Director, Data Center Excellence

DP World•MS, MS

9d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director, Data Center Excellence leads DP World’s data center traveling workforce within the Cloud business. The role is accountable for operational strategy, financial performance, customer delivery, and scalable departmental growth. It establishes a repeatable model for mobilizing teams, launching services, executing contracted work, and transitioning operations across customer locations. The Director leads operational managers and deployment leaders, partnering with Human Resources, Finance, Commercial, Engineering, Quality, Health and Safety, IT, and Travel Coordination. The role exercises independent judgment within delegated authority and translates customer growth plans into safe, profitable, and reliable operations. Services may include rack and tray preparation, materials handling, inventory control, just-in-time logistics, and deployment support as defined in approved statements of work.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in operations, supply chain, logistics, engineering, business, or a related discipline, or an equivalent combination of relevant education and professional experience.
At least 10 years of progressively responsible experience in logistics, data center operations, complex deployments, or a related field, including significant leadership of managers and multiple operating locations or programs.
Demonstrated success scaling operations and managing substantial budgets, profit and loss performance, workforce capacity, and customer commitments.
Experience directing geographically dispersed or traveling teams, launches, or time-sensitive programs with multiple stakeholders.
Strong knowledge of operational controls, financial analysis, quality systems, risk management, and continuous improvement; ability to interpret contracts and translate requirements into execution plans.
Effective executive communication, negotiation, problem-solving, and people leadership skills; ability to use business systems and performance data to make decisions.
Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States without employment visa sponsorship now or in the future.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute the department’s operating strategy, annual business plan, and multiyear growth roadmap aligned with Cloud business objectives.
Design the organizational structure, leadership capacity, systems, and deployment model needed to scale across customer programs and regions.
Partner with Commercial and Solutions teams on bids, pricing assumptions, service design, capacity commitments, and expansion opportunities; validate operational feasibility before commitments are made.
Prepare investment and headcount business cases, obtain required approvals, and deliver measurable returns within delegated authority.
Own departmental profit and loss performance, budgets, forecasts, and recovery plans in partnership with Finance; manage revenue, margins, labor productivity, travel spending, and operating costs.
Validate staffing and travel assumptions against customer demand, training requirements, and contractual billing terms; identify unbillable activity, scope changes, and margin risks promptly.
Maintain controls over purchasing, expense approvals, assets, time reporting, and billing support; work with Finance to resolve invoice issues and revenue leakage.
Report financial results and operational risks to senior leadership with clear actions, accountable owners, and completion dates.
Direct multiple concurrent deployments from readiness assessment and mobilization through execution, demobilization, and hand-off to the receiving operation.
Establish launch gates covering signed scope, staffing, training, site access, equipment, safety readiness, and customer acceptance; escalate unresolved gaps before deployment.
Build workforce plans with HR and operating leaders reflecting recruiting lead times, skill requirements, training productivity, absence coverage, and sustainable workloads.
Deploy and redeploy teams with Travel Coordination and local operations; plan productive assignments between deployments and maintain visibility into workforce availability.
Standardize operating procedures, work instructions, escalation paths, reporting, and change control across locations while accommodating approved site requirements.
Serve as a senior customer contact; lead business reviews, manage service performance, and resolve escalations while protecting contractual and commercial commitments.
Maintain contingency plans for delayed site access, construction interruptions, travel disruption, staffing shortages, and changes in customer demand.
Use dashboards and operational reviews to improve schedule adherence, productivity, inventory accuracy, quality, cost, and customer satisfaction.
Lead, coach, and evaluate managers and deployment leaders; establish goals, succession plans, and consistent expectations for employee development and accountability.
Select leaders and make or meaningfully recommend hiring, promotion, compensation, and corrective action decisions within company policy and delegated authority, in consultation with HR.
Promote respectful conduct and fair employment practices, and maintain a workplace free of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation; promptly refer concerns to HR and support appropriate investigations.
Partner with HR, Payroll, and Legal on multistate assignments, accurate work location reporting, timekeeping, travel time, overtime, meal and rest periods, leave and accommodation requirements, expense reimbursement, and applicable labor agreements.
Maintain staffing agency and contractor controls with Procurement, HR, and Legal, including defined responsibilities, approved assignments, training, and performance oversight.
Establish and enforce quality and safety expectations consistent with applicable OSHA and state plan requirements, customer rules, and company management systems, including relevant ISO standards.
Coordinate site readiness, hazard assessments, emergency response, and contractor interfaces with Health and Safety, customers, and general contractors; verify required orientation, training, and task authorizations before work starts.
Ensure only appropriately trained and authorized personnel perform equipment operation, specialized work, or activities requiring licenses or certifications; do not assign regulated work outside approved scope.
Empower employees to report hazards and stop unsafe work without retaliation; pause affected activities, escalate material risks, and verify corrective actions before restart.
Oversee incident investigations, audits, root cause analysis, and corrective action closure; protect asset traceability, inventory integrity, and customer information through documented controls.