Data Center Facility Lead | Hybrid Role with Hands-On Ops

Cognizant; Wayzata (MN); Hybrid; USD 79,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance

Paid holidays plus PTO

401(k) plan

Long-term/Short-term Disability

Paid Parental Leave

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Job summary

Cognizant is seeking a DC Facility Lead in Wayzata, MN to manage daily data center operations, coordinate site execution, and ensure reliable installation, maintenance, and decommissioning services across locations.

You will lead rack-and-stack activities, hardware installation, decommissioning, and smart-hands support while partnering with engineering, operations, vendors, and facility providers. Strong ITIL and documentation skills are required.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience supporting enterprise data center operations, facility management, or infrastructure deployment environments.
• Strong experience with rack-and-stack activities, hardware installation, basic cabling, and hardware decommissioning.
• Experience providing smart-hands support for server, network, storage, and infrastructure teams.
• Experience with monitoring, reporting, asset tracking, work order management, and operational documentation.
• Understanding of data center operational procedures, physical security controls, and change management processes.
• Ability to work across geographically distributed teams, customers, vendors, and delivery partners.
• Strong communication, documentation, analytical, troubleshooting, and stakeholder management skills.
• Familiarity with ITIL-based service delivery, incident management, and operational support models.
• Ability to lift up to 40lbs. of hardware as required.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate daily site work, work orders, access requirements, maintenance windows, and technician assignments.
• Perform and validate rack-and-stack, device installation, basic cabling, labeling, and connectivity tasks.
• Lead hardware decommissioning, including verification, removal, records updates, and approved handoffs.
• Deliver smart-hands support for remote engineering and operations teams under documented instructions.
• Monitor local facility and equipment conditions and route alerts to resolver teams.
• Maintain work logs, installation records, asset updates, completion evidence, and status reports.
• Coordinate with internal teams, carriers, OEMs, facility providers, logistics partners, and vendors.
• Enforce site safety, physical security, change governance, and quality standards.

Skills

Rack-and-stack

Hardware installation

Hardware decommissioning

Smart-hands support

ITIL-based service delivery

Stakeholder management

Documentation

Analytical thinking

Job description

Cognizant is seeking a DC Facility Lead in Wayzata, MN to manage daily data center operations, coordinate site execution, and ensure reliable installation, maintenance, and decommissioning services across locations.

You will lead rack-and-stack activities, hardware installation, decommissioning, and smart-hands support while partnering with engineering, operations, vendors, and facility providers. Strong ITIL and documentation skills are required.