VP, Data Center Chief Architect

Eaton Corporation Plc

Pleasanton, CA

JOB DETAILS
SKILLS
Alliance/Partner Management, Alternative Energy, Architectural Services, Automation, Best Practices, Cloud Computing, Commissioning, Communication Skills, Conferences, Construction Design, Construction Management, Continuous Improvement, Cross-Functional, Customer Experience, Customer Relations, Ecosystems, Emerging Technology, Entertainment and Media, Establish Priorities, Fuel Cell, GNU General Public License (GPL), Leadership, Manufacturing, Market Trend Analysis, Metrics, Network Operations Center, Problem Solving Skills, Process Improvement, Product Documentation, Product Engineering, Product Lifecycle, Product Management, Product Strategy, Regulations, Sales Management, Sustainability, Team Lead/Manager, Technical Strategy, Thermal Management, Thought Leadership, Time Management, Value Chain Model, Vehicle Driving, Willing to Travel, Work From Home
LOCATION
Pleasanton, CA
POSTED
5 days ago

What you'll do:

Eaton's Global Data Center Segment is at the forefront of enabling next-generation digital infrastructure-delivering immediate business value while positioning customers for long-term operational excellence. As hyperscale, edge, and cloud environments continue to expand, data centers are facing unprecedented demands for performance, sustainability, cost efficiency, and resiliency-without compromising security or uptime. Simultaneously, accelerating innovation cycles and emerging revenue models require faster speed-to-market and greater architectural agility.

Eaton differentiates through its combination of digital intelligence, cyber-secure solutions, integrated product ecosystems, and deep engineering expertise-empowering customers to standardize, scale, and future-proof their operations globally.

The Opportunity:

Eaton is seeking a VP, Data Center Chief Architect within the Global Data Center Segment to define and lead the architectural vision for this critical growth platform. Reporting into senior segment leadership, this executive will lead the global architecture function, shaping the end-to-end product and solution strategy across the data center portfolio. This role is accountable for establishing a globally consistent, scalable architectural framework that ensures seamless customer experiences and functionally equivalent solutions across regions. As a key thought leader, the VP, Data Center Chief Architect will guide the product lifecycle, align cross-functional stakeholders, and drive standardization without sacrificing innovation or regional adaptability. The successful candidate will operate at the intersection of technology, product strategy, and customer experience-partnering closely with product management, engineering, and commercial teams to accelerate time-to-market and deliver differentiated, future-ready solutions worldwide.

What you will own:

Strategic Leadership & External Engagement

  • Serve as Eaton's thought leader across the power, energy and data center ecosystem by actively engaging with customers, partners, academia, and industry forums to identify emerging technologies, evolving operating models, and market trends. This position will be largely customer facing.
  • Represent Eaton at leading industry conferences, universities, and public forums, shaping perspective on the future of data center architecture, while influencing standards, regulatory discussions, and broader industry direction.
  • Build and maintain strong partnerships across the value chain (technology, upstream, downstream) to continuously inform and prioritize Eaton's innovation and development roadmap.

Acceleration of Data Center Deployment & Innovation

  • Lead initiatives to significantly reduce time-to-market for large-scale data centers by reimagining planning, design, and build processes in collaboration with key customers.
  • Advance alternative power strategies-including on-site generation (e.g., gas turbines, SMRs, fuel cells, renewables)-to address grid constraints and accelerate project feasibility and permitting timelines.
  • Drive adoption of scalable, repeatable delivery models through standardization, modularization, late-stage configuration, and commissioning automation to compress deployment cycles globally.

Customer-Centric Transformation & Quality Excellence

  • Establish deep Voice of Customer (VoC) insights to align Eaton's offerings with evolving client requirements, using customer-defined metrics to drive continuous improvement.
  • Partner with internal stakeholders to elevate operational performance-including quality, service standards, and issue resolution-to meet the expectations of hyperscale and strategic customers.
  • Lead a globally consistent quality framework spanning design, manufacturing, and engineering services to ensure a seamless and differentiated customer experience.
  • Engage proactively with strategic customers outside of active bid cycles to shape demand, influence specifications, and strengthen long-term partnerships.
  • Contribute directly to high-impact, enterprise-level pursuits.
  • Ability to drive large-scale transformational growth.

Global Architecture Convergence & Portfolio Alignment

  • Define and drive global standards to ensure functional equivalence and consistency of products and services across regions, enabling a unified global customer experience.
  • Partner with Key Account Management (KAM) and Global Product Line (GPL) leaders to prioritize roadmap investments and accelerate engineering convergence.
  • Institutionalize global best practices by leveraging regional innovation to continuously enhance Eaton's data center solutions portfolio.
  • Power, cooling and physical structures (white space).

Market Influence & Brand Leadership

  • Articulate and promote Eaton's technical and commercial vision for data centers through media, industry engagements, and direct interaction with policymakers and regulators.
  • Position Eaton as a leading voice in shaping the future of resilient, sustainable, and high-performance data center infrastructure

Education & Experience Required:

  • Master's degree in engineering discipline
  • Minimum of 15 years working within datacenters, power, energy, or nuclear
  • Minimum of 5 years leading global teams
  • Expertise in critical power chain systems
  • Experience with data center design, construction and thermal management

Additional Information:

  • Travel up to 75% (domestic & International).
  • Position will be based near our customers in Washington, DC; Seattle, WA; or San Francisco, CA. Remote work will be considered within the US.
  • This position may offer relocation within the US.
  • This position does not offer sponsorship.

About the Company

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Eaton Corporation Plc

Eaton is a power management company with 2016 sales of $19.7 billion. We provide energy-efficient solutions that help our customers effectively manage electrical, hydraulic and mechanical power more efficiently, safely and sustainably. Eaton is dedicated to improving the quality of life and the environment through the use of power management technologies and services. Eaton has approximately 95,000 employees and sells products to customers in more than 175 countries. For more information, visit Eaton.com.
COMPANY SIZE
10,000 employees or more
INDUSTRY
Electronics, Components, and Semiconductor Mfg
FOUNDED
1911
WEBSITE
http://www.eaton.com