DC Operations Director

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.