Datacenter Infrastructure Engineer Lead

About xAI

xAI’s mission is to create AI systems that can accurately understand the universe and aid humanity in its pursuit of knowledge. Our team is small, highly motivated, and focused on engineering excellence. This organization is for individuals who appreciate challenging themselves and thrive on curiosity. We operate with a flat organizational structure. All employees are expected to be hands-on and to contribute directly to the company’s mission. Leadership is given to those who show initiative and consistently deliver excellence. Work ethic and strong prioritization skills are important. All engineers and researchers are expected to have strong communication skills. They should be able to concisely and accurately share knowledge with their teammates.

About The Role

As a Datacenter Infrastructure Engineer Lead at xAI, you’ll lead the charge at our Memphis, TN datacenter, building and maintaining the robust, scalable systems that power xAI’s cutting-edge AI workloads. Working onsite with cross-functional teams, you’ll oversee the full lifecycle of datacenter infrastructure—from hardware deployment to ongoing optimization—solving complex challenges to ensure high performance and availability. Expect to guide your team, streamline operations, and keep everything running smoothly to fuel xAI’s mission of accelerating human scientific discovery through AI.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the design, installation, and commissioning of datacenter infrastructure, including power, cooling, networking, and compute systems tailored for high-performance AI workloads.
• Manage and mentor a team of datacenter engineers, fostering a culture of technical excellence, collaboration, and innovation.
• Optimize datacenter systems for energy efficiency, scalability, and reliability to support xAI’s compute-intensive AI models.
• Develop and implement maintenance strategies, including preventive maintenance schedules, to ensure continuous operation of critical infrastructure.
• Work closely with AI researchers, software engineers, and hardware teams to align infrastructure capabilities with xAI’s computational needs.
• Coordinate with vendors and contractors to procure equipment, manage installations, and ensure compliance with xAI’s technical and safety standards.
• Lead rapid response to infrastructure incidents, performing root cause analysis and implementing solutions to prevent recurrence.
• Forecast and plan for future datacenter capacity needs to support xAI’s growing AI initiatives.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in datacenter engineering, with at least 2+ years in a leadership or lead role managing technical teams.
• Deep knowledge of datacenter systems, including power distribution, cooling systems (e.g., HVAC, liquid cooling), networking, and high-performance computing hardware.
• Familiarity with the infrastructure demands of AI and machine learning workloads, including GPU/TPU clusters and high-bandwidth networking.
• Proven ability to lead, mentor, and grow a team of engineers while managing complex projects with tight deadlines.
• Strong analytical skills with a track record of resolving complex infrastructure challenges in high-stakes environments.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to collaborate across technical and non-technical teams.
• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, computer engineering, or a related field; advanced degree preferred but not required.

Preferred Skills & Experience

• Experience with large-scale datacenter deployments for AI or HPC (High-Performance Computing) environments.
• Knowledge of datacenter automation tools and Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) frameworks.
• Familiarity with environmental and safety regulations for datacenter operations.
• Experience working in fast-paced, mission-driven organizations.

xAI is an equal opportunity employer.

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