Area Lead, Data Center Operations, Third-Party Data Center

Google; Aurora (IL); On-site; USD 205,000 - 286,000; Full time

Job summary

Google is seeking an Area Lead, Data Center Operations, Third-Party Data Center to lead a high-performing team across North and South America, ensuring operational excellence in third-party facilities. You will collaborate with Google Data Center Engineering, Field Services and Network Infrastructure while upholding design standards and project schedules.

The role emphasizes reliability, safety, cost optimization, and cross-functional influence, with responsibilities spanning budget

Qualifications

• Associate's degree, trade school certification, or other certified training in Industrial Engineering, Electrical or Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Management, Reliability Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
• 12 years of experience in electrical, mechanical/HVAC, or controls experience in an industrial/commercial environment.
• 3 years of experience in developing and managing managers.

Responsibilities

• Lead and empower a team of Technical Operations Managers across North and South America with full tactical accountability for Third-Party Data Center (3PDC) facility operations, ensuring compliance with Google design standards and project schedules.
• Provide direct oversight to 3PDC operations providers, auditing compliance and monitoring critical systems to minimize risk, ensure rapid excursion response, and maintain equipment to global standards.
• Conduct operational assessments, risk analysis, and site selection evaluations—applying deep technical domain knowledge to influence next-generation data center designs and optimize future infrastructure.
• Act as the primary operational partner for key stakeholders, driving alignment, transparent communication, and continuous improvement across facility and maintenance programs globally.
• Oversee technical leads in executing critical maintenance and repairs while driving regional strategies to minimize operational costs, maximize efficiency, and reduce environmental impact.

Education

Associate's degree in Industrial Engineering or related field

Trade school certification or equivalent training in Industrial, Electrical or Mechanical Engineering

Job description

Area Lead, Data Center Operations, Third-Party Data Center

Advanced

Experience owning outcomes and decision making, solving ambiguous problems and influencing stakeholders; deep expertise in domain.

This role is not eligible for U.S. immigration sponsorship.Note: By applying to this position you will have an opportunity to share your preferred working location from the following: Aurora, IL, USA; Michigan City, IN, USA.

Minimum qualifications:

• Associate's degree, trade school certification, or other certified training in Industrial Engineering, Electrical or Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Management, Reliability Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
• 12 years of experience in electrical, mechanical/HVAC, or controls experience in an industrial/commercial environment.
• 3 years of experience in developing and managing managers.

Preferred qualifications:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Industrial, Electrical, or Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Management, Reliability Engineering, a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Experience with Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM) and applying predictive engineering principles across mission-critical facilities.
• Experience managing compliance programs and driving continuous improvement in facility, safety, and operational standards across third-party colocation environments.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze operational metrics, build data-driven resource requirement forecasts, and optimize multi-site facility budgets.
• Proven track record of communicating complex technical concepts, risk analyses, and directions effectively with cross-functional leaders and executives.

About the job

The Data Center team designs and operates some of the most sophisticated electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and HVAC systems in the world. Facility Technicians at Google data centers operate, monitor and support physical facilities conditions. Some duties will include heating and cooling of air and water, power supply, generators, UPS systems, electrical distribution and control and monitoring systems. You regularly help inspect, maintain and repair various data center systems such as piping and non-critical electrical or mechanical system components). You'll provide daily assistance to senior technicians as you read blueprints/schematics, conduct tours of systems and assess their working order.

You will develop creative approaches to reducing operational costs while improving overall data center efficiency. You ensure that environmental and safety standards are consistently met, identifying problems and making repairs quickly In emergency situations or abnormal conditions, you manage data center performance issues and outages to minimize the recovery time from failures.

As a Third-Party Data Center (3PDC) Area Lead, you will lead and empower a high-performing team deeply integrated into every facet of our colocation operations—encompassing electrical, cooling, and Information Technology (IT) infrastructure.

Serving as a critical bridge between internal teams—including Google Data Center Engineering, Engineering Field Services, and Network Infrastructure—and external vendor partners, you will advocate operational standards across all third-party facilities. In this leadership role, you will act as the unified operations organization, driving Operability, Maintainability, and Reliability as foundational criteria to protect, sustain, and scale Google’s mission-critical global assets.

The Data Center team designs and operates some of the most sophisticated electrical and HVAC systems in the world. We are an upbeat, creative, team-oriented group of engineers committed to building and operating powerful data centers.

Individual pay is determined by factors including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

US: $205000 - $286000 (USD) + 25% bonus target + equity + benefits

Learn more about benefits at Google.

Responsibilities

• Lead and empower a team of Technical Operations Managers across North and South America with full tactical accountability for Third-Party Data Center (3PDC) facility operations, ensuring compliance with Google design standards and project schedules.
• Provide direct oversight to 3PDC operations providers, auditing compliance and monitoring critical systems to minimize risk, ensure rapid excursion response, and maintain equipment to global standards.
• Conduct operational assessments, risk analysis, and site selection evaluations—applying deep technical domain knowledge to influence next-generation data center designs and optimize future infrastructure.
• Act as the primary operational partner for key stakeholders, driving alignment, transparent communication, and continuous improvement across facility and maintenance programs globally.
• Oversee technical leads in executing critical maintenance and repairs while driving regional strategies to minimize operational costs, maximize efficiency, and reduce environmental impact.

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