Critical Infrastructure Manager – CM1119

R.W. Mercer Co.; Omaha (NE); Hybrid; USD 130,000 - 175,000; Full time

Job summary

R.W. Mercer Co. seeks a highly experienced Critical Infrastructure Manager (CM1119) to lead the operational performance, reliability, and strategic management of mission-critical infrastructure.

This full-time contract position ensures facilities, systems, equipment, and services operate safely, efficiently, and with minimal disruption. The successful candidate will guide planning, risk reduction, capacity management, emergency preparedness, and continuous improvement, coordinating internal

Qualifications

• 5 years of progressive experience managing critical infrastructure, data centers, or similar environments.
• Experience overseeing maintenance, reliability, and risk management.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day management and oversight of mission-critical infrastructure operations.
• Develop and implement strategies to improve availability, reliability, resilience, and efficiency.
• Manage preventive and corrective maintenance programs for critical equipment and systems.
• Oversee capacity planning and support modernization initiatives.
• Coordinate maintenance activities with internal teams and external vendors.
• Establish procedures, standards, escalation protocols, and performance expectations.
• Monitor infrastructure performance and respond to issues and disruptions.
• Lead incident investigations and preventive actions.
• Develop business continuity and disaster recovery plans.
• Identify operational risks and implement mitigation strategies.
• Manage relationships with contractors, suppliers, and service providers.
• Support budgets and resource planning for infrastructure.

Skills

Leadership

Team management

Analytical thinking

Communication

Problem solving

High-pressure operations

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related field

Tools

CMMS

Asset tracking system

Job description

We are seeking a highly experienced Critical Infrastructure Manager (CM1119) to lead the operational performance, reliability, and strategic management of mission-critical infrastructure. This full-time contract position is responsible for ensuring that essential facilities, systems, equipment, and services operate safely, efficiently, and with minimal disruption.

The ideal candidate will bring strong leadership experience in managing complex infrastructure environments and coordinating teams responsible for maintaining highly available, resilient operations. This individual will play a key role in infrastructure planning, risk reduction, capacity management, emergency preparedness, and continuous operational improvement.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day management and oversight of mission-critical infrastructure operations.
• Develop and implement operational strategies to improve infrastructure availability, reliability, resilience, and efficiency.
• Manage preventive and corrective maintenance programs for critical equipment and systems.
• Oversee infrastructure capacity planning and support expansion, upgrade, and modernization initiatives.
• Coordinate maintenance activities, inspections, repairs, and infrastructure improvement projects with internal teams and external vendors.
• Establish operational procedures, maintenance standards, escalation protocols, and performance expectations.
• Monitor critical infrastructure performance and respond to operational issues, incidents, and service disruptions.
• Lead incident investigations and root-cause analyses and implement corrective and preventive actions.
• Develop and maintain business continuity, disaster recovery, emergency response, and contingency plans.
• Identify operational risks and vulnerabilities and implement strategies to minimize potential disruptions.
• Manage relationships with contractors, suppliers, service providers, and other external partners.
• Support the development and management of infrastructure budgets, operating expenses, capital projects, and resource requirements.
• Track and report key performance indicators, maintenance activities, infrastructure availability, and operational risks.
• Ensure infrastructure operations comply with applicable safety standards, security requirements, policies, and regulatory obligations.
• Maintain accurate records of infrastructure assets, maintenance history, operating procedures, and technical documentation.
• Lead, mentor, and support infrastructure personnel while promoting a strong culture of accountability, safety, and continuous improvement.
• Partner with engineering, technology, facilities, security, and leadership teams to align infrastructure capabilities with organizational needs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Facilities Management, Operations, Information Technology, Infrastructure Management, or a related field.
• 5 years of progressive experience managing critical infrastructure, mission-critical facilities, data centers, industrial operations, utilities, or similar environments.
• Demonstrated experience overseeing infrastructure maintenance, reliability, operational readiness, and risk management.
• Strong knowledge of preventive maintenance, asset lifecycle management, incident response, and infrastructure resilience.
• Experience managing contractors, vendors, service agreements, and infrastructure-related budgets.
• Strong leadership and team management skills.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, organizational, and decision-making abilities.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and respond effectively in high-pressure operational environments.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to provide clear operational updates to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Familiarity with business continuity planning, disaster recovery, emergency preparedness, and operational risk management.
• Experience with infrastructure monitoring, maintenance management, asset tracking, or facilities management systems is preferred.
• Relevant certifications in project management, facilities management, business continuity, reliability, or infrastructure operations are a plus.

Compensation & Contract Details

• Annual Contract Rate: $130,000 — $175,000 per year, commensurate with experience, technical expertise, industry background, and scope of responsibility.
• Employment Type: Full-time Contract.
• Schedule: Approximately 40 hours per week, Monday through Friday. Flexibility and occasional after-hours availability may be required to support critical operations, planned maintenance, or emergency incidents.
• Contract Term: Initial contract assignment with the possibility of extension or renewal based on organizational needs and performance.
• Work Arrangement: On-site, hybrid, or partially remote depending on the nature of the infrastructure environment and operational requirements.
• Professional Development: Opportunities for technical training, industry certifications, and professional growth.
• Collaborative Environment: Work alongside engineering, operations, facilities, security, technology, and leadership teams on high-priority infrastructure initiatives.

Equal Opportunity Employer

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.