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Data Center Manager

IL - Chicago

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Take Ownership of Data Center Operations at Two Mission Critical Facilities

This broad, highly visible role offers you the opportunity to take ownership of data center operations at two of Digital Realty's facilities in Chicago, including our well known and respected Cermak location.

As Data Center Manager, you will enjoy working independently yet within a dynamic and supportive team structure, where you will oversee a staff of contract employees and make your mark on the operations of two mission critical facilities. You will be responsible for the oversight of general facility operations, including security, janitorial and other facility management functions. You will also manage the coordination and completion of all significant planned and emergency maintenance events for the facility, and confirm these activities are executed in a controlled and proven method to ensure the reliability of the critical loads supported by these systems. Ultimately, as Data Center Manager, you will identify, evaluate and execute operational strategies to ensure that data center operations at your sites achieve the highest level of availability. Throughout your work, you will enjoy interacting with a variety of professionals while also having the autonomy you need to achieve your goals. This is an opportunity showcase your strong leadership skills and, as our company continues to grow, we'll be looking for proven performers to grow along with us.

Digital Realty Trust, Inc. supports the data center and colocation strategies of more than 600 firms across its secure, network-rich portfolio of data centers located throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Digital Realty's clients include domestic and international companies of all sizes, ranging from financial services, cloud and information technology services, to manufacturing, energy, gaming, life sciences and consumer products. With the acquisition of Telx in October 2015, Digital Realty is uniquely positioned to provide a complete range of data center solutions on a global scale that best fit our customers' needs. At the same time, we can now connect them to the cloud and their critical partners on an open platform that includes 140+ properties and 198 buildings in 32 markets around the globe.

The Requirements

To perform the role of Data Center Manager, you will have experience in data center electrical, mechanical and network system operations and possess knowledge of large scale data centers, including state-of-the-art electrical distribution systems, static and rotary UPS, emergency standby generation, fire alarm/suppression and monitoring systems. Quick question for you - click here

More specifically, to be a strong fit for the Data Center Manager opportunity, you will have:

10 years related facility management experience in data center operations (or related electrical or mechanical engineering field) with minimum of 5 years’ experience managing or leading data center operations teams in a large scale mission critical environment.
A bachelor's degree in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering is a plus.
Solid and proven experience in the construction, commissioning, acceptance and operation of mission critical systems, including state-of-the-art electrical distribution systems, static and rotary UPS, emergency standby generation, fire alarm/suppression and monitoring systems.
Knowledge of structured cabling systems, networking and connectivity standards, and hardware installation requirements.
Proficient experience in colocation operations, including the installation and deployment of cage, rack and cable infrastructure, as well as, power circuit installation and power monitoring.
Experience working with and deploying telecom and network providers, specifically in Meet Me Room and POP room environments.
Experience managing a change control environment.
Strong quantitative and qualitative reasoning skills, with demonstrated ability to determine event root causes, performance shortfalls and required corrective actions.
Knowledge of industry data center standards, policies & methodologies.
Knowledge of performance management & critical awareness methods and implementation standards.
Strong interpersonal, presentation and communication skills.
Strong organizational skills and detail oriented.
Experience managing own budget and analyzing expenses.
Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook and familiarity with Microsoft Project, Visio or AutoCad.
Familiarity with Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS), Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM), and power metering systems.

To meet the basic qualification for this role you must have legal authorization to work permanently in the United States for any employer without requiring a visa transfer or visa sponsorship.

You will primarily work out of our premier E. Cermak facility (pictured above), but will also be responsible for the facility at 600 South Federal Street. We anticipate that you'll spend approximately 15% of your time at the Federal Street location. Quick question for you - click here

Pictured: Located in the South Loop of the Chicago Central Business District 350 E. Cermak is the premier mission critical data center and telecommunications facility in the Midwest. The property boasts significant electrical and HVAC infrastructure as well as robust telecomm access critical to enterprise data center tenants.

The Role

Reporting to the Real Estate Manager, as Data Center Manager, you will be responsible for overseeing the execution of local data center operations at our 350 E. Cermak and 600 S. Federal facilities in Chicago. You will work closely with the Chief Engineers at both sites and oversee contracted engineering and security teams, including more than a dozen professionals at Cermak and a small team at S. Federal. Quick question for you - click here

It will be your responsibility to ensure optimal facility operations are maintained 24/7/365. You will be tip of the spear, acting as the operational contact for on-site data center customers – both as the technical lead and local point of escalation during the coordination of emergency events and for day to day operations. Your core responsibilities will include:

Engineering operations and core infrastructure maintenance.
Data center construction management, commissioning and start-up.
Delivery of data center services including colocation, connectivity, raised floor services and deployment.
Installation and management of all cable and network infrastructure supporting facility and customer connectivity.
Technical event management including post-event root cause analysis and infrastructure repair.

More specifically, your data center operations responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

Executing all aspects of data center operations including the operation, maintenance and repair of all mission critical equipment and systems supporting a 24x7 data center operation to achieve 100% uptime and 100% compliance with all customer SLAs.
Supervising all construction activity and installations, in coordination with internal and external construction resources, to ensure system design, installation and testing adhere to operational standards.
Witnessing testing of all equipment during commissioning and validating sequence of operations and receipt of all operational documentation.
Managing provisioning of data center services including colocation, connectivity, raised floor services, deployment and any additional services to be delivered to data center customers.
Overseeing local customer installations, in coordination with Sales Engineering, Design & Construction and Implementation Services to coordinate customer move-ins and turn-ups, including deployments, power circuit installations and connectivity requirements.
Overseeing local installation, maintenance and repair of all network infrastructure supporting all Digital Realty and customer connectivity in coordination with internal IT and network personnel.
Supervising the engineering teams to ensure adherence to standard operating procedures, sequence of operations and maintenance standards to guarantee execution of Digital Realty’s periodic maintenance program and maintenance calendar.
Supervising security personnel and managing security systems including the adherence to security policies and compliance programs.
Supporting the Real Estate Management team by supervising general facility services, including, but not limited to janitorial services, landscaping, and snow removal services to ensure compliance with contractual requirements.
Ensuring timely execution of data center services such as remote hands, customer installations and service requests.
Developing knowledge of the customer’s local data center operation.
Managing technical and operational incidents at the property, including the implementation of emergency response procedures, resource coordination, customer communication, root-cause analysis and post event remediation.

In tandem with each Chief, you’ll also interact with perspective clients, giving tours, answering questions, etc., as well as with current clients. In a way, this is a jack-of-all-trades role (e.g. interaction across internal and external groups, documentation, bid origination, vendor negotiation, project/team oversight, customer service, etc.) for someone who can work proactively and effectively move between varied and critical responsibilities. Administrative/procedural responsibilities will include:

Developing, implementing and auditing local standard operating procedures, sequence of operations and maintenance standards to be in compliance with Digital Realty’s standards and industry best practices.
Supervising local change management processes including the review and approval of all Method of Procedures (MOPs) for maintenance and one-time/emergency repair events in coordination with onsite personnel, contractors and customers.
Managing all maintenance and repair contracts to ensure compliance with maintenance standards and operational requirements. Confirming all vendors are qualified and adhere to Digital Realty’s performance standards and scopes of work.
Identifying trends and analyzing risks to articulate implications and impact to data center operations. Tracking operational metrics and other data to provide Senior Management oversight and control for both snapshot data and long-term trend analysis.
Identify process based improvements that generate operational and financial efficiencies including the development and presentation of the business case.
Supporting the Real Estate Manager with the management of expenses and assisting with budgeting, forecasting and reporting requirements by providing capital and expense requirements and justifications.
Supporting various accreditation initiatives, including, but not limited to, SSAE16, SOC2, ISO 27001, etc. as may be required by Digital Realty.
Maintaining compliance with local health & safety (i.e. OSHA) standards and national electrical and building codes.

Though you will be seated at Cermak most of the time, you will be responsible for continually overseeing projects, ensuring targets, timelines and budgets are met and workflow is moving as expected at both sites. Cermak is a large site that will require the majority of your time, but you'll also need to effectively support the second location, keeping a strong line of communication open with the Chief and others onsite. You will be adept at setting priorities, identifying current needs and implementing a strategy to meet those needs across both sites.

Note: This description is intended to give you a general overview of the position and is not an exhaustive listing of duties and responsibilities.

Why Digital Realty

Great facilities, major impact -- the facilities in Chicago are award-winning, state-of-the-art facilities and your efforts can directly impact their success. These are colocation facilities with varied customer bases and space available. They are data centers that provide interesting and diverse challenges.

Exciting time to join -- with the acquisition of Telx, Digital Realty adds robust colocation, strategic network dense connectivity, a vast and open partner ecosystem and unmatched freedom of choice to one of the world's largest data center footprints.

The "best of both worlds" -- you'll find that working for our company may be a little bit different. We are small enough, with only 1200 employees across our global portfolio, that your hard work will be visible throughout the organization, yet our extensive offering of services and solutions and proven track record of growth; stability and industry-leading innovation give you the resources and tools you need to take your career to the next level.

Unique culture -- we are a collaborative, people-focused company dedicated to quality and continuous improvement. When you become a member of our team, you receive our commitment to your continued development and support.

Strong foundation -- our financial strength and stability provide our customers with the assurance that Digital Realty and Telx will be their partner for current data center needs and those in the future, and our investment credit ratings provide us access to paths for more capital. We view each of our customers as a long-term partner.

Green standard for sustainability -- we are committed to improving the performance and energy efficiency of our data centers through the creation, adoption and promotion of industry-leading best data center practices and experience. We are pioneers in thinking about green data centers and are also a Contributing Member of The Green Grid.

Excellent compensation -- in addition to a competitive compensation, we offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes all you would expect plus some pleasant surprises, like multiple flexible spending plans, a generous company match on the 401(k) plan, and more.

Keys to Success

To excel in this role, you will have strong communication and interpersonal skills in order to oversee the teams and build relationships with the staff and customers. And you must be able to thrive in dynamic, fast-paced environments. A sense of urgency is paramount. This is a visible role where you'll enjoy a lot of interaction with departments and staff throughout all levels of the organization, and one that requires a thoughtful but quick response. You've worked in other mission critical facilities, but if you come from healthcare, finance or an area outside of the data center space, the pace and urgency may surprise you.

Upon joining us you'll need to immediately begin learning the buildings and earning credibility with the teams. The faster you're able to come up to speed, the better. Of course, we'll give you the tools you need to succeed. The Regional Manager and Property Manager will be onsite to help you initially. You'll also work with experienced Chief Engineers who will help along the way.

In order to be an outstanding Data Center Manager, you’ll need to be comfortable working autonomously and independently. You won’t be on an island though, as support will be available when needed. We’ll expect you to proactively problem solve and look for solutions independently, and exercise your judgment and managerial abilities to take action and make decisions. Your problem solving skills should include the ability to look at a situation, analyze the cause of the issue and the viable options available, apply judgment and then present recommendations.

Ultimately, your success will be judged based on the following key measures of success:

Achieving Five 9’s of Availability for all data center operations.
100% compliance with all customer SLAs.
100% compliance with all capacity & inventory management requirements.
100% site compliance to all standard operating procedures.
Internal & external customer communication and relationships maintained to highest standard.
100% compliance with internal escalation protocols for all customer impacting events pursuant to Digital Realty’s escalation standards.
100% compliance with all health & safety standards and electrical and building codes.
100% compliance with Digital Realty’s critical stock & parts standards.
100% compliance with Digital Realty’s internal quality assurance and assessment programs, as well as the various accreditation initiatives undertaken by Digital Realty, including, but not limited to, SSAE16, SOC2, ISO 27001, etc.

About Us

About Digital Realty Trust, Inc.

Globally delivering the Right Workload, in the Right Place, at the Right Value℠.

Digital Realty Trust, Inc. supports the data center and colocation strategies of more than 600 firms across its secure, network-rich portfolio of data centers located throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Digital Realty's clients include domestic and international companies of all sizes, ranging from financial services, cloud and information technology services, to manufacturing, energy, gaming, life sciences and consumer products.

Digital Realty is a publicly traded company (NYSE: DLR) with investment grade ratings from all three major ratings agencies.

About Telx

Telx, Digital Realty's Colocation and Interconnection line of business, fuels infrastructure, interconnection and business progress. With industry-leading 100% uptime and 100% on-time service delivery SLAs, Telx helps companies build more agile businesses faster with reduced infrastructure complexity and broader reach to new markets. At Telx we're not just about making connections. We're all about making a difference.

Telx colocation and connectivity products serve a broad range of industries from network dense Internet/Cloud Gateway data centers located across 13 US markets: Atlanta, Charlotte (NC), Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, New Jersey, New York, Phoenix, Portland, San Francisco, Santa Clara, and Seattle. With more than 50,000 network connections, Telx enables the hybrid cloud strategies of our customers, and the interconnection of more than 10 million square feet of data center space around the world.

Digital Realty offers a highly competitive compensation package, excellent benefits, and an environment that recognizes and rewards your contributions.

Digital Realty is an equal opportunity employer, EOE/AA/M/F/Vets/Disabled

Please do not forward unsolicited resumes to any employee of Digital Realty and its subsidiaries. Digital Realty is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited referrals.