Technical Lead (contract)

Project Overview / Contractor's Role: The NPC Data Center Engineer role is required to maintain continuous on site operational coverage and support delivery of critical infrastructure initiatives. The position provides hands on engineering support for physical data center infrastructure, including power, cooling, cabling, capacity management, vendor coordination, and incident response—responsibilities that cannot be shifted to remote or shared resources. The NPC team is intentionally staffed with two engineers to ensure adequate coverage for concurrent project execution, BAU operations, on call rotations, and required weekend and off hours work. Backfilling this role is necessary to sustain delivery of active lifecycle programs, maintain operational resiliency, and mitigate execution and incident response risk. Operating below this staffing level would materially impact service reliability and project timelines. Experience Level: 2-3 - Senior Location & Schedule Requirements • On-site position based in Naperville, IL • Standard weekday hours: 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM, excluding bank and federal holidays • Required to work an average of 2–3 weekends per month (typically Saturdays or overnight Fridays); schedules are flexed to maintain a 40-hour weekly average • Participation in an on-call rotation is required • Flexibility to work late evenings (after 7:00 PM) or adjust schedules to support emergency changes or business needs • Six-month engagement with potential for extension Key Competencies • Extensive experience managing physical infrastructure in enterprise data centers • Advanced expertise in structured cabling (fiber and copper technologies) • Strong proficiency in capacity management, including space, power, cooling, and cabling • Proven project management skills with the ability to lead initiatives independently Qualifications • Minimum 5 years of experience supporting physical data center infrastructure • Strong organizational, prioritization, and communication skills • Experience with ticketing systems, change management, ITIL processes, and tools such as ServiceNow • Ability to lift and move equipment weighing 50 pounds or more • Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment with shifting priorities • Working knowledge of network design and topology • Hands-on experience with data center migrations • Familiarity with data center power systems, including backup power, generators, and cooling • Experience working with high- and low-voltage cabling vendors • Ability to troubleshoot common cabling issues and leveraging testing tools (i.e. Fluke Versiv) • Prior exposure to DCIM tools (e.g., Nlyte, Device42) • Willingness to work weekends, off-hours, and respond to emergency situations • Commitment to maintaining a positive, collaborative work environment and adhering to company policies, self-motivated Responsibilities • Troubleshoot and resolve cabling, power, and cooling issues within the data center • Develop, maintain, and follow installation, cabling, and operational documentation • Validate and verify successful equipment installations • Coordinate directly with vendors and contractors, including through ticketing systems • Pack, unpack, rack, and cable servers and related hardware • Plan, schedule, and lead maintenance and repair activities, including vendor coordination • Identify and implement process improvements to increase operational efficiency • Ensure timely receipt, documentation, and inventory tracking of all equipment • Independently manage and execute assigned projects end-to-end • Serve as an initial escalation point during on-call rotations • Regularly oversee and coordinate weekend work • Maintain accurate inventory records and controls • Perform ongoing capacity planning and management • Develop bills of materials and partner with procurement and vendors to source hardware • Design and implement data center hardware and infrastructure solutions • Coordinate with facilities teams on maintenance of critical systems (UPS, generators, cooling) • Provide reporting to management, including budget tracking, ticket metrics, and operational KPIs • Collaborate with internal teams and infrastructure towers on cross-functional projects • Participate in and lead engineering and planning meetings • Partner with data center leadership on long-term strategy and site planning • All work is performed on-site Pay Rate Range 55 - 65 USD hourly Additional Notes The above listed pay range is a good faith estimate of what the employer reasonably expects to pay for this position. Benefits Information Optional benefits offering includes medical, dental, vision and retirement benefits via Hiregenics.