HVAC Team Leader

Job Description

Their tasks include preparing maintenance schedules, managing spare parts, overseeing vendors, and performing direct equipment maintenance. As a Subject Matter Expert (SME), they are expected to lead troubleshooting and rectification efforts. The role supports the Engineering Operation Manager in ensuring that overall availability and reliability meet or exceed defined service levels, in accordance with Pure DC's standards for performance, safety, and customer service.

The Data Centre HVAC Team Leader works a standard Monday to Friday schedule (9 AM - 5 PM) and reports to the Engineering Operation Manager.

Responsibilities

Leadership & Site Operations

• Coordinating and delivering planned, preventative, and reactive maintenance across all site cooling systems as instructed by Operations Engineering Manager.
• Take full ownership of site HVAC performance, monitoring asset condition, alarms, and operational trends to maintain availability, reliability, and resilience of the infrastructures.
• Mentor and support engineers and apprentices to develop skills, competency, and operational capability of HVAC system.
• Utilise change management system to support planning and labour management to maintain 100% uptime and zero customer impacting failures in cooling system.
• Identify operational deficiencies and recommend improvements to enhance site performance.
• Produce incident reports, and complete corrective actions assigned by management/supervisory teams.
• Understand engineering design and operational aspects of all site cooling systems.
• Ensure HVAC operational standards, compliance requirements, and company policies are embedded in day-to-day activities.

Engineering Operations, Maintenance & Asset Management

• Respond to identified issues across all site cooling infrastructure and all supporting facilities.
• Perform hands-on maintenance activities, inspections, and site walkthroughs to verify cooling equipment condition and operational performance.
• Ensure all faults, incidents, and remedial actions are logged, tracked, and closed via the Incident Management System.
• Oversee cooling equipment PPM activities and manage close-out of findings, defects, and remedial works. Ensure all findings are raised in relevant systems to track to completion.
• Act as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for cooling infrastructures, coordinating isolation and work execution in accordance with company procedures and statutory requirements.
• Manage and control the Permit to Work (PTW) and change management processes for all maintenance and critical works on shift. Ensure Risk Assessments and Method Statements (RAMS) are reviewed and applied.Coordinate with internal engineering teams and contractors to safely deliver maintenance, repairs, and customer-impacting activities on cooling equipment.
• Maintain accurate operational records, including CMMS/CAFM data, asset information, incident reports, and maintenance documentation.
• Conduct site walkthroughs to maintain system performance and operational readiness and raise concerns immediately for rectification action.
  
  Safety, Compliance & Procedures
• Ensure all activities comply with HSE legislation, local regulations, and company policies.
• Promote and maintain a strong health and safety culture across the site.
• Utilise monitoring systems (BMS, PMS, CMS) to support effective fault response, performance monitoring, and operational decision-making.
• Be fully conversant with company policies, operating and emergency procedures, and initiate improvements to minimise risk and promote best practice.
  
  Incident & Customer Management
• Lead and be responsible for first-line response to site incidents, alarms, and system failures, including fault diagnosis, isolation, escalation, and restoration activities of HVAC equipment.
• Support incident investigations and Root Cause Analysis (RCA), implementing corrective and preventative actions to reduce repeat failures of HVAC equipment
• Work closely with site teams and stakeholders on incident activities to ensure clear communication and service continuity to relevant end users.

Team Management responsibilities

• Direct line manager for HVAC Engineer(s).
• Indirect supervision of all maintenance engineers working on shift.
• Collaborates with the Operations Engineering Manager, Engineering Supervisor, Central teams, contractors, and site stakeholders.

SKILLS, qualifications AND EXPERIENCE

Core Skills (Required)

• Strong written and verbal communication skills across diverse stakeholder groups.
• Collaborative leadership style with the ability to motivate, develop, and support teams.
• Strong problem-solving capability and continuous improvement mindset.
• Ability to make sound leadership decisions in operational and high-pressure environments.
• Lead by example, providing guidance, support, and mentoring to all site engineering teams.

Qualifications

• Recognised technical qualification in Mechanical Engineering (e.g, NVQ Level, City & Guilds, BTEC, or equivalent), specialisation in cooling or air conditioning is desirable.
• Have F-Gas Cat 1 City and Guilds qualification is an advantage.
• Authorised Person / AP12 / AP15 or equivalent (Electrical) certification, or demonstrable experience operating electrical equipment as an AP is desirable but not mandatory.
• IT literate, including MS Office, CMMS/CAFM systems.
• Desired management level training in leading and motivating teams.
• IOSH Working Safely (Desirable)
• Legionella Awareness qualification is an advantage.
• Experience (Desired)
• Minimum 2 years post-qualification experience, including proven leadership capabilities.
• Experience working in critical environments (data centre, hospital, pharmaceutical, utilities, or similar).
• Experience operating in customer-facing roles and resolving technical problems in high-pressure environments.
• Understanding of safe systems of work and able to evidence the implementation of these in previous roles (PTW, RAMS, Change Management etc.).
• Strong knowledge of BMS, PPM, CAFM, and Change Management processes.
• Knowledge of and experience working to international HSE standards.
• Experience maintaining HVAC systems, chillers, cooling towers, building air conditioning, and ventilation.
• Strong troubleshooting and repair experience of critical building infrastructures.
• Competence following documented procedures and maintaining accurate records in a CMMS system.