DC Operations Director

About this role

Job Description:

The Director of Data Center Operations is responsible for leading all aspects of facility performance, vendor management, and client service delivery in a Tier III colocation environment. This role ensures operational excellence across uptime, compliance, capacity planning, and SLA adherence. The director oversees cross-functional teams, manages vendor contracts, and drives strategic initiatives to support multi-tenant infrastructure and mission-critical workloads.

Key Responsibilities

• Facility Operations & Uptime:
• Oversee daily operations of Tier III data center including mechanical, electrical, and IT infrastructure.
• Ensure 100% uptime through proactive maintenance, monitoring, and incident response.
• Lead capacity planning, space/power forecasting, and infrastructure optimization.
• Vendor Oversight & Contract Management
• Manage third-party vendors for security, MEP services, janitorial, and remote hands support.
• Enforce compliance with SLAs, safety protocols, and performance KPIs.
• Conduct quarterly vendor reviews and negotiate service contracts.
• Compliance & Risk Management
• Ensure adherence to ISO 27001, SOC 2, PCI-DSS, and internal audit frameworks.
• Lead incident response, root cause analysis, and corrective action planning.
• Maintain documentation for regulatory inspections and client audits.
• Team Leadership & Client Interface
• Supervise operations staff, shift leads, and technical support teams.
• Serve as an escalation point for client issues and coordinate resolution across departments.
• Support onboarding of new tenants and ensure alignment with colocation standards.
• Strategic Planning & Reporting
• Develop annual budgets, staffing plans, and capital improvement roadmaps.
• Present operational metrics and risk assessments to executive leadership.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives across safety, efficiency, and sustainability.

Requirements

Recommended Qualifications

• Education
• Bachelor’s in Engineering, Facilities Management, or IT-related field (electrical)
• Experience - 8–12+ years in mission-critical operations; 5+ years in leadership roles.

- Skills

• Vendor management, SLA enforcement, CMMS/BCMS platforms, KPI reporting, client relations.
• Certifications
• Uptime Institute Accredited Tier Designer (ATD), PMP, OSHA 30, ITIL, ISO Lead Auditor.