Data Center Operations Manager

Covestic Inc; Mikkeli; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Milestone Technologies is seeking an experienced Data Center Operations Manager to lead on-site operations for a mission-critical AI data center in Finland, based in Mikkeli. You will supervise a team of technicians and engineers, coordinate with customer engineering and facilities teams, and ensure reliable, safe operations.

The role combines hands-on technical leadership, incident response, and continuous improvement, with emphasis on availability, safety, and performance in HPC environments.

Qualifications

• Professional proficiency in English (written and verbal).
• Finnish language skills are beneficial.
• Strong knowledge of enterprise server, storage, networking, and structured cabling infrastructure.
• Experience supporting mission-critical data center environments.
• Leadership, project coordination, and team development abilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead the daily activities of the on-site data center operations team.
• Provide technical leadership while actively involved in day-to-day operations.
• Serve as primary escalation point for operational incidents.
• Coordinate work assignments, priorities, and resources across activities.
• Foster a culture of safety, accountability, operational excellence, and customer service.
• Coordinate preventive maintenance, change management, and incident response.

Skills

Leadership

English proficiency

Finnish proficiency

Data center operations

HA architecture

Incident management

Vendor coordination

Tools

ServiceNow

Jira

NetBox

Sunbird

Job description

About Milestone Technologies

Milestone Technologies is a global IT services and digital transformation company delivering managed services and professional solutions to many of the world's most innovative organizations. We are seeking an experienced Data Center Operations Manager to support one of our strategic AI infrastructure customers as they expand next-generation data center operations in Finland.

This role offers the opportunity to lead a local operations team supporting advanced AI infrastructure, mission‑critical facilities, and high‑performance computing (HPC) environments while partnering closely with customer engineering and operations teams.

Position Summary

The Data Center Operations Manager is a hands‑on leadership position responsible for supporting the deployment, commissioning, and ongoing operation of a mission‑critical AI data center.

Serving as Milestone's on‑site operational leader, this individual provides day‑to‑day leadership for a team of technicians and engineers while remaining actively engaged in technical operations. The Operations Manager partners closely with customer engineering, facilities personnel, contractors, and vendors to help ensure reliable, safe, and efficient operation of critical infrastructure.

This role combines technical leadership, operational execution, employee development, and customer partnership to support one of the world's most advanced AI computing environments.

Employment Type

Permanent Full‑Time (Finland)

This position is based in Mikkeli, Finland, supporting long‑term customer operations.

Employment will be provided in accordance with applicable Finnish employment legislation, applicable Collective Agreements (TES) where required, and Milestone Technologies employment policies.

Professional proficiency in English is required. Finnish language skills are considered beneficial but are not required.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Leadership

• Lead the daily activities of Milestone's on‑site data center operations team.
• Provide technical leadership while remaining actively involved in day‑to‑day operational activities.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for operational incidents involving Milestone personnel.
• Coordinate work assignments, priorities, and resource allocation across multiple operational activities.
• Foster a culture centered on safety, accountability, operational excellence, and customer service.

Technical Operations

• Support the reliable operation of enterprise server, storage, networking, and supporting infrastructure.
• Participate in hardware installation, maintenance, troubleshooting, break/fix activities, and infrastructure lifecycle management.
• Support commissioning, equipment validation, operational readiness, and infrastructure acceptance activities.
• Partner with customer engineering teams during maintenance events, infrastructure upgrades, and expansion projects.
• Support operations involving high‑density AI, GPU, HPC, and liquid‑cooled infrastructure where applicable.

Team Leadership

• Coach, mentor, and develop technicians and engineers through daily leadership and technical guidance.
• Conduct performance management, employee development, and career coaching activities.
• Promote collaboration, knowledge sharing, and continuous learning across the team.
• Support recruiting, onboarding, workforce planning, and employee retention initiatives.

Operational Excellence

• Coordinate preventive maintenance activities, operational readiness, and change management processes.
• Lead incident response activities and facilitate root cause analysis (RCA) following operational events.
• Develop and continuously improve SOPs, MOPs, EOPs, and operational documentation.
• Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency, automation, scalability, and service quality.
• Monitor operational metrics and recommend improvements that enhance customer satisfaction and service delivery.

Vendor & Asset Coordination

• Coordinate activities involving vendors, contractors, and colocation providers.
• Support inventory accuracy, asset lifecycle management, and equipment tracking using DCIM and IT asset management systems.
• Assist with procurement planning and operational resource forecasting.

Health, Safety & Compliance

• Promote a strong Health, Safety & Environment (HSE) culture.
• Ensure Milestone personnel comply with customer safety policies, Finnish workplace regulations, and operational procedures.
• Participate in emergency preparedness exercises, risk assessments, and continuous safety improvement initiatives.

Customer Partnership

• Build and maintain strong working relationships with customer engineering, facilities, and operations teams.
• Provide operational reporting, incident updates, and executive‑level communications.
• Support customer meetings, operational reviews, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Required Qualifications

Language

• Professional proficiency in English (written and verbal)
• Finnish language skills (written and verbal)

Technical Skills

• Strong knowledge of enterprise server, storage, networking, and structured cabling infrastructure.
• Experience supporting mission‑critical data center environments.
• Strong understanding of high‑availability architecture, redundancy, and operational resilience.
• Experience supporting electrical and cooling infrastructure within enterprise data centers.
• Familiarity with Linux administration and enterprise networking technologies.
• Experience with DCIM, CMDB, ITSM, and asset management platforms such as ServiceNow, Jira, NetBox, Sunbird, or equivalent.
• Strong troubleshooting, incident management, and root cause analysis skills.
• Excellent organizational, communication, documentation, and leadership abilities.
• Ability to perform effectively within fast‑paced, high‑availability production environments.

Required Experience

Minimum 8–10 years of experience in one or more of the following:

• Data Center Operations
• Infrastructure Engineering
• Critical Facilities
• Telecommunications Infrastructure
• Industrial Automation
• Manufacturing Operations
• Utilities or Power Generation
• Defense Infrastructure
• Maritime Engineering
• Mission‑Critical Operations

Candidates should also possess experience in:

• Leading technical teams within production environments.
• Supporting large‑scale infrastructure deployments or commissioning activities.
• Managing operational incidents and leading root cause investigations.
• Coordinating vendors, contractors, and cross‑functional engineering teams.
• Employee coaching, mentoring, performance management, and workforce development.
• Building operational processes that improve reliability, scalability, and customer satisfaction.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience with one or more of the following is highly desirable:

• AI, GPU, or High‑Performance Computing (HPC) environments
• Liquid‑cooled data centers
• Building Management Systems (BMS)
• Electrical Power Monitoring Systems (EPMS)
• SCADA platforms
• Infrastructure automation
• Capacity planning
• Sustainability and energy efficiency initiatives
• ISO 27001, SOC 2, PCI‑DSS, or comparable operational compliance frameworks

Preferred Certifications

• ITIL Foundation
• CompTIA Server+
• CompTIA Network+
• Cisco CCNA
• Juniper JNCIA
• Project Management Professional (PMP) or equivalent
• Schneider Electric Data Center Certifications
• Uptime Institute Certifications
• Leadership or management certifications

Equivalent military experience, technical training, and relevant industry certifications will also be considered.

Work Schedule

This position supports a 24x7 mission‑critical environment and may require:

• Participation in an on‑call rotation
• Planned after‑hours maintenance
• Weekend support when required
• Occasional travel within Finland and other Nordic or European customer locations

Work schedules and any overtime arrangements will be administered in accordance with applicable Finnish labor legislation and employment agreements.

Physical & Operational Requirements

• Ability to safely lift, move, and install equipment weighing up to 23 kg (50 lbs), with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Ability to work on the data center floor for extended periods, including standing, walking, bending, kneeling, and climbing ladders as required.
• Ability to install and service equipment within server racks, overhead cable pathways, under raised flooring systems, and in mechanical and electrical infrastructure areas.
• Ability to safely work in active operational, commissioning, and construction environments while adhering to all applicable health and safety requirements.
• Ability to wear required personal protective equipment (PPE) and comply with all site safety and security policies.
• Ability to participate in an on‑call rotation and respond to operational incidents outside of normal business hours when required.
• Ability to travel occasionally within Finland and other Nordic or European customer locations as business needs require.