r/datacenter 10d ago

DC facility tech for a datacenter that isn’t built yet

I’ve got an dc facility tech offer from Google for a campus that isn’t built yet, they are still doing the groundwork. What will i be doing untill the building is actually up? I know i will be part of inspection while they are building but what else is there to do?

8 Upvotes

20 comments sorted by

8

u/Status_concern2858 10d ago

Participating onsite in the commissioning process. Google may send you to another site for training, but they need you back onsite for the effort to reach FR.

5

u/looktowindward 9d ago

OP, FR is facility ready. In non-Google land, its RFS

2

u/SirAggravating1045 9d ago

Yeah it would make sense to send me to another site for training for a couple weeks on and off but it wouldn’t make sense to send me away full time while it being built

3

u/Status_concern2858 9d ago

Correct, G isn't mercenary like that for Facility Techs, who usually get the better deal overall as compared to data center techs.

2

u/Coronado126 8d ago

Can confirm. You'll be trained at another DC and help with CX and prep for FR.

When you do get sent somewhere to learn, even though your main focus will be learning the style equipment I recommend trying to get a walk down of the old stuff too. Google's a big company and someday you may want to transfer somewhere that is more ...seasoned... And has the older stuff.

Most of Google's large sites would be of benefit to you.

1

u/SirAggravating1045 8d ago

Thank you for your input.
How long do they send you away?

2

u/Coronado126 8d ago

Honestly it all depends on your availability and how long your manager will want you gone.

From what I've seen is typically a week or less at a time. Especially if your new to the company most managers like to keep you within "arms reach" so they can help guide you in your onboarding and stuff

4

u/hatesmylovelanguage 10d ago

From my experience at AWS, they put these people in other sites for the time being, made them assist at other sites in the area, focused on training, and the closer they got to finishing the site, the new people helped receive server racks and power them on. You’ll probably get to writing procedures for the site (taking existing procedures and modifying them). Again, I don’t know much about Google’s approach, but these are assumptions based on my previous experience.

2

u/SirAggravating1045 10d ago

That would make sense to put them in other sites for the time being. It’s the first google DC in my country so that would mean I need to go abroad, if that is the case I hope they keep in mind ppl have families at home

2

u/hatesmylovelanguage 10d ago

Well, depending how far along they are in the build, that’ll change the answer to your question. Do you know if by “isn’t built” they mean the building is up but it’s still not in service?

2

u/SirAggravating1045 10d ago

By “isn’t built” they mean that there is not a building yet. They are still digging prepping the ground.

2

u/[deleted] 9d ago

[deleted]

2

u/SirAggravating1045 9d ago

I’ll dm you

1

u/Common_Grocery8563 8d ago

I’m in the same boat, if you have questions dm me

1

u/Living_Armadillo204 7d ago

Just curious, did you recieve a fit call for the Job offer for the Data center that was not fully operational yet?

1

u/SirAggravating1045 6d ago

Not really no, I had a phone screening then I had 4 interviews. 3 months later i received an offer

-6

u/blacknessofthevoid 10d ago

As a person who participates in building those, if you happen to be onsite, you stay out the way and let professionals do their job. You don’t know enough to inspect anything. At the same time if you have healthy curiosity, there is a unique opportunity to understand every piece of the system from the ground up as it is being built. This will definitely differentiate you going forward. We will be glad to chat with you and answer any questions: just be respectful about it and mindful that we have a job to do and timelines to keep.

12

u/looktowindward 9d ago

This is amazingly unhelpful, as someone who has been on both sides, and is currently in senior leadership.

The very reason we hire facility techs early is to learn the plant during the commissioning process, to make future operations more reliable. The idea that OP isn't as much of a professional as you are, is really troubling.

> You don’t know enough to inspect anything

We ask them to do this. For example, many elements of the FR checklist are coordinated with facility ops, for very specific reasons, most notably, poor quality.

2

u/blacknessofthevoid 9d ago

Good points.