DATA CENTER SERVICES LEAD

Full-time, 1st shift position with occasional or hybrid telework available. Travel required 25%-50% of the time.

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced Data Center Lead to oversee and govern all aspects of the Infrastructure Service Providers responsible for delivering Data Center Services. This role serves as the primary point of accountability for ensuring high-quality service delivery, operational excellence, and adherence to contract requirements. The Data Center Lead will drive governance across traditional on-premises data centers while supporting hybrid cloud environments within Microsoft Azure.

Responsibilities

• Lead and govern day-to-day operations of the Infrastructure Service Provider for Data Center Services, including contract oversight, performance management, invoice validation, change management, disaster recovery operations, SLA adherence, and compliance.
• Provide strategic direction and oversight of data center operations, ensuring alignment with organizational objectives, security standards, and architectural principles.
• Support and oversee cloud infrastructure components including virtual machines, storage, networking, and hybrid integrations between Azure and on-premises environments.
• Review and monitor Azure security controls, including identity management, RBAC, governance policies, and threat protection, ensuring the provider aligns with corporate security requirements.
• Ensure seamless integration and operational continuity between cloud services and on-premises data center environments.
• Provide leadership in troubleshooting and resolving complex infrastructure issues across cloud and data center platforms, including performance, connectivity, resilience, and security incidents.
• Develop, maintain, and enforce architectural documentation, operational procedures, standards, and governance frameworks related to data center and cloud operations.
• Collaborate closely with application, network, and cybersecurity teams to maintain a stable, scalable, and secure environment.
• Serve as a senior escalation point for infrastructure issues and participate in on-call rotations as needed.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives, including cost optimization, automation opportunities, modernization of infrastructure services, and improved provider performance.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Cloud Engineering, or related field and 10 years of experience, or
• Master’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Cloud Engineering, or related field and 8 years of experience, or
• PhD in Information Technology, Computer Science, Cloud Engineering, or related field and 6 years of experience.

Skills

• Must Have:
  • Experience in data center operations, cloud technologies (Azure or AWS), compute, security, and managing third-party service providers.
• Nice to Have:
  • 5+ years of enterprise experience working with Microsoft Azure or AWS environments.
  • Hands-on experience with:
    • Cloud servers and virtual machine management
    • Azure networking, identity, storage, and resource governance
    • Azure security tools and best practices
    • Hybrid cloud and on-premises data center operations
    • Troubleshooting complex cloud issues across compute, networking, and security layers
  • Strong documentation, communication, and collaborative skills.
  • Familiarity managing VMs through the Azure Portal, including monitoring, scaling, and performance tuning.
  • Familiarity with Azure Analytics services such as Log Analytics, Monitor, or Sentinel.
  • Familiarity measuring and tracking contract performance with external service providers, including SLA adherence and vendor deliverables.
  • Exposure to automation and scripting (PowerShell, CLI, Python).
  • Relevant Azure certifications (AZ-104, AZ-305, AZ-700, AZ-900 or similar).

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits including medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision plan choices.
• On-site health centers and telemedicine.
• Wellness resources and employee assistance programs.
• Savings plan options (401K) and financial education and planning tools.
• Life insurance.
• Tuition reimbursement and employee discounts.
• Early childhood and post-secondary education scholarships.

About the Company

HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding Division is the largest manufacturing employer in Mississippi and a major contributor to the economic growth of Alabama. With nearly 85 years of experience, we design, build, and maintain amphibious ships, destroyers, and cutters for the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard. As the largest supplier of U.S. Navy surface combatants, we are simultaneously building four classes of ships and have pioneered the development and production of technologically advanced, highly capable ships for the surface Navy fleet.

HII builds the world’s most powerful, survivable naval ships and defense technology solutions that safeguard our seas, sky, land, space, and cyber. Our diverse workforce includes skilled tradespeople; artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) experts; engineers; technologists; scientists; logistics experts; and business administration professionals. Recognized as one of America’s top large company employers, we are a values and ethics-driven organization that puts people’s safety and well-being first.