Manager, Critical Operations

QTS Data Centers•Cedar Rapids, IA

22h•Onsite

About The Position

The Manager, Critical Operations is responsible for data center facility technical strategy, continuous improvement, and development support. The role supports electrical, mechanical, fire, life safety (FLS), and data center infrastructure management (DCIM) platforms, as well as building and housekeeping operations. It collaborates with the Engineering Manager on technical operations and daily facility needs and owns strategic projects and site continuous-improvement work. The manager oversees teams performing preventative and corrective maintenance on critical mechanical and electrical equipment and proposes, plans, and implements measures to improve facility energy efficiency. This position supports a 24×7×365 data center environment and requires on-site work; it is not eligible for remote or hybrid work. The role leads facility operations, budgets, maintenance programs, emergency planning, employee development, customer support, and coordination of customer environments and site projects.

Requirements

At least five years of workplace or professional-equivalent experience.
At least five years of people leadership experience.
Exceptional customer service skills.
Ability to analyze the operation of various systems, determine causes of problems or malfunctions, and take corrective action.
Ability to manage complex situations outside management hours as a single point of contact.
Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
Ability to lead effectively in a team environment.
Ability to acquire and apply job-related knowledge within established guidelines and expectations.
Ability to perform frequent typing, standing, walking, pushing, pulling, bending, reaching, and lifting; regular lifting may range from 10 to 50 pounds, with heavier weights handled with others or lifting aids.
Ability to work on-site in support of a 24×7×365 data center environment; the position is not eligible for remote or hybrid work.

Nice To Haves

At least seven years of experience in a data center environment or professional equivalent.
At least five years of people leadership experience in a data center environment.
Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Business, Engineering, Architecture, or military schooling, or professional-equivalent experience.
Experience with mechanical and electrical data center infrastructure, codes, regulations, and required and applied safety standards and practices.
Experience with data center remote hands and customer support.

Responsibilities

Establish, maintain, and implement facility policies, procedures, and organizational structure consistent with senior management direction, corporate policy, and applicable laws and regulations.
Develop and maintain efficient maintenance operations and governance, using in-house staff and vendors to support uptime of mechanical, electrical, life safety, monitoring, and control systems.
Develop and coordinate maintenance agreements, procedures, testing procedures, inspections, reporting, and accounting practices.
Develop emergency response plans and manage and report incidents and emergencies involving mechanical, electrical, controls, and plumbing systems.
Develop and monitor short- and long-range business plans and operating standards for cost control, waste reduction, quality, safety, and environmental stewardship.
Manage building and site cleanliness and preservation operations.
Develop and manage operating and capital budgets, and ensure operating expenditures comply with organizational requirements.
Partner with Development, Sales, Implementation, and Solutions Engineers to deploy and maintain customer environments.
Conduct sales and customer tours and audits.
Coordinate corporate services support, power services, critical operations technician headcount planning, budgeting, capital projects, maintenance, and business continuity and disaster recovery.
Help negotiate improvement project contracts for leased and owned real estate.
Consult operations subject matter experts to resolve operational problems, develop and authorize procedures, and approve major estimates.
Use comparative system evaluations, key performance indicators, benchmarking, and best practices to monitor operational program effectiveness.
Ensure facility mechanical, electrical, controls, monitoring, and fire-life-safety systems comply with governmental operating guidelines.
Obtain and maintain required licenses, permits, and certifications.
Supervise, train, develop, and coach employees; establish performance goals with direct reports, monitor progress, and support their professional development.
Facilitate data center space and cable plant design, implementation, and maintenance.
Oversee teams installing equipment, managing tickets, communicating, completing computer hardware and software tasks, and resolving incidents in a timely manner.
Oversee strategic projects and continuous-improvement initiatives, including measures to increase facility energy efficiency.