Senior Director, Commissioning and Startup (AI Infrastructure)

Location: Houston, TX; remote candidates within the US will be considered, with regular travel to project sites up to 50% during active startup campaigns.

Base salary: $160,000–$290,000 USD per year, plus potential bonus, equity, and commission.

Company

Nscale develops sovereign generative AI infrastructure using high-performance, sustainable data centers, GPUs, and colocated power-generation assets.

What you will do

• Own commissioning and startup strategy, planning, and execution from mechanical completion through performance testing and commercial operation.
• Define systemization, turnover, energization, first-fire, testing, reliability-run, and commercial-operation requirements.
• Shape pre-construction designs for commissionability, startup, operability, maintainability, and safe field execution.
• Lead commissioning-phase safety, including PSSR, permit-to-work, LOTO, isolation management, energization safety, and MOC.
• Direct EPC contractors, OEM technical advisors, factory teams, permitting consultants, and data center delivery and operations stakeholders.
• Build Nscale's commissioning organization, standards, procedures, digital tooling, and team while reporting readiness, risks, and progress to leadership.

Requirements

• 15+ years of commissioning, startup, and operations experience in power generation or comparable heavy process facilities.
• Senior leadership experience delivering at least one major greenfield startup from mechanical completion through commercial operation.
• Hands-on knowledge of mechanical, electrical, controls, engine or turbine generation, medium- and high-voltage switchgear, protection systems, BESS, fuel gas, and plant controls.
• Experience with energization planning, first fire, performance testing, reliability demonstrations, and preferably island-mode or behind-the-meter generation.
• Strong process safety experience with PSSR, permit-to-work, MOC, LOTO, and safe energization practices.
• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical Engineering, or a related field; willingness and ability to travel regularly to project sites.

Nice to have

• PE license or equivalent professional credential.
• Experience with island-mode or behind-the-meter generation.

Culture & Benefits

• Flexible workplace with autonomy and a collaborative, supportive environment.
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• 401(k) retirement plan with company match.
• Generous PTO and US federal holidays.
• Potential bonus, equity, and commission programs.
• Opportunity to build an early-stage commissioning function within a rapidly scaling AI infrastructure business.