Clear recruits the engineers who deliver the facilities AI compute runs in, from grid connection and high voltage distribution through liquid cooling, commissioning and critical operations. We work with hyperscale operators, neo clouds, developers, contractors and equipment vendors building AI capacity across the UK, Europe, North America, the Middle East and APAC.
AI hardware concentrates far more power into a single rack than the enterprise and colocation halls most engineers trained in. That one change cascades through the whole building. It changes how electrical distribution is designed, it rules out the cooling methods that were standard a few years ago, and it makes commissioning a longer and more technical exercise. It also changes which candidates can genuinely do the work.
An engineer with a strong record in a conventional facility has not necessarily worked at the densities an AI hall runs at, and a CV rarely makes that clear. Clear screens for the distinction directly. Our consultants ask what rack densities a candidate has actually delivered, which cooling topology they worked with, and whether they joined the programme before or after handover. Those answers are what separate a shortlist that saves a hiring team time from one that quietly costs them a quarter.
Clear recruits the people who deliver the facility itself, from the point a site is secured through to the team running it once it is live. We do not place machine learning engineers, data scientists or model researchers. Our work sits in the physical layer that AI compute depends on, which is where the current shortage is most acute and where a generalist recruiter is least able to assess a candidate.
Project and programme directors, construction and package managers, and project controls professionals delivering AI campuses against fixed energisation dates.
High voltage engineers, power systems designers, and switchgear, UPS and distribution specialists working on the electrical infrastructure high density racks require.
Liquid cooling and mechanical design engineers, CFD and thermal modelling specialists, and the field engineers who install and prove these systems.
Commissioning managers, CxA professionals and integrated systems testing leads who verify performance before a hall accepts hardware.
Critical facilities engineers, shift leads and data center managers who keep high density halls running to uptime targets after handover.
Director and board level appointments for operators, developers, contractors and vendors scaling their AI capacity.
Density is the reason liquid cooling moved from a specialist interest to a delivery requirement. Direct to chip and immersion systems are now being specified on programmes that would have been air cooled without a second thought a few years ago, and the group of engineers who have designed, installed and commissioned them at scale is genuinely small. Demand for that experience has arrived faster than the industry has been able to train people into it.
Clear recruits across the whole chain, from the mechanical designers and thermal modelling specialists who prove the concept through to the field and commissioning engineers who sign the system off on site. We also work with the OEMs and vendors building the equipment, which gives our consultants visibility of where the experienced people actually sit and who is worth approaching before a role reaches the open market.
On most AI data center programmes, power is the constraint rather than construction capacity. Securing a grid connection, designing distribution that can carry the load, and energising on schedule now decide when a site can take hardware at all. Hiring plans increasingly get built backwards from the energisation date.
Clear recruits the professionals who carry that risk: grid connection and power procurement specialists, high voltage electrical engineers, substation and switchgear professionals, and the project controls teams holding the programme to its date. Because our consultants also recruit into power generation, we can reach candidates from the utility and generation side who bring exactly the high voltage depth these programmes need and who would not otherwise be looking at data center roles.
Every search runs through consultants who specialise in one discipline rather than covering the whole market. That is a deliberate structure. It means the person handling an electrical vacancy can hold a real technical conversation about it, interrogate what a candidate actually did on a programme, and tell the difference between adjacent experience and the genuine article before a CV ever reaches the client.
We combine active search with passive market mapping, because the engineers with real high density experience are almost always mid programme and not reading job adverts. Clear has been building that network across critical infrastructure since 2017 and runs it from London, New York and Dubai, so a client scaling across several regions works with one team rather than briefing three agencies separately.
We work on permanent, contract and executive search terms, and match the model to the programme rather than the other way around. A campus working to a fixed energisation date usually needs commissioning and electrical contractors mobilised at pace. An operator building long term capability usually needs a leadership appointment first and a permanent team built underneath it.
AI capacity is being delivered by a wider mix of organisations than traditional data center capacity ever was, and each of them hires differently. These are the client types our consultants work with most often on AI infrastructure programmes.
Teams adding AI capacity inside existing estates, where new density has to land in buildings that were not designed for it.
Operators standing up dedicated GPU capacity at speed, usually hiring delivery and operations teams from scratch.
Businesses that have outgrown rented capacity and are taking on facility delivery and critical operations for the first time.
Developers retrofitting halls or building new capacity to specifications their existing engineering teams have not delivered before.
Contractors resourcing awarded AI data center packages, often needing electrical and commissioning staff mobilised quickly.
Manufacturers and specialist vendors scaling engineering, applications and field service teams to meet demand for high density equipment.
Open positions across AI and HPC data center programmes, covering high voltage power, liquid cooling, commissioning and critical operations.
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View roleClear recruits the engineering and leadership talent that designs, builds, commissions and operates the facilities AI compute runs in. That covers high voltage and power systems engineering, liquid cooling and thermal design, commissioning and integrated systems testing, project and construction management, and critical facilities operations. We do not recruit machine learning engineers, data scientists or model researchers, so every consultant on the desk is focused on the physical infrastructure layer.
AI hardware runs at far higher rack densities, which changes the electrical distribution design, rules out cooling methods that were standard until recently, and makes commissioning longer and more technical. The practical hiring consequence is that a strong record in a conventional facility does not guarantee someone can deliver at these densities. Clear screens for what a candidate has actually built and at what density, rather than accepting data center experience as a single category.
Yes. Clear recruits across direct to chip and immersion cooling, covering mechanical and thermal designers, CFD and modelling specialists, applications and product engineers on the vendor side, and the field and commissioning engineers who install and prove the systems on site. The experienced population here is small, so most of these searches run through passive market mapping rather than advertising.
Yes, and it is one of the most requested areas. Power availability is the constraint on most AI programmes, so we recruit grid connection and power procurement specialists, high voltage electrical engineers, substation and switchgear professionals, and the project controls staff who protect the energisation date. Our power generation work means we can also reach candidates from the utility side who bring deeper high voltage experience.
Clear works with hyperscale and cloud operators, neo clouds and GPU cloud providers, AI companies taking on their own compute, colocation providers and developers, general and MEP contractors, and the cooling and power OEMs supplying high density equipment. Our US desk has covered data center, AI infrastructure and power generation hiring since 2022.
Yes. Clear works on permanent, contract and executive search terms and matches the engagement model to the programme. Campuses working to a fixed energisation date typically need commissioning and electrical contractors mobilised quickly, and because we start from an established network rather than an advert, contract mobilisation is usually the fastest route to a credible shortlist.
Clear recruits internationally from offices in London, New York and Dubai, supporting AI infrastructure hiring across the UK, Europe, North America, the Middle East and APAC. A client scaling capacity across several regions works with one team rather than briefing separate agencies in each market.
Most recruiters who market themselves on AI hiring are placing software and machine learning talent, which is a different market with a different candidate pool. Clear specialises in the physical infrastructure layer, so our consultants can interrogate the engineering detail, assess whether a candidate has genuinely worked at high density, and reach the people who are mid programme and not actively looking.
Clear recruits across every discipline that keeps data centers and critical infrastructure running.
However you need to hire, Clear has a delivery model to match the brief.
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Head of Site Services EMEA | Anord Mardix
Matthew Johnson
I partner with Max for all our engineering recruitment. His service is second to none and always delivers within a couple of weeks from the first call.
Visit WebsiteDatacenter Manager | VIRTUS Data Centers
Ben Kay
I have and do use James for my recruitment needs. He is professional throughout and will go the extra mile to get the right candidate in place.
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Wayne Aston
Tom was one of the only recruitment specialists I dealt with that took the time to meet me in person and understand what I was looking for. A very professional service from a personable recruitment company.
UK Service Manager | SEW Eurodrive
Karl Rigg
Clear Engineering Recruitment have placed a couple of quality engineers with us recently, they take time to understand our needs and make sure the right people are put forward.
Divisional Director | Hurley Palmer Flatt
Grant Penfold
Having known Tom for many years, he has always acted diligently and professionally in all aspects of recruitment. I have no hesitation in recommending him as the go-to person.
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Sarah Williams
Clear Recruitment has been instrumental in helping us build our data center team. Their understanding of the industry and ability to find top talent quickly has made them our go-to recruitment partner.
Visit WebsiteDirector of Engineering | Nexus Power Solutions
James Mitchell
The team at Clear truly understands the nuances of recruiting for critical infrastructure roles. They consistently deliver high-caliber candidates who fit both the technical requirements and company culture.
Visit WebsiteHR Director | GreenGrid Energy
Emma Thompson
Working with Clear has transformed our hiring process. Their expertise in the energy sector means we spend less time searching and more time building our team with the right people.
Visit WebsiteClear works exclusively in data centers, power, and cooling which means we know your roles, your timelines, and your market better than generalists ever could. If you have a hiring challenge, we're ready to help.
