Operations Manager

HCLTech; Cary (NC); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Dental benefits

Vision benefits

401(k) plan

Paid time off

Paid holidays

Employee assistance program

Job summary

HCLTech is seeking an Operations Manager to oversee day-to-day governance, performance, and operational excellence across a regional portfolio of data center deployment sites in Meta's backbone infrastructure. You will ensure SLA compliance and lead L3 Site Leads, acting as frontline escalation for operational issues.

The role is leadership- and governance-focused; it does not perform direct project execution.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of operations management in data centers or critical infrastructure.
• Proven ability to manage frontline supervisors rather than individual contributors.
• Direct experience with SLA-driven service delivery.
• Strong workforce planning and resource optimization skills.
• Experience with escalation management and stakeholder communication.

Responsibilities

• Own SLA performance for assigned sites; monitor progress against targets.
• Directly manage L3 Site Leads with coaching and performance reviews.
• Coordinate staffing, PTO, travel logistics, and compliance training.
• Ensure data integrity in deployment tracking systems and governance meetings.
• Escalate blockers and prioritize resource needs across regions.

Skills

SLA management

Frontline leadership

Operations governance

Workforce planning

Performance management

Cross-site coordination

Job description

The Operations Manager is responsible for the day-to-day governance, performance management, and operational excellence of a regional portfolio of data center deployment sites within Meta's backbone and optical network infrastructure. This role ensures Service Level Agreement (SLA) compliance, drives workforce accountability through L3 Site Leads, and serves as the frontline escalation point for operational issues across assigned sites. This is a management and governance role — the OM does not perform project management or direct execution work. The OM ensures their sites are staffed, performing, and meeting commitments.

Responsibilities

SLA Accountability & Performance

• Own SLA performance for all assigned sites; monitor daily progress against targets (Transponder, Terminal, Migration, Cross-Connect timelines)
• Identify at-risk workstreams early and drive corrective action through L3s
• Conduct root-cause analysis on SLA misses; implement and track corrective actions
• Ensure Right-First-Time-Fix (RTFT) standards are maintained across the region

People Management & Development

• Directly manage L3 Site Leads; conduct regular 1:1s, coaching sessions, and performance reviews
• Set clear expectations for L3 accountability (execution quality, team leadership, safety)
• Own first-line performance management: coaching plans, documented feedback, escalation of HR matters
• Support level advancement decisions — provide performance data and readiness assessments to Service Delivery Manager
• Ensure L3s stay in execution mode and are properly supported by Deployment Project Managers
• Serve as the primary escalation point for L3s on operational blockers, prioritization conflicts, and cross-site resource needs
• Make prioritization decisions within established guidelines; elevate to Service Delivery Manager when conflicts affect multiple regions or SLA risk is systemic
• Route client-facing escalations, overtime approvals, and headcount/commercial issues to Service Delivery Manager

Workforce & Staffing Governance

• Monitor staffing levels against demand; flag gaps or surpluses to Service Delivery Manager
• Approve timesheets via L3 delegation; ensure accuracy and compliance
• Coordinate with Back-end PM on PTO coverage, travel logistics, and compliance training status
• Participate in hiring decisions for L3s and technicians within region

Operational Governance

• Enforce SOW scope boundaries — ensure team does not absorb out-of-scope work without proper escalation
• Ensure data integrity in operational and deployment tracking systems
• Participate in weekly team syncs, daily standups, and governance meetings
• Identify process improvement opportunities; propose changes through proper channels

Safety

• Ensure all sites maintain zero-incident safety records
• Reinforce safety protocols and compliance through L3s
• Immediately elevate any safety incidents or near-misses

Qualifications

Required

• 5+ years of operations management experience in data center, telecommunications, or critical infrastructure environments
• Proven track record managing frontline supervisors/leads (not just individual contributors)
• Direct experience with SLA-driven service delivery models
• Strong understanding of workforce planning, scheduling, and resource optimization
• Demonstrated ability to manage performance — coaching, documentation, accountability
• Comfortable operating across multiple geographically distributed sites
• Experience with escalation management and stakeholder communication

Preferred

• Experience in fiber/optical network deployment or backbone infrastructure
• Familiarity with Meta data center operations or similar hyperscale environments
• Experience in environments with 50+ technician headcount

Disclaimer

HCL is an equal opportunity employer, committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees regardless of race, religion, sex, color, age, national origin, pregnancy, sexual orientation, physical disability or genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other protected classification, in accordance with federal, state, and/or local law. Should any applicant have concerns about discrimination in the hiring process, they should provide a detailed report of those concerns to [e-mail] for investigation.

Compensation and Benefits

A candidate’s pay within the range will depend on their skills, experience, education, and other factors permitted by law. This role may also be eligible for performance-based bonuses subject to company policies. In addition, this role is eligible for the following benefits subject to company policies: medical, dental, vision, pharmacy, life, accidental death & dismemberment, and disability insurance; employee assistance program; 401(k) retirement plan; 10 days of paid time off per year (some positions are eligible for need-based leave with no designated number of leave days per year); and 10 paid holidays per year

• medical, dental, vision, pharmacy, life, accidental death & dismemberment, and disability insurance
• employee assistance program
• 401(k) retirement plan
• 10 days of paid time off per year (some positions are eligible for need-based leave with no designated number of leave days per year)
• 10 paid holidays per year