SVP, Global Data Center Operations

Nscale; Ottawa; On-site; CAD 346,000 - 484,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Flexible paid time off

Retirement plan participation

Job summary

Nscale is seeking a Senior Vice President of Global Data Center Operations to lead the 24/7 global data center footprint, ensuring health, performance, and continuous operation of mission-critical facilities.

You will own end-to-end operational lifecycle, partner with IT Engineering, Supply Chain, Finance, and Commercial teams, and drive safety, reliability, and sustainability across mega campuses and colocation sites.

Qualifications

• 15+ years in data center facility operations or physical plant management.
• Minimum 5 years in executive or senior leadership roles.
• Proven track record scaling global data center operations.
• Deep technical knowledge of critical mechanical and electrical infrastructure (UPS, HVAC, chillers, gensets, fire suppression, high-density cooling).
• Ability to lead geographically dispersed facility operations teams.
• Strong financial and strategic planning skills with OpEx/CapEx budgeting.

Responsibilities

• Direct and oversee 24/7/365 global data center operations.
• Develop and govern SOPs/MOPs/EOPs for facility equipment.
• Escalation point for facility incidents; drive RCA and preventative measures.
• Manage space, power, and cooling capacity; oversee building operations.
• Lead sustainability initiatives to optimize PUE and WUE.
• Recruit and mentor a globally distributed facilities team.
• Manage relationships with colocation providers, utilities, and contractors.
• Define and execute the global Ops strategy with regional execution.
• Partner with AI Infra Ops for integrated workflows.
• Collaborate on facility design decisions to improve efficiency.
• Lead portfolio strategy across mega campuses and leased sites.
• Drive OpEx optimization without compromising safety.

Skills

Executive leadership

Data center operations

Mechanical & electrical infra

OPEx/CapEx budgeting

Strategic planning

Team building

Stakeholder influence

Safety/compliance

Cross-functional collaboration

Tools

UPS

HVAC

Chillers

Fire suppression

Job description

About Nscale

Nscale is the GPU cloud engineered for AI. We provide cost-effective, high-performance infrastructure for AI start-ups and large enterprise customers. Nscale enables AI-focused companies to achieve superior results by reducing the complexity of AI development. Our GPU cloud bolsters technical capabilities and directly supports strategic business outcomes, including cost management, rapid innovation, and environmental responsibility.

We thrive on a culture of relentless innovation, ownership, and accountability, where every team member takes pride in their work and drives it with excellence and urgency. As an Nscaler, you'll build trust through openness and transparency, where everyone is inspired to do their best work. If you join our team, you'll be contributing to building the technology that powers the future.

About the Role

We are seeking a Senior Vice President of Global Data Center Operations to lead, scale, and optimize the physical footprint of Nscale's rapidly expanding global data center portfolio. As a key executive, you will be responsible for the health, performance, and continuous operation of the mission-critical facilities and grounds that house our high-density AI infrastructure. This role sits at the intersection of facility strategy, site management, and operational maturity.

You will own the end-to-end operational lifecycle of our global data center physical environments — overseeing 24/7/365 facility operations, mechanical and electrical maintenance, and critical capacity management (space, power, and cooling). Partnering closely with IT Engineering, Supply Chain, Finance, and Commercial teams, you will ensure our facilities are fully prepared to support incoming compute deployments while maintaining the highest industry standards for physical reliability, safety, and environmental sustainability.

This role requires a strategic visionary with a deep technical background in mission-critical mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems, a passion for operational excellence, and the ability to lead a world-class global facilities team.

What You'll be Doing

• Global Facility Operations: Direct and oversee the 24/7 physical operation of Nscale's global data center sites, ensuring exceptional uptime and continuous availability of all critical power and cooling systems.
• Operational Excellence: Develop, implement, and govern standardized operating procedures (SOPs), Methods of Procedure (MOPs), and Emergency Operating Procedures (EOPs) for all facility equipment across the global portfolio.
• Incident & SLA Management: Serve as the ultimate point of escalation for critical facility, environmental, or grounds incidents. Drive root cause analysis (RCA) for power/cooling events and implement preventative measures to ensure stringent facility Service Level Agreements (SLAs) are met.
• Site & Capacity Management: Manage space, power, and cooling capacity planning at the facility level. Oversee all building operations, environmental controls, and general grounds maintenance.
• Sustainability & Efficiency: Champion initiatives to optimize Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) and Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE), driving facility upgrades that align with Nscale's environmental responsibility and sustainability goals.
• Strategic Leadership & Team Building: Recruit, mentor, and lead a high-performing, globally distributed team of data center facility managers, critical environment engineers, and site technicians. Foster a rigorous culture of safety, compliance, and continuous improvement.
• Vendor & Partner Management: Manage relationships with colocation providers, utility companies, MEP contractors, and site maintenance partners to ensure strict adherence to Nscale's physical operational standards and cost-efficiency targets.
• Strategic Operations & Governance: Define and execute the overall Nscale Ops global strategy, ensuring a successful balance between rigorous global standardization and the requirement for effective regional execution.
• Cross-Functional Partnership: Partner closely with the AI Infra Ops team to ensure seamless operational integration, infrastructure readiness, and coordinated deployment workflows.
• Design Influence: Collaborate with other DCI leadership to provide a strong operational viewpoint, actively informing design decisions to enhance facility efficiency, reliability, and maintainability.
• Portfolio Management: Lead the operational strategy across a diverse global portfolio, adapting models to accommodate the specific requirements of mega campuses, colocation providers, and leased smaller sites.
• OpEx Optimization: Drive a culture of continuous physical plant optimization, identifying opportunities to reduce facility operating costs without compromising redundancy, safety, or cooling capacity.

About You

• 15+ years of progressive leadership experience in data center facility operations, critical environments, or physical plant management, with a minimum of 5 years at an executive or senior leadership level.
• Proven track record of managing and scaling the physical operations (real estate, facilities, utilities) of a globally distributed portfolio of data centers.
• Deep technical understanding of critical mechanical and electrical infrastructure, including UPS, HVAC, chillers, backup generators, fire suppression, and high-density cooling solutions (air and liquid) required for AI workloads.
• Demonstrated ability to build, inspire, and lead large, geographically dispersed facility operations and critical environment teams.
• Strong financial and strategic planning skills, with experience managing significant OpEx and CapEx budgets related to real estate, utilities, and facility maintenance.
• Exceptional strategic thinking and ability to translate business objectives into executable plans.
• Strong executive presence and ability to influence senior stakeholders, including C-suite.
• Proven ability to build, mentor, and scale high-performing teams in complex environments.
• Excellent communication skills — able to articulate complex technical and operational concepts to diverse audiences.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making capabilities in ambiguous, high-stakes situations.
• Collaborative mindset with the ability to partner effectively across functions and geographies.
• Comfort operating in a fast-paced, high-growth startup environment where priorities evolve quickly.

Nice to Have

• Experience with sustainability initiatives, green data center design, or environmental responsibility programs.
• Knowledge of real estate, construction, or facilities management in the context of data center development.
• Experience with Palantir Foundry or other data platforms for operational analytics and decision-making.

What We Can Offer You

At Nscale, you'll find a collaborative, supportive, and innovative environment where your contributions spark real impact. We're building something extraordinary, and we want you at the core.

• Highly competitive package (base + equity) with reviews every 12 months.
• Join the fastest-growing tech startup, your chance to push boundaries, collaborate with brilliant minds, and make your mark on cutting-edge AI.
• Expect a dynamic progression plan tailored to your ambitions. Grow by trying new things, leading, challenging the status quo, and owning your impact, always with our full support.
• Human-First Flexibility: We treat you as humans first. Our flexible workplace trusts Nscalers to deliver, giving you the autonomy to shape your day around life’s moments.

Equal Opportunities Statement

At Nscale, we are committed to fostering an inclusive, diverse, and equitable workplace. We believe that a variety of perspectives enriches our work environment, and we encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds, experiences, and abilities. We strongly encourage applications from people of colour, the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, neurodivergent people, parents, carers, and people from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

If there's anything we can do to accommodate your specific situation, please let us know.

The range below reflects the base salary for the position. Actual compensation may vary based on job-related factors such as skill set, experience, education, and location. In addition to base salary, this role may be eligible for bonus, equity, and/or commission programs. Nscale may offer a competitive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, flexible paid time off, parental leave, and retirement plan participation.

Salary Range

$250,000-$350,000 USD

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