Principal Electrical Commissioning Engineer
Confirmed on the employer's own hiring board on Nov 10, 2026. First seen by Alion on Nov 10, 2026. Volta scores A on the Alion truth index.
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.
The role
As Principal Electrical Commissioning Engineer, you will be Volta's technical authority for electrical commissioning. You will set the standards that decide whether electrical systems on every DSX site are safe, resilient and ready to carry AI workloads.
This is a principal-level individual contributor role. Reporting to the Senior Director, Global Commissioning & Handover, your standards will govern every site, contractor and commissioning agent we use, and you will make the final technical call on electrical acceptance questions that affect safety, reliability or time to market.
What you will do
Electrical commissioning standards
Own Volta's global electrical commissioning standards, from L1 to L5 off-site commissioning, and integrated system testing.
Define the sequence of operations (SOO), for all the electrical commissioning activities through L1 to L5.
Set test strategy across incoming supply, MV/LV switchgear, transformers, UPS, generators, distribution and power-to-rack.
Define failure and recovery scenarios, including loss of supply, transfers and redundancy, for high-density GPU loads.
Technical authority
Act as the escalation point for failed tests, disputed evidence and deviations across all sites.
Set the bar commissioning agents and contractors are selected and measured against.
Integrate electrical testing with mechanical, CDU, BMS/PMS and turn-up requirements.
Capability and improvement
Evolve the standards and reference design using test results and operating data.
Build electrical commissioning capability across Volta and its partners.
What we are looking for
Recognised senior authority in electrical commissioning of hyperscale or mission-critical data centres, typically 10+ years.
A track record writing and owning electrical commissioning standards across a portfolio, not a single site.
Deep knowledge of power distribution, standby generation, UPS, protection and energisation safety.
Experience leading integrated systems testing and judging complex test evidence.
Ability to challenge designers, vendors and contractors and make high-consequence acceptance calls.
Experience influencing across functions and regions without direct authority.
Nice to have
High-density AI infrastructure and phased capacity turn-up.
Protection coordination and power quality investigation.
Electrical commissioning across multiple countries.
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.