CrimsonXT partnered with a UK-based AI cloud software company building and operating high-quality AI data centers to support training for AI labs. With around 100 employees globally (50% in the US), our client is backed by major investors and has strategic partnerships with leading AI firms. Originally founded as a software company, the startup has evolved significantly over the past five years, and as customer demand for larger clusters has surged, the company has expanded its scope, now looking to build out its own data centre operations and infrastructure capabilities.

The team initially approached us following a major funding round. They needed immediate support to fill multiple senior and specialist roles in their data center division. With the US as its largest market, the company’s current focus is firmly on scaling its presence there. Their US operations were still under wraps publicly, so trust, credibility, and discretion were also critical.

As specialist recruiters in the field of data centers, we have experience partnering with global organizations to provide tailored staffing solutions for the rapidly growing digital infrastructure sector, so we were confident in our approach to find candidates for this growing startup.

 

 

Challenge

The company’s VP of Special Projects outlined their requirement for a number of Principal-level hires across Controls, Engineering, and Infrastructure. Our Data Center team prioritised all five of the roles the team had given us. The first successful placement was for the Principal Data Center Controls Engineer. The team had specific expectations for this candidate:

• Minimum 10 years’ data center experience
• Strong PLC background with HVAC, BMS, and EPMS design
• Hands-on technical expertise balanced with leadership capability
• Cultural fit for a fast-paced startup environment, with the drive to build and lead teams

The company also faced challenges. As well as wanting the successful candidates to be based in one of their four US hubs (San Francisco, Seattle, Texas or New York), there was also the added challenge of recruiting candidates without the ability to share the teams funding news. Candidates could be reluctant to join a little-known startup without press coverage of its funding, and our client had busy internal teams meaning they had no capacity to dedicate time to recruitment, so they relied on CrimsonXT’s market knowledge, network, and ability to present the opportunity in a way that inspired confidence in top-tier candidates.

 

data center

 

Solution

Our CrimsonXT Technology team launched a targeted headhunt. We delivered tailored candidate packs to provide insight into the client’s growth story, partnerships, and career opportunities, as well as ran credibility-building conversations with candidates around upcoming projects and the scale of the company’s funding (before this was public knowledge). Within one week of receiving the job spec for the Principal Data Center Controls Engineer role, we had shortlisted eight candidates.

Of the eight candidates, five were interviewed and four progressed to second stage. The successful candidate was offered the role on an upgraded package, higher than initially planned, due to his outstanding expertise and leadership potential, and the client has since hired multiple Senior Control Engineers to work under him.

 

Impact

The successful candidate joined as a Principal Data Center Controls Engineer, with a remit not only to deliver immediate technical value but also to build and manage a senior team, resolving critical control management challenges within the data center division.
Our client was delighted with the outcome, describing the hire as an ideal cultural and technical fit. The success of this placement has led to CrimsonXT being retained to fill six additional senior roles, including:

1. Principal Data Center Civil, Structural & Architectural (CSA) Engineer
2. Data Centre Infrastructure Architect
3. Contracts Lead
4. Master Planner
5. Vice President of Data Center Operations
6. Principal Data Centre Security Systems Engineer

This partnership demonstrates the value CrimsonXT brings in connecting high-growth startups with hard-to-find specialist talent in emerging technology markets.

 

 

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