Data Center Manager
About The Position
DigitalOcean is hiring a hands-on technical leader to own end-to-end operations of physical data center infrastructure. The Data Center Manager will lead technicians and engineers, oversee reliable and safe operations, support regional data center initiatives, and work with architects and infrastructure product teams to bring new solutions online. The position is based near Richmond, Virginia, and is onsite at the MEM data center. The role covers compute, storage, networking, GPU infrastructure, power delivery, airflow, cooling, and related facility systems. The manager will coordinate with facilities, capacity planning, supply chain, asset management, product, engineering, vendors, and data center providers. The role also serves as the local escalation point and incident lead. It may involve 12-hour shifts at non-standard hours, including evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays; on-call escalations; and domestic travel.
Requirements
- 6–10 years of progressive experience in data center operations, including at least 3 years of team leadership or site management in a high-scale environment.
- Deep technical knowledge of data center systems, including compute, storage, networking, airflow, and cooling, and the ability to coach others in these areas.
- Strong understanding of facility infrastructure, including electrical systems, power distribution, UPS, and cooling design principles.
- Hands-on experience with data center health monitoring, rack design, structured cabling, and server manageability tools.
- Experience using work tracking tools such as Jira and applying Kanban or similar agile workflows to visualize work, identify bottlenecks, and optimize flow.
- Systems-oriented mindset focused on team health and habits that improve throughput, predictability, and accountability.
- Strong leadership skills, including driving performance, setting goals, and creating a culture of ownership and continuous improvement.
- Excellent problem-solving and communication skills, with the ability to work cross-functionally.
- Global mindset and experience working with geographically distributed teams and aligning across time zones and infrastructure standards.
- Ability to be on-call for escalations outside business hours.
- Ability to lift up to 50 lbs and stand during extended work sessions.
- Ability to travel up to 10%, typically domestically between multiple locations during the workday and occasionally to other domestic sites for overnight stays.
- May be required to work 12-hour shifts, including evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays.
Nice To Haves
- Experience with GPU deployments.
- Familiarity with liquid cooling infrastructure or high-density rack solutions.
Responsibilities
- Manage onsite operations of the MEM data center and oversee technicians and engineers to ensure uptime, efficiency, and safety.
- Manage staffing, scheduling, performance, mentoring, and career development for the team.
- Oversee deployment, maintenance, and optimization of compute, storage, and networking infrastructure, including GPU-based systems.
- Manage physical infrastructure, including power delivery, airflow, and cooling, to support high-density compute workloads and liquid cooling systems where applicable.
- Work with facilities and capacity planning teams to optimize rack density and energy efficiency, and coordinate with vendors, OEMs, and suppliers on component delivery, RMAs, and hardware escalations.
- Work with facilities and infrastructure engineering teams to understand mechanical and electrical designs, contribute to floor planning, and align facility capabilities with compute growth.
- Partner with data center architects, cloud product owners, and other internal teams to align infrastructure buildouts with customer and platform requirements.
- Collaborate with regional data center managers and infrastructure leads globally to share best practices, raise awareness of risks, align scalable infrastructure plans, and drive consistency and innovation.
- Work with Supply Chain and Asset Management to maintain inventory accuracy, streamline logistics, and ensure component readiness.
- Align with Capacity Management to forecast and fulfill infrastructure demand for customer growth and product launches.
- Manage day-to-day work through Jira and Kanban to support smooth operations and continuous delivery.
- Work with data center providers to maintain operational excellence.
- Coordinate with external vendors and manage RMAs, shipping and receiving, and inventory control.
- Serve as the local escalation point and incident lead for operational or technical challenges.
Benefits
- Reimbursement for relevant conferences, training, and education, subject to company policy.
- Benefits may include flexible time off, local team meetups, and mental health and well-being support; specific benefits and eligibility vary by location.
- Eligible employees may receive equity compensation, which may include a new hire equity grant and, in participating countries, access to an Employee Stock Purchase Program.
- Eligible for participation in the annual bonus plan; bonus amounts depend on company and individual performance.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
Education Level
No Education Listed
