Water Treatment Engineer

<div class="content-intro"><h3><strong><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">ABOUT xAI</span></strong></h3> <p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">xAI’s mission is to create AI systems that can accurately understand the universe and aid humanity in its pursuit of knowledge. </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Our team is small, highly motivated, and focused on engineering excellence. This organization is for individuals who appreciate challenging themselves and thrive on curiosity. </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">We operate with a flat organizational structure. All employees are expected to be hands-on and to contribute directly to the company’s mission. Leadership is given to those who show initiative and consistently deliver excellence. Work ethic and strong prioritization skills are important. </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">All employees are expected to have strong communication skills. They should be able to concisely and accurately share knowledge with their teammates.</span></p></div><h3><strong>ABOUT THE ROLE:</strong></h3> <p>We are seeking an exceptional Water Treatment Engineer to design, implement, and optimize water treatment systems for xAI’s high-density AI supercomputing facilities. This role focuses on treatment programs for cooling tower water, chilled water loops, closed-loop systems, and process water used in liquid cooling infrastructure to ensure maximum reliability, efficiency, and minimal water usage (WUE) while preventing corrosion, scaling, and biological fouling.</p> <p>You will play a critical role in maintaining uptime for our superclusters by delivering high-performance water chemistry and treatment solutions at massive scale. This is a full-time, onsite role based in the Memphis region, working closely with thermal, mechanical, facilities, and operations teams.</p> <h3><strong>RESPONSIBILITIES:</strong></h3> <ul> <li>Design and optimize industrial water treatment programs for open and closed cooling systems, including chemical treatment, filtration, softening, reverse osmosis, and side-stream treatment.</li> <li>Develop and maintain water quality specifications, monitoring protocols, and automated control systems to protect cooling equipment and maximize system efficiency.</li> <li>Perform water chemistry analysis, corrosion monitoring, scaling tendency modeling, and biological control to prevent downtime and extend equipment life.</li> <li>Collaborate with thermal and mechanical teams to integrate water treatment with liquid cooling, heat exchangers, and cooling towers supporting extreme power densities.</li> <li>Manage vendor relationships for chemical supply, equipment, and on-site service; oversee bulk chemical storage and dosing systems.</li> <li>Ensure compliance with environmental regulations, discharge permits, and sustainability goals related to water usage and wastewater.</li> <li>Conduct root cause investigations for water-related issues, perform system audits, and drive continuous improvement in water treatment strategies.</li> <li>Support commissioning of new facilities, expansion projects, and ongoing operations while contributing to water conservation initiatives.</li> </ul> <h3><strong>BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:</strong></h3> <ul> <li>Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.</li> <li>1+ years experience in industrial water treatment, preferably for data centers, power plants, or large-scale cooling systems.</li> </ul> <h3><strong>PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:</strong></h3> <ul> <li>Direct experience supporting hyperscale data center cooling systems or power generation facilities.</li> <li>Familiarity with liquid cooling loops, high-cycle cooling towers, and hybrid cooling architectures.</li> <li>Knowledge of relevant standards and regulations (ASHRAE, EPA, local discharge permits) and water sustainability metrics (WUE).</li> <li>Experience with automated water treatment controls, SCADA integration, and real-time monitoring.</li> <li>Background in Memphis/Tennessee or Texas water regulations and river-sourced makeup water treatment.</li> </ul> <h3><strong>ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:</strong></h3> <ul> <li>Willingness to work extended hours and be fully onsite as needed during critical project phases and system upsets.</li> <li>Ability to work in industrial/data center environments, including occasional lifting and exposure to varying conditions.</li> <li>Strong communication skills for collaborating with internal teams, vendors, and regulatory agencies.</li> </ul><div class="content-conclusion"><p><em>xAI is an equal opportunity employer. For details on data processing, view our&nbsp;</em><em><a href="https://x.ai/legal/recruitment-privacy-notice" target="blank">Recruitment Privacy Notice</a>.</em></p></div>