Ready, Steady…Boom
The UK Data Centre Boom: Careers, Capability and What Comes Next
The UK data centre sector - and the global market alongside it - is moving fast, and there are no signs of it slowing down.
Fuelled by accelerating demand for AI, cloud services and digital transformation across every industry, data centres have become critical national infrastructure. What was once viewed as a niche technical sector is now a major economic and employment engine, creating opportunities far beyond traditional roles.
At Global Commissioning, this momentum is not theoretical; it’s something we experience daily. Since 2019, we have grown expotentially, remaining deeply hands-on across our projects as demand for specialist capability continues to rise.
Recent industry commentary underlines the scale of this growth. The UK data centre market alone is now valued at more than £11bn, with each large-scale facility generating thousands of jobs across its full lifecycle; from design and construction, through commissioning, to operations and long-term optimisation.
For individuals considering a career move, and for organisations planning for the future, this trajectory matters.
People, Skills and the Reality of Delivery
For many years, data centres were referred to as a ‘secret industry’ , highly specialised, largely hidden from view, and poorly understood outside a relatively small technical community. That is no longer the case.
As operators, consultants, clients and industry bodies work collectively to shine a light on the sector, data centre careers are becoming increasingly visible and accessible. At Global Commissioning, we have always been passionate about opening the door for people to enter the industry, regardless of whether they followed a traditional route in.
Today, opportunities across the sector are broader than ever. Alongside on-site roles in commissioning management, engineering and project delivery, modern data centre projects rely on strong head office and support functions. HR, finance, administration, marketing, health and safety and support all play a vital role in enabling successful delivery.
As AI reshapes how data centres are designed, built and operated, the skills landscape continues to expand. Core technical roles remain essential but they are only part of the picture.
Infrastructure roles such as electrical, mechanical, cabling and racking engineers form the physical backbone that AI and cloud services depend on. In parallel, non-technical and operational disciplines are becoming increasingly critical to performance, safety and sustainability.
At Global Commissioning, we see this first-hand. Successful projects are never delivered by one discipline working in isolation. They are built by structured, coordinated teams with a shared focus on performance and reliability.
Why Commissioning Matters More Than Ever
As data centres become larger, denser and more software-driven, the margin for error continues to shrink. Reliability is no longer a nice-to-have; it is fundamental to business continuity, national resilience and economic growth.
This is where commissioning becomes critical.
Proper commissioning provides assurance that complex systems do not just exist on paper, but perform safely and reliably under real operating conditions. As facilities scale and delivery timelines compress, the need for structured testing, verification and independent assurance only increases.
The current boom in data centre development is creating opportunity, but it is also raising expectations. Clients, operators and end users are demanding greater confidence that assets will perform as designed from day one.
A Sector Still at the Start of its Journey
Industry forecasts suggest UK data centre employment will continue to grow at pace over the coming years, with annual increases projected well into double digits. Looking further ahead, conversations are already shifting towards what the next generation of infrastructure could look like, from ultra-high-density facilities to new concepts powered by renewable energy.
While some of these ideas sit firmly on the horizon, the direction of travel is clear. Data centres are becoming more central, more complex and more strategically important than ever before.
For individuals entering the industry, this presents a rare opportunity to build long-term careers in a sector that is still evolving. For organisations, it reinforces the importance of investing in capability, training and delivery standards that can keep pace with growth.
At Global Commissioning, this is a movement we are proud to be part of. With roles available across the UK, Europe and South Africa - and plans to expand further into new markets - we are focused on bringing data centre careers into the mainstream and creating opportunities for graduates, early-career professionals and those changing industries or re-qualifying.
This commitment is why we were proud to contribute to the latest edition of the Jobs & Careers Magazine, helping to shine a light on data centre careers and the people behind them. Our CEO, Louis Charlton, shared his career journey and leadership perspective, while our Chief People Officer, Luke Foxley, offered practical advice on how to break into an industry that was once considered ‘secret’.
To read more, explore the full feature here.
Sound like a career you would be interested in? Check out our open roles here.