Data Centre Team Leader

Onnec; Greater London; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

ONNEC Group is hiring a Data Centre Team Leader to supervise 4+ local DC engineers on rotated 24/7 shifts, coordinating MAC tasks and BAU operations for client data centres. The role involves asset management, change governance, and collaboration with security and support teams.

The ideal candidate has strong structured cabling and data centre experience, with ITIL/CDCMP certifications being a plus. This is a hands-on leadership role requiring mentoring and high accountability.

Qualifications

• Experience in banking IT environment.
• Data Centre Moves Adds and Changes experience.
• Structured cabling installation and testing with fluke equipment.
• Knowledge of FTP/UTP/ Optical Fibre cabling standards.
• MS Office proficiency required (Outlook, Excel, Word).
• Ability to mentor and lead shifts and third-party vendors.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of 4+ DC engineers on 24/7 shifts and ensure tasks are performed per Client procedures.
• Coordinate MAC work and BAU activities for data centre environments.
• Assist with asset disposal, inventory, and lifecycle management.
• Coordinate access control with security and COLO teams and manage third-party visits.
• Record, report and escalate incidents, changes and performance metrics.

Skills

Server & network hardware knowledge

Structured cabling installation

Change management

Asset management

Ticketing systems

Education

COMPTIA Server+

COMPTIA Network+

ITIL Foundation

CDCMP

CCNA DCICN DCICT

Tools

Asset Management Systems

Ticketing Systems

Job description

ONNEC Group are a leading independent technology partner and global integrator, with over 30 years experience, and a 800+ team of global experts, specialising in providing end-to-end connectivity solutions that propel organisations everywhere.

From structured cabling to managed services, our end-to-end services give infrastructure that can be completely replied on. Design. Build. Deploy. Optimise. We offer a complete solution for business connectivity.

The Data Centre Team Leader is a key position in managing and providing support for our Client’s Data Centre cabling infrastructure, its server and network hardware environment and physical security controls.

Reporting to the Local Data Centre Manager, the Data Centre Team Leader will be site based and be responsible for the delivery of Moves, Adds and Changes (MAC) work and Business As Usual (BAU) works at a client Data Centre (In certain circumstance this may be multiple Data Centres and/or may include some Campus locations).

The role is focused on the coordination and management of a team of 4+ local DC operations engineers working on rotated 24/7 shifts, as well as assisting in remote management for the wider DC Ops staff in conjunction with the peer team lead. The Data Centre Team Leader assists with the planning and smooth implementation of the day-to-day activities for all DC Ops engineering works.

Working with the client, Service Delivery Manager and Data Centre Manager to improve the operational systems, processes, and procedures in support of enhanced service deliverables and management reporting.

What you’ll be doing as our Data Centre Team Leader

Below is a non-exhaustive list of key responsibilities of both the DC TL and Operations Engineers. The Team Leader’s role is to ensure these elements are conducted properly in accordance with the processes and procedures defined by the Client and to aid or perform the tasks where necessary.

Device provisioning and change execution

• Building equipment racks, copper & fibre patching, SFP module installations and complete hardware installations for new server deployments, ensuring adherence to documented procedures.
• Connectivity testing for all installations (end-device patching)
• Change record ownership for new installs and server move activities.
• Assist with all facets of build process including shipping and receiving, identification of incompatibility and work around solutions.
• Assisting in routine changes using the IDRAC / MGMT port for some changes (IP's, gateway, ports, etc.) and server relocations within and across the data centres
• Swap out small, racked network devices
• Decommissions & disposals:
• Approve change record for phase 1 (cool off) & 2 (physical) changes.
• Remove equipment to secure store area.
• Arrange and manage asset disposal process as documented in central system.

Break/ fix & monitoring

• Responding to break/fix incidents
• Assist in maintenance and monitoring of data centre systems to include incidents/events, problems, changes, monitoring, problem escalation/notification/resolution and all other aspects of support.
• Continual monitoring of data centre support queues and then troubleshooting and diagnosing hardware problems
• Performing daily date centre health checks
• Perform date centre walkthroughs verifying alerts for PDUs, HVACs and RPPs as well as for any server ambers lights and reporting any finds to technical support.
• Raise incident tickets, where applicable
• Records and reporting

Inventory of cabling materials for provision - reported to DC Manager

• Capacity reporting and available cab count.
• Inventory of data centre spares (memory, SFP, network cards etc) for hardware support and change works updated on central repository.
• IT asset management, to include database record entries and updates (ServiceNow)
• Raising asset lifecycle tickets for BAU installations/decommissions
• Schedule tape rotation process and managing delivery/collection of new/used tapes (liaising with Production support)

Third party chaperone

• Raising access via COLO portal
• Raising access requests and liaising with Security team with activate/deactivate access cards.
• Raising access, Smart hands, trouble tickets, delivery/collection requests via the COLO portal and tracking requests to completion.

What we’re looking for in our Data Centre Team Leader

Essential

• Relevant experience working in banking IT environment.
• Relevant experience working in a Data Centre Moves Adds and Changes environment (IT Hardware deployment).
• Extensive knowledge/ experience in structured cabling installation, fault finding and testing with fluke test equipment.
• Thorough knowledge of structured cabling standards and cable types (FTP,UTP & Optical Fibre)
• Excellent MS Office Suite experience (Outlook, Excel, Word etc)
• Self-starter, organised, detailed-oriented and ability to work independently as well as part of a team.
• Prioritisation skills and multitasking ability.
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Expert knowledge of Asset Management Systems
• Expert knowledge of Ticketing Systems
• Expert understanding of complex change management and service delivery processes.
• Ability to mentor and train new starters on all systems, processes, and procedures.
• Ability to approve / sign off training modules.
• Ability to lead / supervise shift activities.
• Ability to lead / supervise special projects from design through to handover.
• Experienced Service Delivery professional.
• Support in a large-scale and diverse environment of incident management, escalation procedures and
• project delivery disciplines.
• Supervisory of people and management skills.
• Experience of managing 3rd parties and 3rd party delivered services
• Satisfactory Skills Matrix score
• Be an ambassador for Onnec Group Managed Services, working across the business to provide effective
• communication and build relationships with other teams to ensure effective dialogue and cooperation
• between departments.
• COMPTIA Server+
• COMPTIA Network+

Preferred But Not Essential

• Previous training / qualifications within Information Technology field.
• BICSI Technician Training
• Certified Data Centre Technician Professional (CDCTP)
• Cisco Certified Network Associate - Data Center (CCNA DCICN DCICT)
• Certified Data Centre Management Professional (CDCMP)
• Information Technology Infrastructure Library - Foundation & Expert (ITIL)