THE POSITION:The Vice President of Critical Operations is the senior executive leader responsible for the overall operational, financial, and performance of a large-scale data center campus. This role carries enterprise-level accountability for mission-critical operations, requiring a rare blend of deep data center operational expertise and sophisticated business leadership. Reporting to the Sr. Vice President of Operations, this position serves as the executive owner of campus operations, ensuring safe, reliable, and efficient performance of mechanical, electrical, fire life safety, and base building systems while simultaneously driving commercial outcomes, client satisfaction, and long-term value creation. This role functions as the campus leader for critical infrastructure, with responsibility spanning P&L ownership, client relationship governance, operational excellence, risk management, and organizational leadership. Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
Safety, Reliability, and Operational Excellence
- Lead and champion a culture of safety
- Ensure uninterrupted, reliable operation of mission-critical infrastructure
- Direct preventative and corrective maintenance programs
Business, Financial, and Campus Leadership
- Own full P&L responsibility
- Lead operating and capital budgeting
- Drive operational efficiency initiatives
Client and Commercial Leadership
- Act as executive client sponsor
- Own governance of contracts and SLAs
- Lead executive client meetings
THE DETAILS: - Location: Dallas, TX; Chicago, IL
- Benefits: Healthcare, Dental Care, Vision Insurance, Life Insurance, Paid Time Off, Paid Leave Programs
- Travel: Up to 30%
- Must be eligible to work in the United States
- Must pass a comprehensive background and drug screening
MUST-HAVE QUALIFICATIONS:- Executive leadership experience in mission-critical environments
- Deep expertise in data center infrastructure systems
- Experience managing large-scale operations and budgets
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to handle a multitude of tasks and work well in stressful situations.
- Strong understanding of the electrical and mechanical systems used in a data center environment. These include, but are not limited to: UPS, Generators, Transformers, PDU's, RPP's, Chillers, CDU's, Air Handlers, STS, ATS, and Pre-action systems.
- Exceptional leadership and coaching skills.
- Well versed and experienced in managing multiple multi-million-dollar budgets to safely maintain 100% availability while minimizing total cost of ownership.
- Expert knowledge of NFPA70e, NFPA72, NFPA25, NFPA101 and compliance issues as well as other building codes regarding fire or life safety.
- Expert knowledge and experience in data center trending and analysis, with the ability to quickly learn site monitoring systems.
- Experience in the design, construction, and commissioning of critical systems and buildings.
- Excellent client and vendor relationship skills.
- Experience with coordinating and overseeing contractors who perform services in the data center.
- Proven knowledge of customer contracts and SLA levels in line with ASHRAE standards.
- 10+ years of data center facility operations and maintenance experience.
- 5 - 10 years leadership experience in data center operations.
- Budget / P&L experience.
- Hyperscale data center operations experience.
- Experience supervising a technical data center operations staff.
- Strong presentation skills in leading meetings.
- Strong critical thinking, analytical, planning, and problem-solving skills.
- Highly organized with the ability to multitask, establish priorities, and manage competing priorities.
Compensation Range: THIS MIGHT BE RIGHT FOR YOU IF:- You are a strong communicator, you are persuasive and clear, blending analytics with experience in decision-making.
- You do not get flustered easily. You can juggle multiple priorities while balancing urgent requests with shifting timelines and deliverables.
- You are a team builder. You take the time to understand and develop the strengths of your resources while formulating long-term plans for the growth and success of the team.
- You are naturally curious and driven toward continual improvement. While you celebrate your successes, you take time to review and analyze campaigns for future learning.
