Critical Environment Technician

As a Critical Environment Technician in Microsoft’s Cloud Operations & Innovation (CO+I) team, you will maintain the critical infrastructure that powers our datacenters. This includes coordinating with suppliers and vendors, ensuring safe work environments, performing maintenance, responding to incidents, and monitoring equipment performance using telemetry and other platforms. The CO+I team delivers the core infrastructure for Microsoft's online services, including Bing, Office 365, Xbox, OneDrive, and Azure. With over 200 datacenters in 32 countries, we support services for more than 1 billion customers worldwide, prioritizing environmental sustainability and operational excellence.

About the team

Microsoft’s Cloud Operations & Innovation (CO+I) is the engine behind our cloud services. The team focuses on personal and professional development, offering career rotation programs, diversity and inclusion training, and professional certifications. We collaborate with a growth mindset, innovating to empower others while upholding values of respect, integrity, and accountability.

Responsibilities

• Critical Environment Culture:
  • Understand, follow, and enforce safety and security requirements, including job hazard assessments (JHAs) and toolbox talks.
  • Recognize and respond to safe versus unsafe working conditions, escalating issues as needed.
  • Promote a safe working culture and empower less experienced team members.
  • Participate in required meetings, trainings, and handoffs.
  • Assess and identify resources to support environmental health and safety (EHS) objectives.
• Equipment and Systems Maintenance:
  • Prepare and submit reports (e.g., turnover, preventative maintenance) using scripts, templates, or ad hoc methods.
  • Develop methods of operating procedure (MOPs), standard operating procedures (SOPs), and digital methods of operating procedures (DMOPs).
  • Document completed work and coach less experienced technicians.
  • Perform planned, predictive, and corrective maintenance for multiple disciplines (e.g., electrical, mechanical, cooling systems) with minimal supervision.
  • Communicate and escalate maintenance activities per established processes.
  • Prioritize maintenance tasks and document issues in appropriate systems.
  • Oversee maintenance tasks within a single discipline or area of expertise.
  • Escort and coordinate third-party contractors, ensuring work is performed safely and to scope.
  • Review and approve work orders, field service reports, and invoices.
  • Inspect equipment, participate in testing and commissioning, and troubleshoot issues to a subsystem level.
• Equipment and Systems Operations:
  • Work independently on advanced tasks, such as vendor contact and escalations.
  • Serve as a subject matter expert in critical environment systems and advise less experienced colleagues.
  • Operate equipment and systems within a discipline (e.g., electrical, mechanical, controls) with knowledge of interactions between them.
  • Inspect and supervise facility equipment (e.g., HVAC, mechanical systems) for unsafe conditions.
  • Monitor equipment performance using telemetry, control systems, and other platforms.
  • Respond to and lead incident response teams for abnormal conditions, coordinating repairs and developing emergency procedures.
  • Utilize internal systems (e.g., CMMS) to track equipment assets, work orders, and maintenance tasks.

Requirements

• High School Diploma, GED, or equivalent.
• Ability to meet Microsoft, customer, and/or government security screening requirements.

Physical Requirements

Applies to US-based Data Center roles:

• Occasional climbing of ladders and frequent climbing of stairs/ramps.
• Prolonged standing.
• Occasional lifting of up to 50 lbs / 22.5 kg.
• Occasional pushing or pulling of 50-75 lbs / 22.5-34 kg with assistive devices.
• Normal visual acuity (near, far, and peripheral with correction).
• Normal color vision for electrical work.

Working Conditions

Applies to US-based Data Center roles:

• Extended periods under elevated noise, heat, and light due to equipment and ventilation systems.
• Travel requirement of up to 25% to support other metros.
• Ability to work 12-hour shifts, including evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays.