Director – Data Center Power Infrastructure O&M

SB Energy; Redwood City (CA); On-site; USD 190,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental & Vision

401(k) with company match

Paid time off & holidays

Job summary

SB Energy, a SoftBank & Ares-backed leader in data center power infrastructure, seeks a Director to lead HV O&M across multiple sites. You will drive reliability, uptime, safety, and cost efficiency while partnering with finance, procurement, and engineering teams.

The role demands deep HV expertise, strong leadership, and a track record in mission-critical facilities, with domestic travel up to 20% as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or related field.
• Minimum 10 years in industrial/power infrastructure environments.
• 7+ years in high-voltage system management and data center power operations.
• 3+ years of people leadership and stakeholder management.

Responsibilities

• Lead HV power O&M for data center assets across sites.
• Own reliability, uptime, and performance objectives.
• Develop preventive and predictive maintenance programs.
• Manage budgets, contracts, and vendor performance.
• Ensure safety, compliance, and incident response readiness.

Skills

HV systems

Substations

Maintenance planning

Reliability analysis

SCADA

Budget management

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

SCADA Systems

Power transformers

Job description

Title : Director – Data Center Power Infrastructure Operations & Maintenance (O&M)

Basic Function:

Do you want to work with high-caliber professionals in a dynamic and growing company? Are you entrepreneurial, hard-working, and collegial? Join us at SB Energy, a leading infrastructure company backed by SoftBank Group and Ares Infrastructure, pairing cutting-edge innovation with best-in-class execution. Our mission is to deliver reliable and secure data center and power infrastructure to strengthen America's future.

Founded in 2019, SB Energy is a SoftBank Group company headquartered in Redwood City, California. In 2026, SoftBank Group and OpenAI announced a $1 billion investment to support SB Energy as their leading development and execution partner for data center campuses, while Ares Infrastructure continues its long-standing support of the company's growth. SB Energy develops, builds, owns, and operates some of the largest and most technically advanced energy and data center infrastructure projects in the United States. Since its founding, the company has rapidly grown into a top-tier integrated platform with more than 3 gigawatts (GW) in operation and a multi-GW pipeline of energy and data center infrastructure nationwide.

SB Energy also leverages a strong culture of innovation to identify and integrate new technologies into its projects, including its AI-based digital platform, delivering energy infrastructure that is local, reliable, and matched to load. We are building the energy and infrastructure future—today.

Come join us in accelerating the energy and infrastructure transition!

The Director – Data Center Power Infrastructure Operations & Maintenance (O&M) provides leadership for operations, maintenance, reliability, for the HV portion of the SB Energy's data center electrical infrastructure portfolio.

This role will be responsible for ensuring the reliability, availability, efficiency, safety, and commercial performance of electrical infrastructure supporting the data center building. The scope will include utility interconnections, substations, high-voltage distribution systems, backup power systems, and critical electrical assets outside the DC facility.

The successful candidate will serve as the leader and owner of the power infrastructure portfolio, driving performance optimization, asset reliability, budget accountability, contractor management, compliance, and reliability and uptime of the system. The ideal candidate combines deep expertise in high-voltage electrical infrastructure and mission-critical operations with strong business acumen and stakeholder management capabilities.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Operational Leadership

• Lead the OM and operational performance of data center HV power infrastructure (substations and transmission lines) assets across multiple sites.
• Own reliability, availability, capacity, and performance objectives for the electrical infrastructure portfolio.
• Develop and execute strategies to maximize uptime, resiliency, and lifecycle value of critical assets.
• Ensure continuous operation of utility substations, switchyards, transformers, switchgear, UPS systems, generators, and medium/high-voltage distribution networks.
• Drive operational excellence and continuous improvement initiatives across all facilities.
• Establish and monitor operational KPIs, including:
• Power Availability
• Electrical Reliability
• MTBF/MTTR
• Capacity Utilization
• Energy Efficiency
• SLA Compliance
• Lead root cause analysis for major incidents and implement corrective actions.
• Develop and implement proactive predictive maintenance programs using condition monitoring, asset health analytics, and failure forecasting to identify potential equipment issues before they occur, minimizing operational risk.
• Develop and manage critical spare parts strategies to optimize inventory levels, minimize MTTR (Mean Time to Repair), reduce outage duration, and consistently meet customer availability and uptime requirements.

Best Practices

• Follow manufacturer specifications and NETA standards.
• Integrate condition monitoring (infrared, vibration, oil analysis) for predictive maintenance.
• Maintain records of all tests, inspections, and repairs for compliance and asset management.
• Ensure safety protocols for high-voltage work, including lockout/tagout and PPE.

High Voltage & Substation Management

• Oversee operation and maintenance of substations up to transmission-level voltages.
• Ensure compliance with utility requirements, interconnection agreements, and electrical standards.
• Manage inspection, testing, and maintenance programs for:
• Power Transformers
• GIS/AIS Switchgear
• Protective Relaying Systems
• Circuit Breakers and switches
• Bus Systems
• SCADA Networks
• Power Quality Equipment
• Ensure proper execution of switching procedures, outage planning, and energization activities.
• Support commissioning and acceptance testing of new substations and electrical infrastructure projects.
• Drive initiatives to improve system reliability and reduce operational risk.
• Own annual operating budgets and long-range business plans for power infrastructure assets.
• Monitor operating expenditures and identify opportunities for cost optimization.
• Develop business cases and ROI analyses for capital improvement projects.
• Manage forecasting and lifecycle replacement planning of critical electrical equipment.
• Support asset valuation, portfolio planning, acquisitions, divestitures, and expansion initiatives.
• Partner with finance, procurement, and accounting teams to achieve financial targets.
• Serve as the primary interface for:
• Electrical O&M Providers
• EPC Contractors
• Utility Companies
• OEMs
• Manage contract performance, service-level compliance, and commercial negotiations.
• Ensure preventive and predictive maintenance activities are executed according to established schedules.
• Track and manage warranty claims, service agreements, and corrective action programs.
• Oversee all non-contracted services including vegetation management, infrastructure repairs, and emergency response activities.

Reliability & Critical Facility Operations

• Ensure all facilities meet targeted uptime objectives and service level commitments.
• Develop reliability-centered maintenance (RCM), predictive maintenance and condition-based maintenance strategies.
• Monitor electrical system health through SCADA, BMS, EMS, and monitoring platforms.
• Evaluate equipment performance trends and identify potential risks before failure occurs.
• Lead emergency response planning and incident management programs.
• Drive implementation of predictive analytics and digital monitoring tools.
• Establish asset lifecycle management strategies, including health indexing, remaining useful life (RUL) assessments, refurbishment planning, and end-of-life replacement roadmaps for critical electrical infrastructure.
• Lead reliability data analysis and continuous improvement initiatives by tracking equipment performance, failure trends, KPIs, and lessons learned to improve fleet reliability, reduce forced outages, and optimize maintenance practices.

Stakeholder Management

• Have strong sense and ownership of meeting and exceeding customer requirements
• Interface with leadership, investors, customers, utility partners, regulators, and external stakeholders.
• Present operational performance, risks, financial results, and improvement initiatives to senior management.
• Support customer audits, utility inspections, regulatory reviews, and due diligence activities.
• Act as the primary operational representative for site visits and strategic reviews.

Safety & Compliance

• Champion a strong safety culture across all sites and contractors.
• Ensure compliance with:
• OSHA Standards
• NFPA 70E
• NERC Requirements (where applicable)
• NEC Standards
• Utility Safety Procedures
• Environmental Regulations
• Lead electrical safety programs including:
• Lockout/Tagout (LOTO)
• Energized Work Procedures
• Switching Authority Programs
• Conduct regular audits and assessments to ensure operational compliance.
• Lead and develop a team of engineers, technicians, and operational staff.
• Build organizational capability and technical expertise in high-voltage operations.
• Establish succession planning, training programs, and performance management processes.
• Mentor future leaders while fostering a culture of accountability and operational excellence.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, Power Engineering, Engineering Technology, or related technical discipline.
• Master's Degree preferred.
• Professional certifications such as PE (Professional Engineer), PMP, NETA, Data Center Certifications & Certified Energy Manager (CEM), NERC Certifications (preferred)
• Minimum 10 years of experience in industrial, utility, mission-critical, or power infrastructure environments.
• Minimum 7 years of experience managing high-voltage electrical systems, substations, transmission/distribution assets, or data center power operations.
• Minimum 3 years of people leadership experience.
• Experience supporting hyperscale, colocation, enterprise data center, utility, or mission-critical facilities preferred.
• Strong knowledge of:
• High Voltage (HV) and Medium Voltage (MV) systems
• Utility Interconnections
• Substation Operations
• Protection & Control Systems
• SCADA Systems
• Power Transformers
• Switchgear and Relay Coordination
• Generator and UPS Systems
• Data Center Electrical Architecture
• Ability to read and interpret:
• Single-Line Diagrams
• Three-Line Diagrams
• Protection Schematics
• Control Logic Drawings
• Experience with power system analysis, troubleshooting, and reliability engineering.
• Working knowledge of:
• NEC
• IEEE Standards
• NFPA 70E
• NETA Standards
• Utility Operating Practices
• Strong commercial mindset with business ownership mentality.
• Exceptional organizational and prioritization skills.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Proven ability to influence cross-functional teams and external partners.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Ability to lead during critical incidents and high-pressure environments.

The position requires up to 20% domestic travel.

Base Pay - $190,000-$200,000

The pay range mentioned above is a guideline. We tailor each offer based on your unique skills, experience, location, and market benchmarks—while ensuring internal parity across our teams. The compensation range provided reflects base pay. Total rewards may also include performance-based bonuses, equity grants, and a market leading comprehensive health and wellness benefits package. Final details will be discussed during the later stages of the hiring process.

At SB Energy, we invest in our people and their families with benefits designed for flexibility, support, and peace of mind. Full-time employees enjoy:

• 100% Company-Paid Medical, Dental & Vision (for employees and dependents)
• 401(k) with Company Match
• Generous Paid Time Off + 11 Paid Holidays
• 12 Weeks Paid Parental Leave
• Life, AD&D & Long-Term Disability Coverage
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) for Medical, Dependent Care, Transit & Parking (with company contributions)
• Mental, Physical & Social Wellness Support (with company contributions)
• Flexible Work Arrangements & Hybrid Office Setup Benefits
• Monthly Reimbursement for Phone, Internet & Data
• Optional Legal & Pet Insurance Plans
• Device Purchase Support

At SB Energy, the success of our projects is driven by a desire to see our projects benefit as many people as possible. We work to serve local communities through volunteering, fundraising, and much more. For example, we’re proud to support access and opportunity in engineering and clean energy through impactful mentorship programs and workforce training. When you join SB Energy, you can become a part of these efforts, collaborating with team members who share a vision of building a better future now!

SB Energy is built on a foundation of collaboration and inclusion. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, sex, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, citizenship, or any other legally protected class.

To learn more about us, visit www.sbenergy.com.