Site Director - Mission Critical Data Center Operations

Ellendale, North Dakota | Onsite Leadership Role

**Sign-On Bonus Available
***Relocation Assistance Available for Qualified Candidates

JOB DESCRIPTION

LOCATION REQUIREMENT

Candidates must be willing to relocate to, or reside within a reasonable commuting distance of Ellendale, North Dakota, to support onsite operations and leadership responsibilities.

For candidate awareness and transparency, this position may be advertised in multiple cities across the United States; however, the actual work location is Ellendale, North Dakota.

Department: Data Center Critical Facilities Operations
Location: Ellendale, North Dakota
Location Type: Onsite
Direct Reports: Yes
Travel: Up to 10%

POSITION SUMMARY

The Site Director serves as the senior onsite leader responsible for the operational, technical, financial, and personnel performance of a growing mission-critical data center campus. This role is accountable for ensuring the reliability, maintenance, and performance of all critical facility infrastructure while leading managers and technical teams in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.

The Site Director is responsible for ensuring that all electrical, mechanical, and fire/life safety equipment within the data center is operating at peak efficiency. This involves both planned preventative maintenance of equipment, daily corrective work, and emergency response to emergent issues.

Reporting to the Vice President, the Site Director acts as the primary operational and technical resource for the site and partners closely with customers, leadership, vendors, and internal stakeholders. This position plays a critical role in driving operational excellence, customer satisfaction, safety, compliance, workforce development, and long-term site success.

The Site Director serves as the principal technical and operational resource for the site, partnering closely with onsite Critical Facility Managers, Critical Facilities Technicians, customers, offsite support teams, and third-party vendors. The role requires direct accountability for the reliability, maintenance, risk management, and performance of mission-critical electrical and mechanical infrastructure, including UPS systems, standby generators, electrical distribution systems, switchgear, utility interfaces, chiller plants, CRAH/CRAC systems, Building Management Systems (BMS), Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) platforms, and related cooling and control systems.

WHAT THE HIRING TEAM IS LOOKING FOR

We are seeking a proven facilities leader who can successfully operate and grow a mission-critical data center environment, build and scale an organization beyond 100 employees, lead managers and technical teams, and understand the operational risks associated with UPS systems, generators, electrical distribution systems, and critical cooling infrastructure.

The ideal candidate will be an experienced data center leader with direct responsibility for mission-critical infrastructure and operations. This individual must have demonstrated success leading teams, managing customer-facing operations, and overseeing the reliability, maintenance, performance, and risk management of complex electrical and mechanical facility systems.

Candidates should possess a minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience in critical facilities operations, mission-critical environments, or data center infrastructure, including at least 3 years in a data center leadership role.

The successful candidate will bring:

• Demonstrated success leading managers, supervisors, and technical teams.
• Experience scaling teams and supporting large operational organizations.
• Strong customer-facing leadership experience.
• Experience managing operating budgets, capital expenditures, and site performance metrics.
• Direct responsibility for the operation, maintenance, reliability, and risk management of critical facility systems.
• Experience driving safety, operational excellence, compliance, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Strong judgment and decision-making skills in both routine and emergency operating conditions.
• The ability to balance strategic leadership responsibilities with day-to-day operational oversight.

We are seeking a proven facilities leader with extensive experience operating and managing mission-critical infrastructure within a data center environment.

DIRECT DATA CENTER INFRASTRUCTURE EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

Candidates must have direct operational ownership, leadership responsibility, maintenance oversight, reliability accountability, or risk management experience for critical infrastructure systems within a data center or mission-critical environment.

Qualified experience includes responsibility for systems such as:

Electrical Infrastructure

• UPS Systems
• Standby Generators
• Switchgear
• Medium-Voltage Distribution
• Low-Voltage Distribution
• Utility Substations
• Transformers
• ATS/STS Equipment
• Power Distribution Equipment (PDU/PMM)

Mechanical & Cooling Infrastructure

• Chiller Plants
• Air Handling Units
• CRAH Systems
• CRAC Systems
• Mechanical Cooling Systems

Controls & Monitoring Systems

• Building Management Systems (BMS)
• Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM)
• Facility Monitoring Systems

Critical Support Systems

• Fire/Life Safety Systems
• Preventive Maintenance Programs
• Change Management Programs
• Emergency Operating Procedures

Experience supporting hyperscale, colocation, cloud, enterprise, or other mission-critical facility operators is strongly preferred.

IMPORTANT FIT CONSIDERATIONS

This role requires direct leadership and accountability for mission-critical facility infrastructure. Candidates should have hands-on responsibility for the operation, maintenance, reliability, and risk management of electrical and mechanical systems. Experience focused primarily on adjacent functions, such as IT, construction, project management, telecommunications, networking, fiber infrastructure, rack deployments, hardware lifecycle management, safety leadership, EHS programs, or vendor support, may not meet the requirements without substantial critical facilities ownership experience.

The strongest candidates will demonstrate direct accountability for the operation, maintenance, reliability, performance, and risk management of mission-critical electrical and mechanical systems.

PRIMARY DUTIES

Within varied scope of work and organizational expectations, responsibilities may include:

• Empowering a culture of safety, security, compliance, and transparency in all aspects of data center activities.
• Leading and managing a team of high-performing managers and individual contributors at a data center site and their ongoing talent development.
• Expert level of knowledge with technology and digital tools such as communicating via video, CMMS systems, and BMS systems.
• Financial administration of site activities and staff members, including creating and evaluating budgets, payments, and pay cycles.
• Managing and overseeing data center site services, resources, and deployment across the data center for the client.
• Collaborating and coordinating with multiple internal business groups to ensure the successful delivery of service levels.
• Analyzing production operations and initiating corrective actions to ensure operational stability.
• Initiating and establishing quality standards for the Data Center teams and managing those initiatives through completion.
• Learning, living, and coaching the Salute culture and values. Leading through change and challenge by bringing clarity, generating energy, and delivering success.
• Operating, monitoring, maintaining, and responding to abnormal conditions in facility systems.
• Completing planned and ad hoc preventive maintenance work assignments requiring the skill and direction of several engineering, mechanical, and maintenance trades.
• Conducting periodic inspections of building systems, including HVAC and electrical distribution systems, and maintaining mechanical equipment rooms to ensure clean and safe conditions.
• Responding rapidly to emergency situations, conducting investigations, and managing indoor environmental and air quality concerns.
• Maintaining a complete working knowledge of creating, closing, and tracking work requests (WRs). Initiating or responding to work orders, following up, and verifying completion of work.
• Monitoring performance and noting deficiencies of service contractors while recommending improvements as necessary.
• Managing workload across all shifts and resources, ensuring a balanced approach to work activity, task prioritization, and accomplishment of objectives.
• Partnering with Human Resources regarding shift cycles, workforce deployment, compensation activities, staffing strategies, and related personnel matters.
• Performing other duties and responsibilities as assigned by management.

ADDITIONAL ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Manage multiple complex projects simultaneously.
• Estimate cost of client installations.
• Build OPEX and CAPEX budgets and manage/report on their status.
• Analyze and interpret complex project documents such as AutoCAD and Visio.
• Analyze and propose solutions with limited information.
• Interpret instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
• Apply advanced analytical and quantitative skills.
• Demonstrate excellent verbal and written communications skills to effectively respond to sensitive and complex issues.
• Create effective presentations and communicate with both internal and external customers.
• Demonstrate a commitment to outstanding customer service for both coworkers and customers.
• Develop operating and maintenance standards and project tracking/management documents.
• Maintain knowledge of applicable laws and ordinances related to data, communications, and MEP projects.
• Provide oversight, guidance, and coaching to team members.
• Work effectively under pressure with a proactive approach.
• Demonstrate excellent attention to detail, strong organizational skills, and a willingness to embrace new ideas and procedures.
• Utilize Microsoft Office tools such as Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Teams to create presentations, reports, and communications.
• Enhance existing skill sets and organizational capabilities.
• Direct operations, technical, and engineering personnel to ensure established processes and procedures are followed.
• Perform, oversee, and manage periodic audits of Maintenance Operating Procedures (MOPs), Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and Emergency Operating Procedures (EOPs) to ensure quality, accuracy, and compliance with company standards and industry best practices.
• Perform periodic audits of site Change Management activities to ensure documentation accuracy and process compliance.
• Collect and report operating metrics to monitor site performance and efficiency.
• Coordinate major activities among sites and drive outstanding issues through resolution.
• Support development of client improvement initiatives, including cost estimates, savings opportunities, and implementation strategies.
• Develop operating standards, processes, procedures, rules, and regulations.
• Review engineering drawings and perform site surveys to identify mechanical, electrical, and control systems and facility operating characteristics.
• Manage relationships with cust