Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. Aligned Data Centers is seeking a senior operational leader to oversee data center operations across a defined market or state. The Senior Director, Operations will lead multiple campuses, ensuring safe, reliable, compliant, and customer-focused performance while managing operational readiness, financial results, workforce development, customer relationships, expansion, and continuous improvement.
Responsibilities
- Lead all critical facility operations across multiple campuses or facilities within the assigned state or market
- Ensure consistent execution of company standards related to: + 24x7 operations + Preventive and corrective maintenance + Infrastructure reliability + Safety and security + Service delivery + Incident and change management + Logistics + Emergency preparedness + Business continuity
- Establish clear operating expectations for campus leaders and monitor performance against defined standards and objectives
- Conduct routine operational reviews across campuses and ensure identified gaps are assigned, tracked, and resolved
- Balance staffing, technical support, equipment, and other resources across campuses based on operational priorities and risk
- Maintain visibility into facility conditions, capacity, maintenance performance, customer commitments, and emerging risks
- Serve as the market escalation point for significant infrastructure events, operational concerns, customer matters, and personnel issues
- Respond to emergency situations and ensure appropriate escalation, communication, documentation, and corrective action
- Ensure the reliability and availability of critical electrical and mechanical systems across the market
- Provide leadership and escalation support involving infrastructure such as UPS systems, generators, electrical distribution, cooling systems, fire protection systems, BMS, and other critical equipment
- Ensure maintenance programs are properly planned, documented, executed, and reviewed
- Verify that operational procedures, MOPs, SOPs, EOPs, and other controlled documents are current, accurate, and consistently followed
- Review incidents, alarms, equipment failures, and operational abnormalities to identify root causes and prevent recurrence
- Ensure corrective actions and lessons learned are implemented across all applicable campuses
- Escalate systemic or material risks to the Vice President, Operations and appropriate corporate partners
- Own market performance against established operational, financial, safety, workforce, and customer objectives
- Monitor performance indicators including: + Uptime and availability + SLA achievement + Preventive maintenance completion + Incident and alarm trends + Safety performance + Capacity and inventory + Staffing and overtime + Training and qualifications + Customer satisfaction + Budget performance
- Develop and manage market operating budgets and forecasts in partnership with campus leaders, the Vice President, and Finance
- Review spending, purchase requests, vendor activity, and resource utilization to ensure appropriate financial control
- Identify operational efficiencies and cost-saving opportunities while maintaining reliability, safety, and service expectations
- Provide accurate market reporting, performance updates, risk assessments, and recommended actions to regional leadership
- Lead, coach, and develop campus Directors, Facility Managers, and other operations leaders
- Set clear performance expectations and hold leaders accountable for operational execution, team development, communication, and compliance
- Ensure campus leaders maintain appropriate visibility and engagement with all shifts and teams
- Lead market-level succession planning, talent reviews, and identification of high-potential employees
- Partner with People & Culture and regional leadership to address performance concerns, staffing risks, retention, and leadership development
- Support recruiting, selection, onboarding, qualification, and development of market operations employees
- Promote consistent leadership practices across campuses and address gaps in management effectiveness
- Foster a culture grounded in safety, ownership, teamwork, problem solving, continuous improvement, and customer service
- Serve as the primary senior operations contact for customers within the assigned market
- Participate in customer service reviews, operational meetings, audits, site visits, and escalation discussions
- Ensure customer requirements and service commitments are understood and consistently executed across campuses
- Coordinate with campus leaders and cross-functional partners to resolve customer concerns promptly and effectively
- Maintain visibility into upcoming customer activity, deployments, maintenance events, and capacity requirements that may affect operations
- Escalate significant customer risks or concerns to the Vice President, Operations
- Support the expansion of existing campuses and the activation of new facilities within the assigned market
- Partner with Platform Delivery, Commissioning, Engineering, Security, EHS, and other teams to prepare new capacity for operations
- Ensure staffing, training, documentation, systems, spare parts, vendor support, and operational procedures are in place before turnover
- Participate in readiness reviews and identify operational gaps that must be resolved before facility acceptance
- Ensure new facilities and customer deployments are effectively integrated into the existing market operating model
- Provide market-level input regarding future headcount, leadership, equipment, and operational support needs
- Reinforce a strong safety culture and ensure compliance with all company safety requirements and use of required PPE
- Ensure adherence to applicable laws, codes, regulations, customer requirements, and company policies
- Partner with EHS, Security, ISMS, Corporate Operations, and other stakeholders to address audits, findings, and compliance obligations
- Ensure employees are appropriately trained and qualified to perform assigned work
- Promote reporting and escalation of unsafe or unreliable conditions without fear of retaliation
- Lead market-level process improvement efforts and ensure regional or enterprise initiatives are effectively implemented across campuses
- Share effective practices and lessons learned with other markets and corporate stakeholders
- Directly supervises campus Directors, Facility Managers, and other assigned operations leaders
- Provides indirect leadership to critical facility technicians, maintenance personnel, and other operations employees across the market
- Responsible for market-level performance management, leadership development, staffing, succession planning, and employee accountability
- Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with company policies and applicable laws
Skills
- Equivalent relevant experience may be considered
- Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in mission-critical, data center, industrial, utility, or critical facility operations
- Minimum of five years of leadership experience, including responsibility for multiple facilities, campuses, or operational teams
- Strong working knowledge of critical electrical and mechanical infrastructure, including UPS systems, generators, electrical distribution, cooling systems, fire protection systems, and BMS
- Demonstrated experience managing operational performance, maintenance programs, incident response, change management, and customer service
- Experience developing and managing operating budgets, forecasts, staffing plans, and vendor relationships
- Ability to interpret technical documentation, procedures, drawings, and operational performance data
- Strong written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills
- Demonstrated ability to lead effectively during critical incidents and high-pressure situations
- Ability to travel between campuses and other company locations approximately 20%–35%, depending on market structure and business needs
- Frequently required to sit, stand, walk, and move throughout operational facilities
- Frequently required to bend or climb and occasionally lift or move 25–50 pounds
- May work near moving mechanical equipment and within active critical environments
- May be exposed to varying temperatures, weather conditions, and elevated noise levels
- Must be able to respond to significant operational events outside normal business hours
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Facilities Management, Business, Operations, or a related field preferred
Benefits
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance
- HSA with employer contribution for eligible participants
- FSA's offered for health and dependent care to increase tax savings
- 401(k) plan with company match
- Paid Time Off and Holiday Pay
- Short-Term Disability, Life Insurance, and Long-Term Disability (with medical election)
- Voluntary life, critical illness, legal, and additional disability coverage
- Employee assistance program (EAP), Wellhub gym membership, and other wellness initiatives
Company Overview