Principal Strategist, Leased Data Center Operations

Meta•Menlo Park, CA

1d•$211,000 - $272,000

About The Position

Meta is seeking a Principal Strategist to lead the long-term operational strategy for its global leased data center portfolio. In this role, you will define how Meta sources, manages, and optimizes third-party colocation and leased data center capacity to support the infrastructure demands of products used by billions of people worldwide. You will operate at the intersection of real estate, infrastructure operations, vendor governance, and capacity planning, shaping the frameworks and strategic direction that govern how Meta engages with external data center operators at scale.

Requirements

12+ years of experience in data center operations, infrastructure strategy, or colocation portfolio management
Experience defining and executing operational strategy for large-scale, geographically distributed data center environments including leased or colocation facilities
Experience leading cross-functional initiatives that span vendor governance, infrastructure operations, capacity planning, and real estate or facilities functions
Experience developing executive-level strategic frameworks, business cases, and recommendations that influence organizational direction and capital decisions
Experience managing complex vendor relationships and negotiating operational accountability structures with third-party data center operators

Nice To Haves

Experience building or transforming operational governance models across a global portfolio of third-party managed facilities
Experience operating within hyperscale or large-scale cloud infrastructure environments with significant leased or colocation capacity
Familiarity with data center critical systems (power, cooling, network interconnect) and how operational constraints inform strategic portfolio decisions
Track record of driving standardization and continuous improvement programs across multi-site data center operations

Responsibilities

Define and drive the multi-year operational strategy for Meta's leased and colocation data center portfolio, aligning with global infrastructure capacity and reliability goals
Establish governance frameworks for vendor performance management, including SLA structures, operational accountability models, and escalation protocols with third-party data center operators
Lead cross-functional alignment across real estate, network engineering, capacity planning, and infrastructure operations to ensure leased site strategies support long-term compute and connectivity requirements
Develop and own the operating model for leased data center lifecycle management, from site onboarding and commissioning through steady-state operations and exit planning
Identify systemic risks across the leased data center portfolio and design mitigation strategies that improve resilience, redundancy, and operational continuity
Translate complex infrastructure and operational data into executive-level strategic recommendations, influencing decisions on portfolio composition, vendor selection, and capital allocation
Drive standardization of operational practices across geographically distributed leased sites, enabling consistent performance benchmarking and continuous improvement
Partner with legal, procurement, and finance teams to shape contract structures and commercial terms that reflect operational requirements and long-term strategic objectives
Mentor and provide strategic guidance to other operations and program management professionals across the data center organization
Evaluate emerging trends in the colocation and leased data center market to inform portfolio strategy and identify opportunities for operational innovation