Senior Manager Datacenter Engineering

DigitalOcean • Memphis, TN

6d • $156,800 - $196,000 • Remote

About The Position

DigitalOcean is seeking a Senior Manager of Physical Infrastructure Engineering to lead a multidisciplinary team responsible for the standards, specifications, and technical decisions governing data center infrastructure across its global footprint. The position is the technical authority for infrastructure engineering, with responsibility for reliable AI/GPU infrastructure and for engineering standards used in new builds, retrofits, and deployments. The role reports directly to the VP of Data Center Operations & Engineering.

The position develops engineering standards for AI/GPU data centers, including liquid cooling, power distribution, and controls/automation. It provides technical escalation support, due diligence for prospective facilities, vendor and OEM engineering oversight, and leadership of root-cause investigations and corrective actions. The role also owns infrastructure specifications, technical documentation, change governance, compliance reviews, fleet reliability reporting, existing-site audits, and remediation prioritization. It partners with operations, deployment, construction, design, Legal, and EHS, manages outsourced engineering talent as needed, and develops team talent and succession plans.

This is a remote role with expected travel of 20–30% for new-site due diligence, commissioning support, and vendor/OEM engineering reviews. The stated compensation range is $156,800–$196,000. Eligible non-sales employees may participate in the annual bonus plan and may be eligible for a new-hire equity grant.

Requirements

• Bachelor of Science in Electrical, Mechanical, Chemical, or a related Engineering discipline, or equivalent practical experience.
• 10+ years of experience in mission-critical engineering, including direct data center infrastructure experience.
• 5+ years leading engineering teams, including hiring, developing, and retaining senior technical talent.
• 5+ years of experience managing outsourced engineering teams.
• Deep hands-on experience with liquid cooling systems, including chillers, heat exchangers, pumps, CDUs, secondary loop design, leak detection, and mitigation; UPS; generators; switchgear; and controls/automation platforms.
• Experience conducting or directly supporting root-cause analysis with OEMs on infrastructure component failures and translating vendor findings into engineering decisions.
• Working knowledge of relevant electrical, mechanical, and safety codes, including NFPA 70E and local electrical code, and experience partnering with Legal/EHS on compliance reviews.
• Experience conducting technical due diligence on data center facilities, including colocation or build-to-suit facilities, before lease or construction commitment.
• Track record of building engineering standards that scale across multiple sites and support rapid, concurrent expansion.

Responsibilities

• Lead and grow a multidisciplinary team covering electrical, mechanical, controls/automation, and data center infrastructure engineering and construction.
• Develop and own engineering standards and specifications for AI/GPU data centers, including liquid cooling, power distribution, and controls/automation.
• Serve as the technical authority and final engineering escalation point for infrastructure issues that Site Operations and Design & Deployment cannot resolve.
• Provide engineering due diligence on prospective colocation and build-to-suit facilities before signing, evaluating power capacity, cooling topology, electrical infrastructure condition, and expansion feasibility.
• Own vendor and OEM infrastructure engineering relationships, lead root-cause engagements when infrastructure fails, and hold vendors accountable for design defects.
• Lead or sponsor root-cause analysis for infrastructure-driven incidents and ensure resulting engineering corrective actions are completed and verified.
• Own infrastructure specifications, technical documentation, and change governance, requiring engineering sign-off for changes at the infrastructure layer.
• Partner with Site Operations, Deployment, Construction, and Design to make engineering standards practical to build and operate.
• Track and report fleet infrastructure reliability metrics and prioritize engineering investment against high-risk and recurring failure modes.
• Lead compliance reviews of infrastructure standards against applicable codes and safety requirements in partnership with Legal and EHS.
• Build and maintain an audit process to review existing sites against current engineering standards and prioritize remediation of non-compliant assets.
• Manage outsourced engineering talent when required to meet workload demands.
• Develop engineering and construction talent on the team and build succession plans for key technical authority roles.
• Travel 20–30% for new-site due diligence, commissioning support, and vendor/OEM engineering reviews.

Benefits

• Eligible employees may participate in DigitalOcean’s annual bonus plan; bonus amounts depend on company and individual performance.
• Eligible employees may receive a new-hire equity grant, subject to plan terms and local eligibility.
• In participating countries, employees may have the opportunity to participate in the Employee Stock Purchase Program.
• Reimbursement for relevant conferences, training, and education, subject to company policy.
• Benefits may include flexible time off, local team meetups, and mental health and well-being support; benefits and eligibility vary by location.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior