Senior Data Center Operations Engineer

Colovore; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Comprehensive health benefits

Unlimited PTO

10 paid company holidays

401(k) plan

Professional development opportunities

Collaborative, inclusive culture

Job summary

Colovore is seeking a Senior Engineer, Data Center Operations in Chicago to lead site-level operations in a high-density, mission-critical setting. You will blend hands-on technical work with leadership in preventative maintenance, customer service, and system optimization to ensure uptime and efficiency.

You will mentor junior staff, drive continuous improvements, and interface with strategic customers while coordinating with facilities, engineering, and customer success teams.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in data center or mission-critical facility operations.
• Hands-on experience with power, cooling and IT infra in high-density environments.
• Experience leading incident resolution and high-pressure decisions.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day operational support, including equipment installation and site rounds.
• Oversee preventative maintenance cycles and maintain audit readiness.
• Manage incidents and escalations; act as decision-maker during outages.

Skills

Data center ops

Incident management

BMS monitoring

Preventative maintenance

Customer service

Tools

BMS

CMMS

Monitoring tools

Job description

About the Organization

Colovore is the leader in ultra-high-density, liquid-cooled AI colocation data centers for the deployment of AI inference, SuperPod, and AI factory applications and solutions. With facilities featuring power densities of 17-500+ kilowatts per cabinet, we are expanding quickly and building a national footprint of modern, hyper-efficient, high-density data centers to serve F500 enterprises and startups. The company was acquired by King Street in 2024, who provides real estate development expertise and secured $925 million funding to accelerate its national expansion. Join our team and play a critical role as we scale for rapid growth. You can be a game-changer at Colovore.

Role Overview

We’re seeking a Senior Engineer, Data Center Operations to lead site-level operations in a high-density, mission-critical environment. This role blends hands-on technical work with leadership in preventative maintenance, customer service, and systems optimization. The Senior Engineer ensures uptime, efficiency, and compliance while mentoring junior staff and driving continuous improvements across facilities and IT operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day operational support, including equipment installation, cabling, and facility rounds.
• Oversee preventative maintenance cycles and ensure compliance with operational standards and audit requirements.
• Manage and resolve escalations during incidents; act as decision-maker in high-pressure situations.
• Operate and optimize Building Management Systems (BMS), Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS), and ticketing systems.
• Configure, monitor, and tune infrastructure systems to improve reliability and efficiency.
• Mentor and train junior operations staff; ensure proper documentation and SOP adherence.
• Interface with strategic customers, providing remote hands support, escalation management, and service recovery.
• Partner with facilities, engineering, and customer success teams to align on operational needs and improvements.
• Maintain accurate records, logs, and reports for compliance, audits, and performance reviews.
• Support capacity planning and operational readiness for new deployments.

Key Skills

Technical Mastery of Mission-Critical Infrastructure

• Deep understanding of electrical, mechanical, and IT infrastructure systems (power distribution, cooling, cabling, server hardware)
• Ability to diagnose, troubleshoot, and resolve complex infrastructure issues under time-sensitive conditions
• Skilled in operating and interpreting data from BMS, CMMS, ticketing, and monitoring tools

Operational Excellence & Preventative Maintenance

• Strong command of SOPs, MOPs, and EOPs with a disciplined approach to execution
• Expertise in designing, managing, and improving preventative maintenance programs
• Detail-oriented mindset for inspections, documentation, compliance, and audit readiness

Incident Leadership & Decision-Making

• Ability to remain calm, clear-thinking, and decisive during outages or operational escalations
• Strong situational awareness and risk assessment capabilities to drive safe, effective resolutions
• Experience coordinating stakeholders and communicating clearly during high-pressure events

Systems Optimization & Continuous Improvement

• Analytical approach to tuning and optimizing power, cooling, and monitoring systems for high-density environments
• Ability to identify inefficiencies, propose improvements, and drive implementation across teams
• Comfortable working with data to inform operational decisions and capacity planning

Customer Service & Communication

• Professional, customer-oriented approach when supporting remote hands, escalations, or service recovery
• Clear written and verbal communication skills, able to translate technical updates for both technical and non-technical audiences
• Skilled at balancing customer needs with site-level operational priorities

Leadership & Team Development

• Experience training and mentoring junior technicians, with an emphasis on safety, accuracy, and professional growth
• Ability to model operational discipline, set expectations, and ensure adherence to processes
• Strong collaborator who works well across facilities, engineering, and customer-facing teams

Required Experience

• 5+ years of data center or mission-critical facility operations experience, with a strong focus on hands-on field work.
• Proven expertise with power, cooling, and IT infrastructure systems in high-density environments.
• Hands-on experience with BMS, CMMS, ticketing, and monitoring tools.
• Demonstrated ability to lead incident resolution and high-pressure operational decisions.
• Prior experience mentoring or leading junior technicians preferred.

What Success Looks Like

• Zero downtime achieved through proactive monitoring, preventative maintenance, and effective incident management.
• Smooth customer experience with quick, accurate, and professional handling of remote hands requests and escalations.
• High-performing systems with optimized power, cooling, and monitoring configurations that support dense AI/HPC workloads.
• Well-trained team of operations staff that follows SOPs, executes work efficiently, and grows under mentorship.
• Accurate, compliant documentation that meets audit requirements and provides transparency for leadership and customers.
• Continuous improvements implemented in workflows, safety, and operational efficiency to scale with business growth.

Why You’ll Love Working at Colovore

• Competitive compensation with opportunities for growth and advancement
• Comprehensive health benefits (medical, dental, and vision)
• Unlimited Paid Time Off (PTO) to support flexibility, rest, and work-life balance
• 10 paid company holidays and paid sick leave
• 401(k) plan with company participation
• Professional development opportunities and learning support
• Collaborative, inclusive culture where your work makes a real impact

If you’re excited to build meaningful infrastructure, solve complex challenges, and grow with a team that values both performance and people, we’d love to hear from you.