Data Center Technician Manager

Microsoft • Boydton, VA

8d • Onsite

About The Position

The Data Center Technician Manager leads a team of technicians responsible for hardware deployments, equipment diagnostics, troubleshooting, replacement, and decommissioning. The manager provides technical guidance and training, assigns and prioritizes work, monitors team performance against Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Service Level Agreements (SLAs), and supports service quality and operational improvement. The role is part of Microsoft Cloud Operations & Innovation (CO+I), which delivers infrastructure for Microsoft’s online services, including Azure, Bing, Office 365, Xbox, and OneDrive.

The manager coordinates shift-based staffing and project timelines, ensures technicians have appropriate tools and training, reviews work for quality and compliance, and handles escalations with internal business partners and management. The position also includes responsibility for safety, environmental health, physical security, data management, and required training compliance. Managers promote a positive team environment through coaching, feedback, collaboration, and employee development.

The work may involve business travel, generally up to 25%, including travel between locations and occasional overnight stays. The role may require 12-hour shifts at non-standard hours, including evenings, nights, weekends, or holidays. The work environment can include elevated noise, heat, and light, frequent stair or ramp climbing, prolonged standing, and occasional ladder use and material handling. U.S. citizenship verification and applicable background screenings are required; visa sponsorship is not available.

Requirements

• High school diploma, GED, or equivalent, with basic knowledge of computer hardware and components.
• At least 3 years of experience supporting IT equipment or related technology, or related experience working with technical teams.
• At least 1 year of experience directing, supervising, or managing others.
• Ability to work shifts, including non-standard hours such as evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays.
• Ability to meet Microsoft, customer, and/or government security screening requirements, including the Microsoft Cloud Background Check upon hire or transfer and every two years thereafter.
• U.S. citizenship verification is required for this position due to applicable citizenship-based legal restrictions.
• Ability to work in the United States without current or future employer visa sponsorship.

Nice To Haves

• Associate degree in Computer Science or a related field, or equivalent work experience.
• At least 4 years of experience supporting IT equipment or related technology.
• At least 3 years of experience in a production, mission-critical, 24x7x365 data center environment.
• Applicable certifications such as ITIL Foundation, ASICS/Inventory Control, CompTIA A+, Server+, or Network+, Basic Structure Cabling (BSC), Certified Data Center Professional (CDCP), Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP), or Six Sigma Green Belt.
• At least 2 years of experience leading a diverse technical or IT workforce of up to ten employees.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical guidance on preparing, installing, diagnosing, troubleshooting, replacing, and decommissioning data center IT equipment and technology.
• Guide technicians on the functions and interactions of cabling infrastructure, network, server, and storage equipment.
• Hold technicians accountable for compliance with data center policies, procedures, deadlines, and operational assurance requirements.
• Assign and coordinate technician work, monitor ticket progress, and adjust work allocation to meet task-specific KPIs.
• Analyze ticket performance data and share findings and feedback with technicians and direct-line management.
• Escalate complex tickets and operational issues to internal business partners and management, clearly summarizing relevant information.
• Review proposed process changes and Process Change Notifications (PCNs), assess their impact, and communicate relevant information to stakeholders.
• Lead team meetings and cross-discipline collaboration, provide feedback, and promote effective practices across shifts and technician teams.
• Conduct or participate in safety briefings and ensure completion of EHS training, hazard analyses, safe work practices, and appropriate PPE use.
• Promote reporting and proactive handling of safety concerns, near-misses, incidents, and safety observations.
• Ensure completion of security and data management training and compliance with relevant procedures and policies.
• Enforce physical access policies at data centers and network sites; escort vendors or IT support when needed; report and escalate security concerns and incidents.
• Manage follow-up and resolution for service escalations and proactive initiatives, and partner with stakeholders to reduce risks to personnel, resources, performance, and compliance.
• Identify, assign, and validate completion of training across technician work areas and personnel management responsibilities; advise on relevant certifications.
• Review team KPIs and service data, provide feedback to technicians, and share performance trends and learnings with management.
• Engage designated responsible individuals and relevant stakeholders in reporting and incident management for technical or safety incidents; participate in bridge calls and carry out directed follow-up actions.
• Coordinate technician training on infrastructure installation, deployment, upgrades, refreshes, simple changes, decommissioning, and equipment replacement.
• Guide task execution order and ensure technicians have access to necessary tools and supplies.
• Investigate causes of missed ticket KPIs and take corrective action.
• Verify data-bearing device identification and compliance with destruction or eradication procedures.
• Create technician schedules, coordinate project timelines, notify stakeholders, and proactively avoid scheduling conflicts.
• Manage assigned projects or programs to meet service delivery objectives and participate in pilot programs or task forces as directed.
• Evaluate technical solutions and manage expectations by accounting for operational schedules, feasibility, policies, procedures, and available tools.
• Review quality-check procedures and ensure work complies with standards; conduct post-execution verification of grounding, staging, labeling, and cabling as needed.
• Identify errors in deployment standards or Network Design Templates and coordinate corrections with internal partners and subject matter experts.
• Evaluate diagnostic and troubleshooting processes and recommend improvements.
• Recognize conditions that could create significant customer or business impact and promptly escalate imminent incident risks.
• Model Microsoft’s culture and values through leadership, coaching, accountability, employee development, and care for team members.

Benefits

• Career Rotation Programs, Diversity & Inclusion training and events, and professional certifications are offered as training and growth opportunities.
• Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: High school or GED