If you’ve streamed a show, backed up your photos, or asked AI a question this week, you’ve relied on a data center.
While largely invisible in day-to-day life, data centers are vast physical spaces that quietly and continuously power the digital world at scale. At companies like Eaton, they’ve also become part of a rapidly expanding sector that many people didn’t originally set out to work in.
“I sort of fell into it, like most everyone else,” says Elise Vadnais, now a key account manager working on some of the world’s largest data center projects. She studied business at a small liberal arts college, started in telecom, and eventually started working in the data center side of the business.
When the opportunity came to join Eaton, she took it—not to start over, but to build on what she already knew. “I saw this as an opportunity to solve bigger problems for the same data center customers I was used to working with.”
That kind of path is more common than not.
Across Eaton, teams in engineering, product, sales, operations, and customer strategy are helping design and support the infrastructure behind data center growth—often by building on experience from adjacent fields rather than following a single, traditional path.
To understand what that work actually looks like we spoke with Eaton employees across roles and regions. Their paths into data centers aren’t always linear, but together, they point to something increasingly clear: the field is opening up new kinds of career opportunities in ways people don’t expect.
A growing industry with no single entry point
As data centers scale, the workforce building them isn’t coming from a single pipeline. It’s pulling from everywhere.
New hires are arriving from engineering, operations, and adjacent fields like telecom and manufacturing, often moving laterally and bringing skills that translate more directly than they expected.
Alexandra Rangel-Santos leads Eaton’s strategy, roadmap, and cross‑functional execution for next‑generation data center power distribution architectures. Her career at Eaton began in highly technical engineering roles before moving into applications, systems, and eventually customer-facing leadership. Over time, her scope expanded from individual components to shaping how entire data center architectures are designed.
“What has meant the most to me is that at every transition, I didn’t just feel supported—I felt trusted to grow into something bigger than my current role,” Rangel-Santos says. “Eaton actively invests in developing talent, encourages people to stretch beyond their comfort zones, and supports learning through real responsibility and visibility. That kind of intentional, long-term investment in people is rare, and it’s one of the reasons I’ve been able to grow my career while staying with Eaton.”
That kind of progression is increasingly valuable in a field where complexity is the baseline, and collaboration across disciplines is essential.
What skills actually transfer to data center careers
For job seekers, one of the biggest misconceptions about data centers is that you need a narrowly defined technical background to get started. In reality, the work spans far beyond that.
There are deeply technical roles, of course. But there are also positions built on skills many professionals already have: managing projects, working with customers, coordinating across teams, or translating complex systems into real-world applications.
Patricia Paola Tanaka Bacchetti, a data center key account manager, describes her role as a bridge between engineering teams and customer needs, helping shape solutions that support high‑density, high‑efficiency power infrastructures.
She says the top applicants for jobs like hers have a mix of technical understanding and more transferable strengths: “Job seekers stand out at Eaton when they combine strong technical knowledge in power infrastructure with digital skills, customer-centric communication, project management, and a commitment to continuous learning. With AI driving rapid expansion in the data center space, professionals who understand high-density power solutions, sustainability, and advanced monitoring technologies will be especially well positioned.”
Just as important are the less tangible traits: curiosity, adaptability, and the ability to stay grounded while things are changing quickly. Bacchetti says those skills continue to develop on the job through collaboration and exposure to new challenges.
“Eaton prioritizes my learning by giving me access to continuous training, collaborative knowledge-sharing sessions, and involvement in strategic projects,” she says. “Working closely with technical teams has expanded my expertise, while leadership support encourages me to grow, bring new ideas, and contribute to improving our internal processes.”
Vadnais says the pace in the data center world is fast and rigorous—but that’s what makes it so fulfilling: “I think agility and willingness to put in extra effort are what one needs to excel in this space. It’s an incredibly exciting moment in the industry, but that means things are moving a mile a minute.”
The moment to work in data centers is now
Data centers have existed for decades. What’s changed is the pace and the pressure.
Rangel-Santos’ team is working on major innovations, including solid‑state power and protection—with a focus on sustainability, a core tenant of Eaton’s work. “Sustainability is built into Eaton’s data center strategy. We focus on solutions that increase efficiency, reduce waste heat, minimize conversion losses, and integrate more intelligently with the grid. High‑efficiency data center architectures, advanced protection technologies, and grid‑interactive approaches allow customers to meet extreme AI performance demands while reducing environmental impact.”
Designing with the full lifecycle in mind means ensuring today’s performance doesn’t come at the cost of tomorrow’s sustainability. It’s exciting work, but it’s uncharted.
“This is work that has never been done before,” she says. “Solid-state technology allows us to rethink efficiency, safety, speed, and resilience in ways traditional approaches simply can’t—and it’s a critical enabler for the future of AI-driven infrastructure. Being part of a team that is not only pushing technical boundaries but helping to shape the next generation of data centers is incredibly inspiring. It feels meaningful to know that what we’re building today will influence how the world’s most powerful digital infrastructure operates tomorrow.”
Kelly Mehta, who leads data center strategy for Eaton’s GEIS division in North America, has worked in the industry for over two decades, but describes this period as fundamentally different. “The data center market has been especially exciting, in my opinion. It is one of the fastest growing and technologically evolutionary segments we serve,” Mehta says. “Now more than ever before, the hyper-growth and impact from AI make this segment fun to work in.”
The result is an industry that feels both established and newly in motion.
An industry with an opportunity for all
Data center work is creating new opportunities, especially at companies that prioritize growth and development.
Rangel-Santos says, “The data center space is growing rapidly, and there is tremendous opportunity for leadership, innovation, and shaping the future of the industry. I’ve found Eaton to be a place where my voice is valued, my expertise is trusted, and my career growth is supported—and I want more people to experience that.”
Others point to more structured support. Bacchetti highlights internal programs focused on mentorship, networking, and leadership development—efforts designed to create clearer pathways into and through the industry. “Programs like our iERGs help create a strong community and reinforce Eaton’s commitment to inclusion across the organization,” she says.
For those who are considering a pivot, the message is often simpler: there’s room to grow.
Mehta started at Eaton in a development program straight out of college, completing three different assignments before landing her first permanent role. She’s also participated in two internal leadership development programs. But it’s the company’s inclusive culture that has helped those opportunities translate into long-term growth.
“My thoughts and ideas have always mattered here,” she says. “We need more people in our industry, and I’d love to see some amazingly talent land jobs here!”
The people behind what powers everything
Data centers may still feel invisible to most people, but the work behind them is becoming harder to ignore.
They power the systems people rely on every day, from the tools we use at work to the platforms shaping how we live and communicate. And as that demand accelerates, so does the need for people building the infrastructure behind it.
“Data centers are entering one of the most transformative periods in their history,” Rangel-Santos says. “If you want to work on technology that truly matters—solving problems that didn’t exist just a few years ago—this is an incredible time to join Eaton. The opportunity to grow, lead, and make a lasting impact is real.”
At Eaton, power isn’t just what they manage—it’s how they improve lives. As an intelligent power management company, Eaton is helping solve the world’s most urgent energy challenges by accelerating the transition to renewable energy and advancing electrification and digitalization across industries. From protecting the environment to powering communities, Eaton’s work makes a global impact—today and for generations to come. Click to explore Eaton's ratings, profile, and open jobs now.
