ABOUT THE ROLE:
We are seeking an exceptional Water Treatment Engineer to design, implement, and optimize water treatment systems for xAI’s high-density AI supercomputing facilities. This role focuses on treatment programs for cooling tower water, chilled water loops, closed-loop systems, and process water used in liquid cooling infrastructure to ensure maximum reliability, efficiency, and minimal water usage (WUE) while preventing corrosion, scaling, and biological fouling.
You will play a critical role in maintaining uptime for our superclusters by delivering high-performance water chemistry and treatment solutions at massive scale. This is a full-time, onsite role based in the Memphis region, working closely with thermal, mechanical, facilities, and operations teams.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Design and optimize industrial water treatment programs for open and closed cooling systems, including chemical treatment, filtration, softening, reverse osmosis, and side-stream treatment.
- Develop and maintain water quality specifications, monitoring protocols, and automated control systems to protect cooling equipment and maximize system efficiency.
- Perform water chemistry analysis, corrosion monitoring, scaling tendency modeling, and biological control to prevent downtime and extend equipment life.
- Collaborate with thermal and mechanical teams to integrate water treatment with liquid cooling, heat exchangers, and cooling towers supporting extreme power densities.
- Manage vendor relationships for chemical supply, equipment, and on-site service; oversee bulk chemical storage and dosing systems.
- Ensure compliance with environmental regulations, discharge permits, and sustainability goals related to water usage and wastewater.
- Conduct root cause investigations for water-related issues, perform system audits, and drive continuous improvement in water treatment strategies.
- Support commissioning of new facilities, expansion projects, and ongoing operations while contributing to water conservation initiatives.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
- 1+ years experience in industrial water treatment, preferably for data centers, power plants, or large-scale cooling systems.
PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
- Direct experience supporting hyperscale data center cooling systems or power generation facilities.
- Familiarity with liquid cooling loops, high-cycle cooling towers, and hybrid cooling architectures.
- Knowledge of relevant standards and regulations (ASHRAE, EPA, local discharge permits) and water sustainability metrics (WUE).
- Experience with automated water treatment controls, SCADA integration, and real-time monitoring.
- Background in Memphis/Tennessee or Texas water regulations and river-sourced makeup water treatment.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Willingness to work extended hours and be fully onsite as needed during critical project phases and system upsets.
- Ability to work in industrial/data center environments, including occasional lifting and exposure to varying conditions.
- Strong communication skills for collaborating with internal teams, vendors, and regulatory agencies.
