52,000

Hours:

Continental Shift Pattern (Days & Nights)

We are currently recruiting for an experienced Critical Shift Engineer (Mechanical Bias) to join a leading facilities management provider supporting a mission‑critical data centre in Essex. This is an outstanding opportunity to work within a high‑availability, critical environment where uptime, resilience, and operational excellence are paramount. You'll join a business that genuinely values its engineers — offering structured progression, continuous training, and strong leadership committed to long‑term career development within the data centre sector.

• Carry out Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) and reactive maintenance across critical mechanical infrastructure.
• Respond rapidly to plant failures and critical alarms to ensure maximum uptime and resilience.
• Operate and maintain mechanical systems including CRAC/CRAH units, chillers, cooling towers, pumps, pressurisation units, expansion vessels, and associated pipework.
• Fault‑find on chilled water systems, HVAC plant, UPS cooling systems, and water treatment equipment.
• Monitor and operate Building Management Systems (BMS) and DCIM systems (Head End experience advantageous).
• Support critical environment compliance, including permit to work systems, risk assessments, and method statements.
• Conduct routine plant inspections, log readings, and ensure all statutory compliance tasks are completed.
• Work collaboratively with electrical engineers and site teams to maintain Tier‑level operational standards.
• Ensure all works are carried out in accordance with health & safety regulations and data centre best practices.

• City & Guilds Level 3 (or equivalent) in Mechanical Engineering, HVAC, Plumbing & Heating, or related discipline.
• Minimum 3 years' experience within critical environments (data centres, hospitals, banking, or high‑availability sites preferred).
• Strong mechanical fault‑finding and diagnostic ability within live plant rooms.
• Experience working on chilled water systems and large‑scale HVAC infrastructure.
• Understanding of critical cooling infrastructure and redundancy (N+1 / 2N configurations desirable).
• Positive, proactive approach with the ability to remain calm under pressure.

• £52,000 Salary
• Continental shift pattern (work‑life balance built into rota)
• Annual leave + bank holidays
• Free on‑site parking
• Company pension & private healthcare
• Industry‑leading data centre training and career development
• Clear progression pathway into Senior / Lead Engineer roles
• Long‑term, stable contract within a high‑profile critical facility
• Supportive and technically driven working environment

Ready to take the next step into the data centre sector — or further develop your critical environment experience?