Data center hiring comes in three waves

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  Construction and trades, first. Civil crews prepare the site and foundation, then MEP contractors install power distribution, cooling, generator systems, and fire suppression. The 32,000-square-foot electrical substation alone is a significant electrical-scope item.
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  Commissioning, the pressure point. Commissioning engineers run integrated systems testing: load banking, generator paralleling, cooling-loop validation, and EPMS verification. These specialists are scarce nationwide and routinely booked months in advance.
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  Operations, for the life of the building. Critical-facilities technicians and facility engineers run the building around the clock once it is live. At 99MW in a single two-story facility, the permanent operations headcount is smaller than a hyperscale campus, but the role requirements are identical.

What these roles pay in 2026

The certifications and background that actually matter

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  Commissioning engineers: NFPA 70E, documented load-bank experience, generator paralleling, and ideally Uptime Institute or equivalent systems-level training. Tier II or Tier III commissioning credits carry weight.
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  Critical-facilities engineers and technicians: OSHA 30, ATS maintenance experience, cooling-plant fundamentals (CRAC/CRAH, chiller loops), and EPMS familiarity (Schneider EcoStruxure, Vertiv, or equivalent).
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  Entry facilities technicians: OSHA 10, basic electrical theory, and a willingness to learn DCIM tools on the job. Georgia Southern graduates with electrical-engineering-technology backgrounds can grow into this role.
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  Construction trades: IBEW journeyman card for electrical scope; relevant mechanical licenses for HVAC and plumbing; a clean background check is standard for any site that will handle co-location or hyperscale tenants.

How to structure the offer

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  Relocation. Commissioning engineers and experienced critical-facilities staff will not relocate to rural Bulloch County for base alone. A relocation stipend of $5,000 to $10,000 and guaranteed housing assistance for the first 90 days make the conversation possible.
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  Per diem for commissioning. Commissioning is typically a contract engagement tied to the integrated-systems testing schedule. Day-rate or per-diem structures of $150 to $250 per day on top of an hourly or project fee are the market norm for traveling commissioning talent.
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  Contract-to-permanent for operations. Bringing operations staff on during commissioning so they can shadow the systems before go-live is both a retention strategy and a training accelerator. Structure the first six months as a contract with a defined conversion offer.
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  Retention bonus. A 12-month cliff bonus of 5 to 10 percent of base is increasingly standard in competitive markets. Southeast Georgia competes against Savannah's industrial boom for the same regional electrical and mechanical talent, so retention structure matters from day one.

Where each role actually gets sourced

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  Construction trades: Start regional, but move fast. Savannah's Hyundai Metaplant expansion and port-related construction are absorbing available IBEW and pipefitter capacity across the coastal plain. Statesboro labor boards and the Augusta and Macon markets are worth canvassing simultaneously.
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  Commissioning engineers: National search only. The pool is roughly 2,000 to 3,000 active specialists in the US; they go where the work is. Job boards alone will not surface them. Direct outreach through data center commissioning networks is required.
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  Critical-facilities engineers: Mixed. Some candidates will come from Savannah's industrial and port-infrastructure operations; most will need to be recruited from other data center markets and relocated.
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  Entry facilities technicians: Georgia Southern University's engineering and IT programs are the best local pipeline. Target graduating seniors and recent alumni, particularly those from the construction-management and electrical-engineering-technology tracks. These are candidates to grow, not candidates who arrive ready on day one.

The Statesboro reality: competing for available, not just qualified

The timeline is the hiring plan

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  Now through late 2026: The rezoning is approved; permitting and final approvals are still ahead. This window is for pipeline building, not offers. Start identifying commissioning engineers and critical-facilities candidates so they are warm when the construction schedule hardens.
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  2027: Lock commissioning talent under contract. Begin operations hiring so staff can enter alongside commissioning and learn the systems before go-live.
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  2028 and beyond: Ramp permanent operations as the building energizes. Entry technicians sourced from Georgia Southern who came on during commissioning will be your most cost-effective long-term staff.

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