Senior Manager, Critical Operations

About the role

At QTS Data Centers, we are committed to connecting the globe for good by designing, building, and operating some of the most advanced data centers worldwide. This Senior Manager, Critical Operations role will lead the facility’s technical strategy, continuous improvement, and development support, focusing on electrical, mechanical, FLS (Fire, Life, Safety), DCIM (Data Center Infrastructure Management), and housekeeping operations. The position requires on-site availability to support a 24X7X365 data center environment and does not allow remote or hybrid work.

Responsibilities

• Maintain, establish, and implement facility policies, procedures, and organizational structure consistent with corporate policy and regulatory requirements.
• Develop and maintain efficient maintenance operations using in-house staff and vendor support to ensure 100% uptime of mechanical, electrical, life safety, monitoring, and control systems.
• Coordinate maintenance agreements, procedures, testing, inspections, reporting, and accounting practices.
• Develop emergency response plans and manage incident and emergency situations for mechanical, electrical, controls, and plumbing systems.
• Create and monitor short-term and long-range business plans aligned with profit and growth objectives, focusing on cost control, waste reduction, quality, safety, and environmental responsibility.
• Oversee building cleanliness, preservation, and capital and operating budgets.
• Partner with Development, Sales, Implementation, and Solutions Engineers to deploy and maintain customer environments.
• Conduct sales and customer tours and audits.
• Ensure proactive delivery of corporate services, power services, COT headcount projections, planning, budgeting, capital projects, maintenance, and business continuity/disaster recovery.
• Negotiate improvement project contracts for leased and owned real estate.
• Collaborate with SMEs to resolve operational problems, develop procedures, and approve major estimates.
• Monitor system performance and KPIs to benchmark operational effectiveness and implement best practices.
• Ensure compliance with governmental regulatory operating guidelines, licenses, permits, and certifications.
• Supervise, train, develop, and coach employees; establish performance goals and advise on professional development.
• Facilitate data center space and cable plant design, implementation, and maintenance.
• Oversee equipment installs, ticket management, hardware/software tasks, and timely incident resolution.

Requirements

• Five or more years of workplace or professional equivalent experience.
• Five or more years of people leadership experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in business, engineering, architecture, military schooling, or equivalent experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ten or more years of data center environment or equivalent experience.
• Five or more years of people leadership experience in a data center environment.
• Master’s degree in business, engineering, architecture, military schooling, or equivalent experience.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Exceptional customer service.
• Ability to analyze system operations, diagnose problems, and take corrective action.
• Capacity to manage complex situations during off-hours as the single point of contact.
• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal skills.
• Effective leadership in a team environment.
• Ability to acquire and apply job-related knowledge within set guidelines.
• Physical demands include frequent typing, standing, walking, pushing, pulling, bending, reaching, and lifting (10–50 lbs. regularly; heavier weights with assistance).

Benefits

• Roth and Traditional 401(k) matching contributions with immediate vesting.
• Every employee is bonus or commission eligible.
• Generous PTO, paid volunteer days, and floating holidays.
• Stock Purchase Plan (SPP).
• 11 paid holidays annually; holiday compensation when worked.
• Pet and legal insurance.
• Q-Rest Sabbatical Program and Q-Anniversary Service Award Program.
• Parental leave for primary and secondary caregivers.
• Military benefits package.
• QTS Charitable Matching Gift Program.
• QTS Scholarship for Employee Dependents.
• QTS Crisis Fund.
• Wellness program and tuition reimbursement.