Senior Data Center Technician

About the role

As a Microsoft Senior Data Center Technician (DCT), you will demonstrate expertise in standard processes and procedures for preparing, installing, performing diagnostics, troubleshooting, replacing, and/or decommissioning equipment, as well as a holistic understanding of the functions of, and interactions between, network and server equipment. You will provide input for suggested modifications to these processes and procedures as needed to improve service quality and efficiency while providing guidance to other technicians.

Microsoft’s Cloud Operations & Innovation (CO+I) is the engine that powers our cloud services. As a CO+I DCT, you will perform a key role in delivering the core infrastructure and foundational technologies for Microsoft's online services including Bing, Office 365, Xbox, OneDrive, and the Microsoft Azure platform. Our infrastructure is comprised of a large global portfolio of more than 200 Data Centers in 32 countries and millions of servers, supporting services for more than 1 billion customers and 20 million businesses in over 90 countries worldwide. With environmental sustainability and optimization at the forefront of our data center design and operations, we continue to grow and evolve as we meet the ever-changing business demands that hold Microsoft as a world-class cloud provider.

Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond.

Responsibilities

• Comply with Data Center business unit policies, procedures, and deadlines with guidance from experienced technicians and/or direct-line management. Escalate issues related to compliance or operational assurance activities to direct-line management.
• Demonstrate expertise in and participate in providing guidance on standard processes and procedures for preparing, installing, performing diagnostics, troubleshooting, replacing, and/or decommissioning IT datacenter technologies and equipment.
• Maintain expertise with the functions of, and interactions between, cabling infrastructure, network, server, and storage equipment. Provide guidance to other technicians on these topics.
• Review Process Change Notifications (PCNs) and proactively share relevant information to enable efficient workflow and evaluate impact on work execution. Identify and mitigate changes that will affect others.
• Complete assigned tickets efficiently and in alignment with relevant Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) per task type independently. Provide guidance and/or assist less experienced technicians with complex tickets or tasks, and escalate challenging or complex tickets as needed.
• Coordinate and assign tasks to other technicians temporarily (e.g., in absence of direct-line manager availability) to ensure work is appropriately allocated to meet KPIs.
• Travel up to 25% domestically to and from multiple locations during the workday, and occasionally for overnight stays.
• Work 12-hour shifts, including non-standard business hours such as evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays.
• Perform physical tasks including occasional climbing of ladders, frequent climbing of stairs/ramps, prolonged standing, occasional lifting up to 25 lbs/11 kg without assistance, and lifting 25-50 lbs/11-22.5 kg with lift assistance. Use assistive devices to push or pull 50-75 lbs/22.5-34 kg.
• Complete required security and data management training while complying with security and data management procedures/policies. Escort third-party vendors or IT support on-premises at data centers or network sites and report physical security access concerns.
• Work for extended periods under elevated levels of ambient noise, heat, and light due to necessary equipment and ventilation systems.
• Conduct, assist in, or participate in daily safety briefings. Complete required Environmental & Health Safety (EHS) training, provide guidance to other technicians on safety procedures, complete Task Hazard Analysis (THAs), and use appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
• Adhere to and promote a culture of safety, taking proactive action to alert others of safety concerns, near-misses, and incidents.
• Reinforce a positive and effective team environment by sharing information and best practices with other shifts/technician teams, assisting in cross-discipline collaborations, and staying apprised of others' work status.
• Complete required training aligned to job focus areas (e.g., Break fix, Deployment, Simple Change, Decommission, IT Critical Environment) and actively mentor and support training of other technicians.
• Maintain awareness of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) through reporting dashboards and systems.
• Develop a comprehensive understanding of cross-functional Data Center processes to support partnerships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Provide guidance to less experienced technicians and develop effective execution strategies for assigned tasks. Prepare, stage, set up, and perform basic startups and shutdowns for hardware (e.g., racks, hard drives, switches) according to specific instructions.
• Apply advanced diagnostics and troubleshooting expertise to identify and resolve technical issues efficiently with minimal disruption.
• Perform discrete quality control activities and assessments of work to ensure compliance with standards and process adherence.
• Regularly perform post-execution verification of grounding, staging, labeling, and cabling to align with safety protocols and deployment standards.
• Follow procedures to immediately communicate, report, and escalate data center technical or safety-related incidents. Participate in bridge calls and execute on-site follow-up actions as directed.
• Perform decommissions, simple changes (e.g., memory upgrades, OS rebuilds), complex changes (e.g., upgrading entire racks), and refreshes of infrastructure cabling, network, storage, and server equipment following standard procedures.
• Process and verify compliance with standards for data-bearing devices (DBDs) destruction and confirm identification for eradication or destruction of such devices.

Requirements

• High School Diploma, GED, or equivalent and basic knowledge of computer hardware and components.
• 2+ years of experience supporting IT equipment or related technology.
• Ability to meet Microsoft, customer, and/or government security screening requirements, including passing the Microsoft Cloud background check every two years.
• This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Candidates must have authorization to work in the United States that does not require employer sponsorship now or in the future.

Preferred Qualifications

• Associate Degree in Computer Science or other field and/or equivalent work experience.
• 3+ years of experience supporting IT equipment or related technology.
• 2+ years of experience working in a production, mission-critical 24x7x365 environment.

Benefits

As a group, CO+I is focused on the personal and professional development for all employees and offers trainings and growth opportunities including Career Rotation Programs, Diversity & Inclusion trainings and events, and professional certifications.