DATA CENTER SERVICES LEAD

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. The ideal candidate has strong experience in data center operations, cloud technologies (Azure or AWS), compute, security, and managing third party service providers.

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.

Qualifications

• 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

Preferred skills and experience

• 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 prem data center operations
• Ability to troubleshoot 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

• Medical, prescription drug, dental and vision plan choices
• On-site health centers and tele-medicine
• Wellness resources and employee assistance programs
• Savings plan options (401K) and financial education and planning tools
• Life insurance
• Tuition reimbursement
• Employee discounts
• Early childhood and post-secondary education scholarships

Schedule

• Full-time, 1st shift
• Occasional or hybrid telework available
• Travel required 25%-50% of the time