The posting
ABOUT VOLTA
Volta is the category-defining, fully vertically integrated AI infrastructure platform – from capital to clusters to software, under a founder-led enterprise. Our mission is The Utility of Compute™: AI infrastructure as dependable and available as electricity, for every organization that needs it. Launched with a $10B strategic partnership with one of the leading frontier AI labs, a Series A led by Andreessen Horowitz, and a $5B AI Infrastructure Fund, Volta is building the infrastructure layer of the AI era from the ground up. We are 100+ people across London, Palo Alto, and New York, with rapid growth expectations to hundreds.
About The Role
Volta is building AI factories across Europe and North America, starting with a 133MW AI factory in Norway on NVIDIA Vera Rubin systems. Every one of them depends on the operational technology that monitors and controls its power and cooling. The OT Systems Subject Matter Expert is Volta's technical authority for those systems: Building Management Systems (BMS), Electrical Power Monitoring Systems (EPMS), SCADA, PLC-based controls and Data Centre Infrastructure Management (DCIM) platforms. The role reports to the Senior Director, Operations Engineering.
You will set Volta's OT standards and reference architecture, define OT cybersecurity requirements with the IT team, support the design, construction and commissioning of new sites, and give Operations full expert support so our services stay safe, secure and available. You will work closely with Design, IT, Construction, Asset and Inventory, and Site Operations so the OT across our AI factories is built and run to one standard.
In your first year, success means an approved Volta OT standard and reference architecture ready for every new project; a complete, validated OT asset inventory and network documentation for every site; an OT cybersecurity baseline assessment across the portfolio; a formal OT change and patch management process, with zero customer-impacting incidents caused by OT changes; OT readiness built into commissioning and handover with clear acceptance criteria; and key OT vendors working to clear technical scopes and KPIs, with site teams trained.
This is a role for a hands-on technical expert who combines deep OT and controls knowledge with a strong security mindset and a full understanding of the data centre facility stack. You will move comfortably between design reviews, live-site troubleshooting and senior stakeholder discussions, stay calm under pressure, own problems through to resolution and enjoy raising the capability of the teams around you.
What You Will Be Doing
- Act as the technical authority for OT across Volta's AI factories, owning OT system standards, reference architectures and design guidelines in close partnership with the Design team
- Review and approve OT designs, control philosophies, points lists and sequences of operation for new builds, expansions and retrofits
- Lead OT input into commissioning (Level 1–5 and IST), including integrated testing of BMS, EPMS and control systems, and sign off OT readiness for handover to Operations
- Implement the OT cybersecurity framework with the IT team, covering network segmentation, access control, patching, backup and vulnerability management
- Maintain an accurate OT asset inventory, network architecture documentation and configurationmbaselines across all sites, with the Asset and Inventory team
- Provide escalation support for OT incidents, lead root cause analysis and drive corrective and preventive actions
- Govern OT change management so every change to a live system is risk-assessed, tested and carried out with zero impact on customer SLAs
- Manage OT vendors, system integrators and OEMs at a technical level, including scope definition, performance reviews and lifecycle and obsolescence planning
- Work with IT, Design, Construction and Site Operations to align OT/IT integration, data flows and alarm management
- Keep OT systems consistent across every site, with common standards, naming conventions, templates and graphics
- Protect OT resilience and business continuity through redundancy reviews, drills and documented disaster recovery plans
- Make sure all OT activity complies with Volta's Operating Principles, safety rules, MOP, SOP and EOP procedures and customer contractual SLAs
- Drive continuous improvement through analytics, alarm rationalisation, energy and PUE optimisation and automation
- Develop training material that raises OT competence across the Operations organisation
What You Bring
- 8+ years in OT, industrial control or building automation systems, with at least 3 in mission-critical environments such as data centres, utilities, pharma or nuclear
- Hands-on experience designing, integrating, configuring and troubleshooting BMS, EPMS, SCADA, PLC and DCIM systems
- A record of delivering OT scope through design, construction and full commissioning of critical facilities
- Experience implementing OT cybersecurity controls and secure remote access in live operational environments, with a working knowledge of OT cybersecurity standards and frameworks
- A strong grasp of OT architectures and of industrial and building protocols such as Modbus TCP/RTU, BACnet IP/MSTP, SNMP and IEC 61850
- A solid understanding of data centre critical infrastructure – MV/LV power distribution, UPS, generators, cooling (chillers, CRAH/CRAC) and fire detection – and their control strategies
- Sound knowledge of alarm management, change management and safe working practices on live systems
- Experience managing system integrators, OEMs and service providers across multi-site, multi-country portfolios
- Strong analytical and fault-finding skills with a structured approach to root cause analysis, and the ability to read and review electrical, mechanical and controls drawings, points lists and sequences of operation
- Clear written and verbal communication, including explaining technical risk to non-technical and senior stakeholders, and the ability to influence stakeholders and vendors
- Excellent organisation and prioritisation across multiple projects and sites at once
- A degree in Electrical, Control, Automation, Mechatronics or Computer Engineering, or an equivalent technical qualification and experience
- Vendor certifications in leading BMS, EPMS or SCADA platforms (such as Schneider Electric, Siemens, Johnson Controls or Honeywell) and data centre certifications such as CDCP, CDCS or Uptime Institute ATD/AOM are a plus
- Willing to undergo background screening in line with Volta's Vetting Policy
WHAT WE OFFER
At Volta, we believe people do their best work when they feel supported, trusted and able to grow. We're building a company where you can make an impact, keep a healthy balance between work and life, and build a career you're proud of. As a global team, we do our best to provide great benefits wherever you're based. While some benefits vary by country due to local regulations, we believe looking after our people is simply the right thing to do.
- Competitive salary based on the work you do here, not your previous salary
- Equity in Volta, giving you the opportunity to share in the company's long-term success
- Retirement/pension contributions
- Comprehensive health, wellbeing and insurance benefits
- Generous number of vacation days each year
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Background Checks
All offers of employment at Volta are conditional on the satisfactory completion of pre-employment screening, which includes confirmation of your right to work, verification of your employment history and a criminal record check, where this is permitted by local law. Screening is carried out by Zinc, an accredited third-party provider, after an offer is made and all information is handled confidentially and in accordance with applicable data protection law.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
Volta is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive team and make employment decisions based on skills, qualifications, experience and business needs. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected characteristic.
ACCESSIBILITY
Volta is committed to providing an accessible recruitment experience for all candidates. If you require accommodations or adjustments at any stage of the application or interview process, please contact us at [email protected]. We will work with you to identify reasonable accommodations that enable you to participate fully in the hiring process.
CANDIDATE PRIVACY NOTICE
By applying, you consent to the processing of your personal data for recruitment purposes in accordance with applicable data protection laws, including the UK GDPR, EU GDPR and relevant US state privacy regulations. Your data will be shared only with those involved in the hiring process and will not be used for unrelated purposes. For details, see our Recruitment & Candidate Privacy Notice.
NOTE TO RECRUITMENT AGENCIES
Volta does not accept unsolicited CVs or candidate profiles from recruitment agencies. Any unsolicited submissions, including those sent directly to hiring managers or employees, will be treated as the property of Volta. No agency fees will be payable unless a valid, signed recruitment agreement is in place, and the agency has been specifically engaged for the relevant vacancy.
