Datacenter Regional Operations Specialist - Rapid Response

Microsoft•Phoenix, AZ

About The Position

The Datacenter Regional Operations Specialist on Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team supports deployment and break-fix work for datacenter IT hardware across the AMER region, traveling between sites and providing local and regional escalation management. The role partners with internal teams to mitigate risk, resolve complex equipment investigations, and sustain Microsoft Azure Cloud services. It contributes to consistent practices and lessons learned that improve people, processes, and tools, and supports operations at assigned sites and, as needed, in other regions. The position carries out physical hardware deployment, troubleshooting, component replacement, project coordination, ticket and inventory management, and data-bearing-device destruction. It also supports safety, security, data-management, and compliance requirements; documents operational work; and shares knowledge with other technicians. Microsoft describes its Cloud Operations & Innovation organization as supporting a global datacenter portfolio and emphasizes employee development, inclusion, continuous learning, innovation, and environmental sustainability in datacenter design and operations.

Requirements

High school qualification or equivalent, plus at least 2 years of experience supporting IT equipment or related technology, or delivering server and network deployment projects in large-scale environments; equivalent experience is also accepted.
Ability to meet Microsoft, customer, and/or government security screening requirements, including passing the Microsoft Cloud Background Check upon hire or transfer and every two years thereafter.
Ability to support frequent standing, movement throughout the work environment, lifting, and working at heights.
Willingness to work flexible hours, non-business hours, or other schedules required by operational needs.

Nice To Haves

At least 4 years of experience in a 24x7x365 production environment or related experience.
At least 4 years of experience with datacenter processes and tooling or related experience.
Technical college degree or certification in Computer Science, Math, Telecommunications, or equivalent work experience, such as CompTIA Network+, CompTIA Server+, or CCNA.
Strong working knowledge of physical IT infrastructure, such as servers, SANs, and networking.
Knowledge of physical enterprise-class IT infrastructure.
Basic knowledge of critical environment infrastructure, such as UPS, generators, and AHUs.
Strong problem-solving, analytical, and data-analysis capabilities, with attention to detail.
Ability to effectively prioritize and execute multiple tasks and projects.
Advanced customer service, interpersonal awareness, and communication skills.
Ability to work autonomously with a remote direct manager.
Strong verbal and written communication and organizational skills.
Experience working directly with customers.

Responsibilities

Support deployment of on-site datacenter physical hardware.
Create and manage end-to-end project plans and ensure on-time delivery.
Communicate project progress to stakeholders and teams, and provide regular project check-ins and updates on delivery and quality.
Prepare, stage, set up, and perform startups and shutdowns of equipment such as racks, hard drives, and switches according to instructions, checklists, guides, protocols, and emails.
Install, replace, and troubleshoot cables and hardware.
Complete assigned tickets efficiently, meeting or exceeding task KPIs and SLAs with minimal guidance.
Perform post-execution quality checks and verify grounding, staging, labeling, and cabling against safety protocols, deployment standards, and planned Network Design Tasks.
Partner with engineering teams on diagnostic and fault-code regression testing to identify root causes.
Replace faulty components through ticketed tasks while minimizing customer and business disruption.
Maintain accurate records of incoming and outgoing deliveries and audit datacenter equipment to ensure inventory controls are met.
Prioritize ticket queues, resolve escalations, and remove blockers to support Inventory and Asset activities in accordance with internal policies and SLAs.
Move equipment using pallet jacks or other assisted lifting equipment.
Handle and perform destruction of data-bearing devices, including hard drives and solid-state drives.
Perform material movement, including shipping, receiving, and inventory management.
Execute organizational safety programs and policies and complete compliance knowledge assessments.
Identify and communicate risks, gaps, and opportunities to stakeholders and other teams to drive resolution.
Gather and provide lessons learned and recommend standard practices, process and procedure improvements, and tool innovations.
Apply subject-area knowledge of standard processes and procedures and review process changes for impact.
Use advanced diagnostic and troubleshooting knowledge to identify causes of issues.
Follow procedures for communicating and reporting incidents and decommissioning hardware for complex changes.
Contribute to issue tracking and client relations, help collect service metrics, and maintain awareness of KPIs.
Understand cross-functional support processes and train other technicians on the job.
Promote compliance with safety procedures and follow safety, security, and data-management procedures.
Support a positive team environment by sharing information and responding to feedback.