Data Center Operations Specialist

About the Role

As a Data Center Operations Technician you will help ensure today is safe and tomorrow is smarter. Our work depends on Data Center Operations Technician joining our team to ensure the reliability, availability, and operational readiness of bare-metal servers, storage systems, and network switches that underpin the customer's mission-critical enterprise IT services.

What You'll Make an Impact On

• Work closely with engineering, network, systems, facilities, and project management teams to rack, stack, cable, and deploy servers, storage arrays, network switches, and supporting infrastructure in alignment with documented standards.
• Collaborate with team members to diagnose and resolve hardware, cabling, and connectivity issues, escalating complex problems as needed while maintaining ownership through resolution.
• Contribute to a highly collaborative and safety-focused data center environment with clear communication, well-documented procedures, and shared accountability for uptime and performance.
• Execute hardware lifecycle activities—including refreshes, upgrades, migrations, and decommissioning—ensuring proper sanitization, disposal, and documentation so that infrastructure remains secure, compliant, and optimized for the mission.
• Apply technical expertise with bare-metal systems, TCP/IP networking, VLANs, DNS, DHCP, rack layout best practices, and data center cabling standards to support deployment efficiency, incident response, and continuous improvement of infrastructure operations.

Qualifications

• Active TS/SCI clearance or Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility
• Bachelor's degree in IT, Computer Science, Engineering, or related field
• 5+ years of relevant experience
• Active Security+ certification
• Strong understanding of data center cabling standards, rack layout best practices, and cable management
• Familiarity with TCP/IP networking, VLANs, DNS, DHCP, routing fundamentals, and switch connectivity
• Experience performing hardware validation, burn-in testing, and deployment verification
• Experience installing, configuring, maintaining, and decommissioning bare-metal servers, storage systems, and network devices
• Ability to perform root cause analysis for hardware failures and operational incidents, and replace field-replaceable units (drives, memory, CPUs, power supplies, NICs, etc.)

Skills and Abilities

• Strong problem-solving and troubleshooting skills in a production data center environment
• Clear, professional verbal and written communication with technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Ability to identify risks, remove roadblocks, and recommend solutions as a trusted advisor for infrastructure-related initiatives
• Proven ability to follow and improve standard operating procedures (SOPs), runbooks, and change management processes
• Physical ability to lift and move equipment up to 50 lbs; work in raised floor data center environments; install equipment in racks and perform cable management; stand, bend, climb ladders, and work in confined spaces for extended periods

Pay

• $75 - $90 per hour on contract, contingent upon experience
• $150,000 - $180,000 annually upon conversion, contingent upon experience

Schedule

100% on site in Alexandria, VA. 6 months contract to hire.