Inside Tech's Best-Kept Secret: Why Now Is the Moment to Join Global Commissioning
LUKE FOXLEY - GROUP CPO
Every AI breakthrough, every cloud login, every hospital system and financial transaction runs through a data centre. Behind the scenes, an entire industry is racing to keep up with that demand, and it's hiring at a pace few people outside it have noticed. Data centre careers are still one of tech's best-kept secrets. Not for much longer.
Global Commissioning's Group Chief People Officer, Luke Foxley, explains why there has never been a bigger moment to build a career in data centre commissioning, and how people from all backgrounds can break in.
WHAT IS DATA CENTRE COMMISSIONING?
Data centre commissioning is the process that ensures critical infrastructure - electrical, mechanical and control systems - is designed, installed, tested and handed over safely and efficiently.
"Commissioning is what makes a data centre work," says Foxley. "We're the first and last line before a facility goes live. Without commissioning, nothing turns on."
That makes commissioning one of the highest-stakes, fastest-growing corners of the entire data centre industry, with demand climbing across every region Global operates in.
A company on a serious growth trajectory
Global Commissioning isn't just riding the data centre boom; it's actively building the momentum, with the business now part of a group of specialist companies which make up the Global Commissioning and Verification Group (GCV Group).
Each business keeps its own name, identity and specialism. What changes is the backing behind it, and the reach that comes with being part of a much bigger group.
More businesses under that umbrella mean more regions covered and more live projects running. More projects mean more teams, more specialisms in demand and real room to build a career fast, not decades from now.
"We're acquiring new businesses and opening in new markets,” Foxley explains, “while taking on bigger, more complex projects than ever before, and we're still only scratching the surface.”
For anyone starting out, that scale of growth is opportunity hiding in plain sight. New businesses need integrating. New projects need engineers from day one, and that's exactly where you come in.
Forget the stereotype, there's a role here for you
One of the biggest misconceptions about data centre careers is that they're only for highly specialised engineers.
In reality, commissioning teams include:
Electrical and mechanical engineers
Energy marshals
Safe Systems of Work (SSoW) specialists
Health and safety professionals
Software and digital solutions teams
Finance, HR and project management roles
"We're not just hiring people who've been in the industry for decades," Foxley says. "We're hiring apprentices, graduates and people retraining from other industries. As we expand into new regions and take on new companies, we need people at every level."
Curiosity beats a CV every time
Technical skills matter, but they're not the deciding factor.
"What matters is curiosity, problem-solving and the willingness to learn," says Foxley. "If you've got that, we can teach you the rest."
That opens the door to people looking to:
Switch industries
Move from construction into tech
Build a long-term engineering career
Work that actually keeps the world running
Beyond growth and opportunity, data centre careers offer something many roles don't: purpose.
"When you commission a data centre, you're literally making the internet work," Foxley explains. "You're keeping hospitals online, financial systems running and AI tools learning."
Few careers offer such direct, global impact. Fewer still are growing this fast while they do it.
Your way in, starting today
For those interested in starting a career in data centre commissioning, Foxley's advice is simple.
Be curious.Learn the basics of how data centres work and how commissioning fits in.
Build your network. Connect with professionals on LinkedIn and attend industry events.
Stay open.Transferable skills matter more than a perfect CV.
"The truth is, the industry needs people," Foxley says. "If you're hungry to learn, there's a place for you."
The moment to jump in is now
Once a hidden sector, the data centre industry is now firmly in the spotlight, and Global is expanding harder and faster to meet it. New regions, new acquisitions and new projects mean the door is wider open than it's ever been.
"Breaking into data centres isn't as hard as you think, I did it," Foxley says. "But it does take boldness. The people who put their hand up now will be the ones leading the industry tomorrow."