Regional Data Centre Operations Manager

Executive Director - Job Description

Division: Enterprise Technology & Services (ETS)

Organization: Enterprise Data Center (EDC)

Job Family: Production Management and Operational Support

Employment Type: Full Time

Job Level: Executive Director

Reporting to: Global Head of Engineering and Operations, Enterprise Data Centers

• Location: To be discussed; frequent travel to key Morgan Stanley corporation and data centre locations across the Americas will be required, with limited global and out-of-region travel expected.
• Enterprise Data Centers
• The Group: The Enterprise Data Center (EDC) is a global organization responsible for the Firm’s Enterprise Data Center portfolio embedded within and accountable to the Firms Technology Division. As a team they are responsible for the provisioning and management of Data Centers from initial requirements and construction through day-to-day operations as well as the placement and rack/stack of technology equipment and physical asset life cycle management.
• EDC supports the Firm’s business and technology requirements by delivering world-class Data Center facility management through a global team of circa ~300 professionals operating a portfolio of circa 400,000 square feet of data center space, 32+ megawatts of critical power with an annual operating budget more than $200 Million.
• Delivering award-winning Data Center facilities management in a world-class way, EDC maximizes Data Center stability and efficiency by focusing on operations, engineering, standards, risk agenda, capacity management, applications migrations, tooling/automation, strategy definition and execution.
• Role Overview
• The Data Center Operations Manager is an Executive Director–level leadership role with enterprise accountability for the operational resilience, regulatory compliance, and risk posture of Morgan Stanley’s North America data centre portfolio. The role ensures that critical facilities consistently meet the firm’s standards for availability, safety, and operational integrity in support of mission-critical business services.
• This position operates with delegated executive authorities across facilities management, mechanical and electrical (M&E) infrastructure, and outsourced service delivery. The role serves as a senior decision maker during incidents, a steward of operational risk, and a trusted advisor to technology and risk leadership on critical facilities strategy.
• Continuous availability to support 24x7 operations is an inherent expectation of the role.
• Key Responsibilities
• Responsibility for the management of the delivery of BAU Data Center operations across the America’s including Enterprise, Colocation, Exchange, WAN and Cloud facilities.
• Proven track record of operating in a senior role which has included responsibility for culture, people, talent development and business alignment.
• This position is responsible for the overall operation and maintenance of the critical MEP infrastructure supporting IT operations across the America’s Data Center space. The role includes team and talent management, critical event management, incident management, problem management, change management, risk management and cost/contract management. In addition, this will include ownership and key relationship management with our internal clients, our landlords, outsourced critical facility partners, Data Center Construction teams and the Morgan Stanley Data Center Operations team.
• The position will be required to ensure that escalation support is available on 24x7, with occasional scheduled weekend work support as required.

Key Responsibilities

Enterprise Operations & Resilience Ownership

• Act as the Regional BAU Design Authority for Data Center MEP and White Space, establishing, governing, and continuously evolving firmwide engineering standards, design principles, and reference architectures across the global Enterprise Data Center portfolio.
• Provide executive ownership of BAU MEP and White Space design strategy, ensuring alignment between global design intent, regional operational requirements, capacity planning, resiliency objectives, and long-term technology roadmaps.
• Lead and govern America’s Data Center operations Capital project execution and delivery, encompassing BAU infrastructure upgrades, capacity expansions, lifecycle replacement programs, resiliency enhancements, and operational readiness initiatives across owned and colocation facilities.
• Ensure full integration across design, construction, commissioning, and live operations, partnering with Global Engineering, Data Center Construction, IT, and Operations teams to deliver projects safely, predictably, and without disruption to production environments.
• Accountable for design validation, constructability, maintainability, commissioning strategy, and operational handover for all major capital and operational projects.
• Provide senior operational leadership and escalation for complex, high-risk infrastructure programs, including remediation of aging assets, critical capacity constraints, and risk-driven investment initiatives.
• Establish and enforce robust project governance, execution discipline, cost control, schedule adherence, and post-implementation performance validation across the America’s portfolio.
• Serve as the senior operational authority for America’s BAU Capital project delivery outcomes, ensuring all initiatives meet firm standards for reliability, availability, safety, regulatory compliance, and total cost of ownership.
• Incident, Change & Operational Risk Management
• Ownership of all Regional Data Center changes/significant events/incidents/problems from beginning to end as well as overseeing the completion of post problem reviews, root cause analysis and follow-up resolution actions. The role covers incidents both within the facilities and MEP across the portfolio.
• Responsible for ensuring maintenance/repairs of site-critical facility infrastructure are planned and executed to the best interest of the firm and in accordance with existing Morgan Standard operating standards.
• Focused with an in-depth and practical understanding how to achieve high levels of reliability and availability and the underpinning structure to achieve HA performance.
• Responsible for asset and inventory management across the portfolio, for the MEP systems.
• Continue to develop, maintain and evolve, standard operating procedures, emergency response procedures, preventive maintenance programs, and all technical documentation. Ensure standardization and consistency with best-in-class operating practices.
• Develop a complete, deep knowledge of the design intent, operational alternatives and contingency plans related to all Data Center systems.
• The role will require a working knowledge of IT hardware (servers, network infra and Storage) to enable informed engagement with IT SME’s Inc. connectivity, function and interaction c/w their dependences on the Data Center environments.
• Manage the engineering aspects of the Data Centers related to financial and cost control, local code and regulatory compliance, personnel management, staff training and development, Health & Safety, local statutory requirements, environmental and energy management.
• For the sites we own and operate, develop and deliver frequent management reporting to ensure and demonstrate performance and adherence to internal OLA’s, SLA’s and KPI’s.
• For the sites where we are tenants in a colocation Data Center, ensure the service provider delivers regular management reports to demonstrate adherence to contractual performance SLA’s and KPI’s.
• Responsible for the communication of operating philosophies, technical information, objectives and expectations to Morgan Stanley personnel and to the vendor critical facilities management teams.
• Governance, Compliance & Reporting
• Managing information flow during incidents while providing regular updates to senior management.  Reviewing incident reports, documenting periodic trend summaries, and providing updates and recommended actions to management.
• Oversee technical, statutory and regulatory compliance auditing (both internal and external) and manage the effective and timely closing out of any follow ups or corrective action plans. Ensure that Morgan Stanley remains compliant with their responsibility for operating the Data Centers.
• Perform or assist with annual operational reviews with a focus on compliance with Morgan Stanley standards and all applicable regulatory requirements. (Audits). Manage and coordinate with vendors to resolve any incidents during emergency situations. This may require to physically be dispatched on to site to investigate and resolve the issue.
• Construction, Project Delivery & Operational Readiness
• Provide governance construction projects from initial planning through completion, including site selection, design validation, and commissioning.
• Knowledge of construction standards and best practices, ensuring compliance with health, safety, and environmental regulations.
• Coordinate operational activities across multiple teams, aligning construction schedules with business operations to minimize disruption.
• Collaborate with internal departments, external contractors, and service providers to deliver projects on time and within budget.
• Support of construction sequencing, operational workflows, and quality assurance processes.
• Developing and implementing operational plans that support project milestones and organizational objectives.
• Develop, seek approval and own execution of an environmental management and reporting plan to ensure that the Data Center’s continue to meet the Firm expectations in respect to their Carbon Footprint.

Required Qualifications & Experience

Essential

• Degree level education with a professional qualification preferred, or demonstrable equivalent relevant industry experience.
• An excellent understanding around the structure and management of managed service contracts and their performance. Has experience to effectively define a contractual service scope and to lead technical RFP’s for rebid or new scope.
• Experience in the production and operational ownership of a sizeable P&L, as well as management to a tight operating and capital budgets. Strong business acumen and commercial awareness
• Proven track record in the development and execution of strategic plans and initiatives.
• An excellent understanding and experience or working on critical support systems (i.e. Data Centers, Hospitals, Power plants, military, financial services facilities, etc.).
• Strong communication skills, negotiation, influencing and analytical skills, an excellent and demonstratable track record of team leadership and development. Ability to manage teams remotely and work globally.
• Strong networking skills, wide and current industry knowledge and connections.
• Ability to produce reports, presentations and to deliver effective and persuasive presentations.
• Demonstrate an ability to solve complex problems and delivery a variety of solutions in pressurized situations
• Previous vendor negotiation and management skills for Data Center and/or construction contracts.
• Ability to write and review accurate and complete support procedures, system documentation, and issue tracking entries.
• Shows sound judgment and instinct in decision making under pressure. Has the ability to prioritize and effectively communicate in a complex, fast-paced environment to a broad spectrum of stakeholders.
• Must have a customer focused service delivery mentality for internal stakeholder and clients.
• Key Relationships
• The role is required to maintain a close internal working relationship with representatives from the Critical Infrastructure teams, business teams, Corporate Services and Security, Reengineering and Expense Management, MS Real Estate, MS IT Groups and external vendors. Must have the ability to develop and maintain working relationships across region and time-zones. Expected to have active and up to date access to a large industry network of consultants, suppliers and vendors.

Additional Information

The role requires availability to provide 24x7 escalation support, with occasional scheduled weekend work support as require