Lead, Data Center Infrastructure & Reliability

digitalocean98; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 260,000 - 320,000; Full time

Job summary

DigitalOcean seeks a Senior Manager of Physical Infrastructure Engineering to lead electrical, mechanical, controls/automation, and data center engineering teams. You will define standards for AI/GPU facilities, oversee lifecycle from design to deployment, and ensure reliability across DigitalOcean's global footprint.

You will drive due diligence for new sites, manage OEM relationships, and champion root-cause corrective actions with clear governance and sign-off. 20–30% travel expected.

Qualifications

• BS in Electrical, Mechanical, Chemical, or related Engineering discipline, or equivalent practical experience.
• 10+ years in mission-critical engineering, including direct experience with data center infrastructure.
• 5+ years leading engineering teams, including hiring, developing, and retaining senior technical talent.
• 5+ years experience managing outsourced engineering teams.
• Deep hands-on experience with liquid cooling systems (CDUs, secondary loop design, leak detection), UPS, generators, switchgear, and controls/automation platforms.

Responsibilities

• Lead and grow a multidisciplinary team covering electrical, mechanical, controls/automation, and data center infrastructure engineering and construction.
• Develop and own engineering standards and specifications for AI/GPU data centers, including liquid cooling, power distribution, and controls/automation.
• Serve as the technical authority and final engineering escalation point for infrastructure issues that Site Operations and Design & Deployment cannot resolve at their level.
• Provide engineering due diligence on new colocation and build-to-suit facilities before signing - power capacity, cooling topology, electrical infrastructure condition, and expansion feasibility.
• Own vendor and OEM infrastructure engineering relationships - drive root-cause engagements when infrastructure fails, and hold vendors accountable for design defects.
• Lead or sponsor root-cause analysis for infrastructure-driven incidents, and own the resulting engineering corrective actions through to verified completion.
• Own infrastructure specifications, technical documentation, and change governance - nothing changes at the infrastructure layer without engineering sign-off.
• Build and maintain an audit process for reviewing existing sites against current engineering standards, and prioritize remediation of out-of-compliance assets.
• Travel: 20-30% for new-site due diligence, commissioning support, and vendor/OEM engineering reviews.

Skills

Leadership

Data center engineering

Vendor management

Cross-functional collaboration

Engineering judgments

Education

BS in Electrical/Mechanical/Chemical Engineering or equivalent

Tools

Liquid cooling systems

CDUs

UPS

Generators

Switchgear

Controls/automation platforms

Job description

DigitalOcean seeks a Senior Manager of Physical Infrastructure Engineering to lead electrical, mechanical, controls/automation, and data center engineering teams. You will define standards for AI/GPU facilities, oversee lifecycle from design to deployment, and ensure reliability across DigitalOcean's global footprint.

You will drive due diligence for new sites, manage OEM relationships, and champion root-cause corrective actions with clear governance and sign-off. 20–30% travel expected.