Principal Hardware Engineer
Overview
Senior hands-on role responsible for the physical delivery and lifecycle management of infrastructure across data centres, build labs, and office environments. This role combines deep technical expertise with on-site leadership, risk ownership, and responsibility for engineering standards in critical environments.
Key Responsibilities
Infrastructure Delivery
Lead and execute physical build, installation, relocation, and decommissioning of servers, storage, and network hardware
Own rack layouts, structured cabling, patching, labelling, and cable management standards
Coordinate power, cooling, and space planning with facilities and design teams
Oversee logistics, manual handling, and on-site hardware movements
Risk, Safety & Change
Produce and maintain RAMS for engineering activities
Identify operational risks and implement mitigations
Operate within formal Change Management processes, including CAB participation for data centre works
Enforce health and safety standards on site
Documentation & Compliance
Maintain accurate asset records and site documentation
Support audits and compliance requirements including ISO 9001, ISO 27001, and PCI-DSS
Project Support
Work with project managers, architects, and third parties to deliver infrastructure projects
Provide technical input for data centre migrations, expansions, and refresh cycles
Experience & Skills Required
Experience
5+ years in data centre operations or infrastructure engineering
Strong knowledge of commodity compute, storage, and networking hardware
Advanced understanding of data centre best practice
Experience producing and working to RAMS in critical environments
Structured cabling expertise (Cat6/6a, OM3/OM4, fibre)
Working knowledge of power distribution, PDUs, and load balancing
Skills
Methodical, accurate, and calm under pressure
Clear communicator with engineers, customers, and stakeholders
Takes ownership of on-site decisions and outcomes
Able to prioritise workload across multiple activities
Vetting & Practical Requirements
Clean manual driving licence
Valid passport
Ability to pass BS7858 vetting
Eligibility for UK SC clearance (5 years UK residency)
Willingness to travel to UK and overseas sites
Flexibility to work nights and weekends when required