Principal Hardware Operations Lead - Data Center Operations

Fluidstack

$220K — $260K *
US-AnywhereRemote in United States
Telecommunications & Hardware
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 5-7 years in operational roles involving mission-critical hardware at scale
  • Expertise in GPU systems, servers, storage, and firmware lifecycle management
  • Proven experience authoring and executing high-risk MOPs
  • Strong ability to manage relationships with OEMs and ODMs while enforcing standards
  • Clear and effective technical writing skills for assessments and training
  • Experience with large HPC fleets and liquid-cooled operations is a plus

Responsibilities

  • Serve as the senior technical authority for GPU systems across AI data centers
  • Lead assessments and audits to ensure technical readiness for site activations
  • Review hardware integrations from an operational perspective and provide engineering feedback
  • Author and execute high-risk hardware MOPs in live environments
  • Conduct fleet-wide root cause analysis and ensure closure of issues
  • Hold vendors accountable while maintaining strong relationships
  • Collaborate across multiple teams in operations, engineering, and supply chain, with extensive travel required

Benefits

  • Competitive compensation package including salary and equity
  • Retirement or pension plan as per local norms
  • Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance
  • Generous paid time off (PTO) policy according to local practices
Full Job Description
Role Scope
  • Serve as the most senior technical authority for the operational hardware fleet across the hyperscale AI data center portfolio: GPU systems, servers, storage, and supporting hardware.
  • Lead site assessments and operational audits, and drive the technical readiness of teams ahead of site activation.
  • Review hardware platforms and integration designs from an operational lens, and feed learnings back into hardware engineering, deployment, and supply chain as the build model becomes productized.
  • Author, approve, and execute high-risk hardware MOPs and change records in live production, and lead fleet-wide root cause analysis to closure.
  • Hold OEMs, ODMs, and service vendors accountable to a standard, including flawed RMA and integration processes, without burning the relationship.
  • Act as the connective tissue and force multiplier across hardware operations, hardware engineering, network, facilities, supply chain, and customer-facing teams. Travel 50-75%.
What We're Looking For

The below is a starting point. We always make space for exceptional people, so if you don't fit this role exactly, tell us where you would.
  • You've spent a career operating mission-critical hardware at scale, with significant time as the senior technical voice on a site, campus, or fleet.
  • You command GPU systems, server platforms, storage, firmware lifecycle, and hardware diagnostics, earned in the field rather than from a textbook.
  • You've authored and executed high-risk MOPs and led root cause analysis on significant hardware events through closure.
  • You hold OEMs, ODMs, and deployment partners to a standard, and you enforce it without breaking the relationship.
  • You write clearly (health assessments, RCAs, design feedback) and you teach, lifting the technical readiness of every team around you.
  • Bonus: Hyperscale or large HPC fleets supporting thousands of accelerators. Liquid-cooled compute operations. Linux and hardware management tooling. Standing up new sites from handover to steady state. Scripting for fleet-scale operations.
Salary & Benefits
  • Competitive total compensation package (salary + equity).
  • Retirement or pension plan, in line with local norms.
  • Health, dental, and vision insurance.
  • Generous PTO policy, in line with local norms.
    The base salary range for this position is $220,000 - $260,000 per year, depending on experience, skills, qualifications, and location. This range represents our good faith estimate of the compensation for this role at the time of posting. Total compensation may also include equity in the form of stock options.


We are committed to pay equity and transparency.

You will receive a confirmation email once your application has successfully been accepted. If there is an error with your submission and you did not receive a confirmation email, please email [redacted] with your resume/CV, the role you've applied for, and the date you submitted your application-- someone from our recruiting team will be in touch.

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