Director of Data Center Tools

Align Communications•Plano, TX

About The Position

Align is seeking a Director of Data Center Tools to serve as product owner for the internal and external platforms supporting the Data Center Solutions practice. Internally, this role is referred to by the CEO as the “Tools Guru” position, reflecting its responsibility for enhancing our comprehensive view of Professional Services’ systems. This initiative supports our company vision and value in providing solutions through “process, people, TOOLS,” and requires a forward-looking point of view on the tool stack, translating that vision into a focused plan and roadmap to prioritize development and adoption outcomes. This position combines systems administration, IT product management, and software development oversight. The Director of Data Center Tools will serve as full product owner for Align’s DC Solutions platform and other internally built tools — responsible for their roadmap, requirements, design, development oversight, quality assurance, deployment, and ongoing enhancement. This role will also manage the full lifecycle of new initiatives, including requirements gathering, vendor evaluation, implementation, user acceptance testing, training, and adoption.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems, Business Administration, Construction Management, or a related field (preferred).
5–10+ years of experience managing business systems in a construction, professional services, or project-based environment.
Direct experience serving as a product manager or product owner for internally built software, in addition to experience administering commercial off-the-shelf systems.
Experience with construction/professional-services ERP and project management platforms, and integrating them with financial or other adjacent business systems, is a plus.
Experience leading system implementations, integrations, or major upgrades from requirements through adoption.
Hands-on product management experience for internally built software, including backlog ownership, prioritization, and release planning.
Ability to work directly with developers, whether in-house or contracted; ability to read or write code or scripts is a strong plus.
System integrations, including APIs and middleware tools.
Dashboard and reporting tool proficiency (advanced Excel; Power BI or similar a plus).
Workflow automation and low-code/no-code tooling.
Data analytics and dashboard development.
Understanding of the full Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC).
Understanding of Agile methodologies, including sprint planning, requirements gathering, backlog grooming, testing, deployment, and cross-functional collaboration between business and technical teams.
Familiarity with evaluating and piloting AI tooling, such as Copilot, in a business context.
Strong cross-functional communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with developers, field personnel and executive leadership.
Strategic thinker with an operational mindset and sound product-management instincts, including prioritization, tradeoff analysis, and road mapping.
Change management leadership.
Problem-solving and analytical skills.
Product development, marketing, evangelism!

Nice To Haves

Strong understanding of data design drawing packages.
Relationships with local vendors or data center REITs.
Ability to estimate projects and create sales proposals for new business opportunities with assistance from the corporate office and solution leads.
Knowledge in bid documents and contractor bid levelling.
RCDD, BICSI DCDC, CDCDP or PMP or related Data Center Facilities Design certifications are a plus.

Responsibilities

Maintain a single roadmap for Align’s DC Solutions platform and other internally and externally built tools supporting the Data Center Solutions Team, rather than managing individual projects in isolation.
Serve as full product owner — responsible for roadmap, backlog, prioritization, and long-term direction — for Align’s DC Solutions platform and related built tools.
Maintain a rationalized system and tool inventory (documenting ownership, purpose, and cost) for Professional Services, and identify redundant or underused tools for consolidation.
Partner with Data Center/Professional Services leaders and the CEO/CTO/COO to translate company priorities — such as scaling delivery capacity, resource and workforce planning, and AI adoption — into a prioritized systems roadmap.
Evaluate and pilot artificial intelligence capabilities, where they may improve estimating, project delivery, or reporting workflows.
Prepare and present a quarterly systems roadmap and portfolio review to executive leadership, including build-versus-buy recommendations for new capabilities.
Serve as the direct, hands-on product owner for Align’s DC Solutions platform and other internally built applications, with full accountability for their roadmap, functionality, and quality.
Gather requirements from end users and business stakeholders; develop and prioritize a product backlog and user stories for each tool.
Oversee design and development — including managing internal developers or directing contract and agency development resources — and make build-versus-buy determinations as these tools mature.
Own quality assurance and user acceptance testing for releases; manage deployment, versioning, and post-release support.
Maintain technical and user-facing documentation for each DC tool.
Track usage and adoption of internal tools and apply that data to inform roadmap prioritization.
Meet with business leaders across Estimating, Project Management, Field Operations, Finance, and People teams to gather process requirements.
Document current-state and future-state workflows for project-delivery and back-office processes.
Translate operational needs into system configurations, enhancements, or new tooling.
Prepare functional requirement documents and user stories; maintain a prioritized backlog.
Validate data accuracy and reporting logic; conduct root cause analysis on system or process issues.
Directly administer the following: Align’s DC Solutions platform and other internally built tools; Resource and workforce planning and scheduling tools supporting project delivery
Identify and implement integrations between the DC Solutions platform, other internally built tools, and adjacent business systems where they improve data accuracy and eliminate manual re-entry.
Serve as the connective link between Professional Services systems and the systems relied upon by other departments, such as Finance and Human Resources, identifying opportunities where integration or data flow improvements would reduce time or error, and building the business case accordingly.
Identify process inefficiencies and implement technology-driven improvements; standardize workflows across estimating, project management, accounting, and field operations.
Develop automation solutions, including workflows, validation rules, and middleware/API integrations, to reduce manual data entry and errors.
Ensure systems comply with accounting standards, industry regulations, project timelines, and company policy.
Partner with IT and Security to maintain cybersecurity best practices across all business systems.
Maintain audit trails and internal controls within systems.
Develop project plans for system upgrades, integrations, or new implementations, defining scope, timeline, milestones, and deliverables.
Coordinate internal stakeholders and external vendors and implementation partners.
Manage testing cycles, including user acceptance testing planning and execution, and track risks, issues, and mitigation strategies.
Ensure projects are delivered on time and within budget.
Lead change management and rollout communications for every initiative, ensuring that adoption — not merely deployment — is achieved.
Drive user adoption of new and existing tools across Professional Services, with accountability for adoption metrics rather than go-live dates alone.
Provide tier-2 support for business system issues and maintain a clear escalation path with IT.
Develop and deliver training programs for office and field personnel.
Create and maintain standard operating procedures and system documentation.
Manage system permissions, roles, and security access.