Manager, Facilities Operations

About the role

SpaceXAI’s mission is to create AI systems that can accurately understand the universe and aid humanity in its pursuit of knowledge. Our team is small, highly motivated, and focused on engineering excellence. This organization is for individuals who appreciate challenging themselves and thrive on curiosity. We operate with a flat organizational structure. All employees are expected to be hands-on and to contribute directly to the company’s mission.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of Facilities Operations Supervisors and Technicians, fostering a culture of excellence, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Own the overall maintenance, monitoring, troubleshooting, and performance of data center infrastructure, including HVAC, power distribution, UPS, generators, and environmental systems.
• Develop, implement, and continuously optimize preventive and predictive maintenance programs, equipment calibration strategies, and system performance KPIs.
• Create, refine, and enforce standard operating procedures (SOPs), emergency response plans, and change management processes to drive operational consistency and excellence.
• Ensure full compliance with safety regulations, industry standards, and internal policies; champion a strong safety culture across the facilities team.
• Partner closely with engineering, procurement, construction, and operations teams to streamline equipment intake, installation, commissioning, and lifecycle management.
• Manage critical equipment maintenance, repairs, and capital projects, ensuring timely resolution, rigorous documentation, and root-cause analysis.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives to enhance operational efficiency, reduce downtime, and improve energy and resource utilization.
• Own vendor relationships, service contracts, and performance management for critical facilities support.
• Provide 24/7 on-call leadership and drive rapid, effective response to critical facilities incidents.
• Develop and manage operational budgets, forecasts, and resource planning for the facilities team.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, or a related engineering field (relevant experience may substitute for degree).
• 7+ years of experience managing critical facilities systems, including power, cooling, and environmental controls in data center or mission-critical environments.
• 5+ years of people leadership experience in critical facilities or technical operations environments, including direct management of supervisors or technical teams.
• In-depth knowledge of electrical, mechanical, and HVAC systems in data centers.
• Proven track record of leading facilities infrastructure projects from planning through execution.
• Proficiency with building management systems (BMS), environmental monitoring tools, and computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS).
• Strong prioritization, time management, and decision-making skills under pressure.
• Able to thrive in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment while maintaining rigorous attention to detail.
• Must pass pre-employment and annual post-employment background checks.