Senior Site Operations Manager – Data Centre / Critical Facilities

Equinix is the world’s digital infrastructure company®, shortening the path to connectivity to enable the innovations that enrich our work, life and planet. 
 

A place where bold ideas are welcomed, human connection is valued, and everyone has the opportunity to shape their future.

Job Summary

(Senior Site Operations Manager – Data Centre / Critical Facilities)

We are seeking a senior, hands‑on Site Operations Manager with deep experience running mission‑critical data centre environments. This role has end‑to‑end accountability for operational performance across one or more data centre sites, including availability, safety, critical facilities, cost, and people leadership.

The successful candidate will set and execute operational objectives, policies, and work plans that govern day‑to‑day site performance and long‑term resilience. This is a site‑owning role, accountable for operational outcomes, budget control, infrastructure readiness, and the safe execution of maintenance, projects, and incident response within a high‑availability environment.

This role is suited to leaders who have direct experience operating data centres or equivalent critical facilities, and who are comfortable acting as the senior escalation point when availability, safety, or customer impact is at risk.

Key Responsibilities

Site Operations & Leadership

• Own end‑to‑end operational performance for one or more data centre sites, including availability, safety, compliance, and customer impact.
• Establish, execute, and continuously improve site‑level operational objectives, policies, procedures, and work plans.
• Act as the senior site authority and escalation point for operational, safety, and infrastructure issues.
• Lead experienced technical professionals and subordinate managers, creating a strong culture of accountability, operational discipline, and human‑error avoidance.
• Maintain visible, hands‑on leadership presence across the site(s).

People Management

• Lead and develop multi‑disciplinary data centre operations teams, including facilities, engineering, and vendor‑managed resources.
• Own all people management responsibilities, including hiring, performance management, compensation positioning, coaching, development, and succession planning.
• Ensure teams operate safely, effectively, and in line with Equinix operational and safety standards.
• Build depth and resilience within the team to support 24x7 operations.

Critical Facilities & Infrastructure Operations

• Own day‑to‑day operation of critical facilities infrastructure, including power, cooling, controls, and supporting systems.
• Ensure preventative and corrective maintenance is planned, approved, and executed in line with operational risk controls.
• Approve Maintenance Operating Procedures (MOPs), permits, and change activities impacting live environments.
• Ensure infrastructure readiness, resilience, and compliance across all operational states.

Project & Capacity Management

• Plan, approve, and oversee site‑level projects, upgrades, and maintenance activities within live data centre environments.
• Manage site and/or multi‑site capacity planning across power, cooling, and space.
• Participate in new facility and infrastructure design, construction, commissioning, and handover activities.
• Take operational ownership of new builds and expansions, ensuring safe transition from construction to live operations.

Incident Management & Operational Resilience

• Act as the senior incident commander during complex or severe customer‑impacting incidents.
• Coordinate on‑site and remote teams during incidents to ensure safe, timely resolution.
• Drive root cause analysis and ensure corrective and preventative actions are implemented.
• Approve incident resolution actions and communicate clearly with senior stakeholders.

Vendor & Financial Management

• Own site‑level operational budgets, including OPEX and site‑controlled CAPEX.
• Manage vendors and service partners to ensure delivery against defined KPIs and SLAs.
• Drive cost control, efficiency improvements, and value for money without compromising availability or safety.
• Hold vendors accountable for maintenance quality, performance, and compliance.

Governance, Compliance & Testing

• Ensure all operational processes, documentation, and controls are maintained to required standards.
• Lead testing, commissioning, and validation of infrastructure systems.
• Ensure compliance with safety, regulatory, and internal operational governance frameworks.
• Maintain audit readiness and operational discipline at all times.

Experience & Background

• 12+ years of experience operating within data centres or equivalent mission‑critical facilities (e.g. data centres, hyperscale, colocation, critical facilities, or other high‑availability infrastructure environments).
• Demonstrable experience owning live site operations, not just projects, service delivery, or network operations.
• Proven leadership of experienced technical teams and subordinate managers.
• Strong background in critical facilities operations, maintenance governance, and incident leadership.
• Experience managing operational budgets, vendors, and infrastructure projects within live environments.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience.

What This Role Is / Is Not

• This is not an IT management or service‑only role.
• This role requires hands‑on ownership of physical data centre operations and or critical facilities transferable industries