Senior Manager, Chief Engineer, NA

Vantage Data Centers; Phoenix (AZ); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

401k with company match

Paid time off

Job summary

Vantage Data Centers seeks a Senior Manager, Critical Facilities to oversee multiple data center campuses and ensure uninterrupted operation of critical infrastructure. You will lead a team of managers, engineers, and technicians, driving reliability, safety, and continuous improvement across our portfolio.

You will collaborate with Engineering, Security, and IT, align facility operations with business goals, and implement SOPs, MOPs, and EOPs while managing budgets and vendor relationships to

Qualifications

• 12+ years in mission-critical facilities (electrical, mechanical, or HVAC) with at least 5 years in a leadership role.
• Experience managing large teams across multiple sites or large facilities.
• Deep understanding of Tier III/IV data center infrastructure (UPS, generators, chillers, CRACs, BMS).
• Strong financial acumen with budgeting, capital planning, and cost management.
• Excellent communication and leadership for cross-functional and executive stakeholders.
• CMMS experience and data-driven maintenance approaches.
• Successful completion of background check and drug screen.
• Travel up to 5% may be required.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership of critical facility operations across one or more data center campuses.
• Ensure 24/7/365 readiness and system reliability with zero downtime.
• Lead and develop Managers, Chief Engineers, and Supervisors.
• Oversee preventive and corrective maintenance, commissioning, and emergency response planning.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders on business continuity, compliance, and sustainability goals.
• Drive operational excellence through data analysis and performance metrics.
• Manage vendor relationships, contracts, and SLAs for quality and cost-effectiveness.
• Develop and manage operating and capital budgets, including forecasting and procurement.
• Ensure compliance with OSHA, EPA and safety standards.
• Lead incident response and root cause analysis for critical events.
• Oversee SOPs, MOPs, and EOPs across all sites.
• Represent facilities in executive meetings, audits, and strategic planning.
• Perform additional duties as assigned.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Data analysis

Budgeting / financial acumen

Communication

Technical writing

Team management

CMMS experience

Tools

CMMS platforms

BMS

Job description

About Vantage Data Centers

Vantage Data Centers powers, cools, protects and connects the technology of the world's well-known hyperscalers, cloud providers and large enterprises. Developing and operating across North America, EMEA and Asia Pacific, Vantage has evolved data center design in innovative ways to deliver dramatic gains in reliability, efficiency and sustainability in flexible environments that can scale as quickly as the market demands.

Site Operations Department

The Site Operations Department is responsible for the overall health of all mechanical and electrical systems, building maintenance, and performance of all data modules in our data centers. The team is staffed 24 x 7 onsite with Critical Facility Engineers (CFEs) on each shift. This team is the face of Vantage to our customers and the first line of defense regarding the uptime of our campus as well as the performance of our customer installations.

Using a Critical Maintenance Management System (CMMS) to plan and track work needed, the Site Operations department performs all preventative and corrective maintenance. Our culture expects and rewards team performance that engages directly with the customers and the facility infrastructure. This is a team that does most of the actual work versus calling upon vendors. As a result, we provide superior service that is faster and more cost effective.

Position Overview

Senior Manager, Critical Facilities will be responsible for the strategic oversight and operational excellence of multiple data center campuses or a large-scale Tier III facility. This role ensures the continuous, uninterrupted operation of all critical infrastructure and leads a team of managers, engineers, and technicians in delivering best-in-class service, reliability, and safety. The Senior Manager will report to the Director of Operations and collaborate closely with Engineering, Security, and IT teams to align facility operations with business goals. This position is ideal for a seasoned leader with deep technical expertise and a proven track record in managing mission‑critical environments. We are looking for a Senior Manager, Critical Facilities | Strategic Operations Leader who can drive performance, lead cross‑functional initiatives, and elevate the standards of operational reliability across our data center portfolio.

Essential Job Functions

• Provide strategic leadership and oversight of critical facility operations across one or more data center campuses
• Ensure 24/7/365 operational readiness and system reliability, with a focus on zero downtime
• Lead and develop a team of Managers, Chief Engineers, and Supervisors, fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement
• Oversee all aspects of preventive and corrective maintenance, commissioning, and emergency response planning
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to align facility operations with business continuity, compliance, and sustainability goals
• Drive operational excellence through data analysis, performance metrics, and continuous improvement initiatives
• Manage vendor relationships, contracts, and service level agreements to ensure quality and cost-effectiveness
• Develop and manage operating and capital budgets, including forecasting, procurement, and cost control
• Ensure compliance with all regulatory, environmental, and safety standards, including OSHA and EPA guidelines
• Lead incident response and root cause analysis for critical events, ensuring timely resolution and documentation
• Oversee the development and implementation of SOPs, MOPs, and EOPs across all sites
• Represent facilities operations in executive-level meetings, audits, and strategic planning sessions
• Perform additional duties as assigned by Management

Job Requirements

• Minimum 12 years of experience in mission‑critical facilities (electrical, mechanical, or HVAC), with at least 5 years in a leadership role
• Proven experience managing large teams and complex operations across multiple sites or large‑scale facilities
• Deep understanding of Tier III/IV data center infrastructure, including UPS systems, generators, chillers, CRACs, BMS, and electrical distribution
• Strong financial acumen with experience in budget development, capital planning, and cost management
• Exceptional communication and leadership skills, with the ability to influence cross‑functional teams and executive stakeholders
• Advanced technical writing skills and experience developing operational documentation and training programs
• Experience with CMMS platforms and data-driven maintenance strategies
• Must successfully complete a background check and drug screen
• Travel may be required up to 5%, including site visits, audits, and leadership meetings but may increase as the business evolves

Physical Demands and Special Requirements

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Ability to stand 1/3 - 2/3 of the time
• Ability to walk 1/3 - 2/3 of the time
• Ability to sit 1/3 - 2/3 of the time
• Ability to climb and balance 1/3 - 2/3 of the time
• Ability to stoop, kneel, crouch and crawl 1/3 - 2/3 of the time
• Ability to reach with hands & arms 1/3 - 2/3 of the time
• Ability to smell, talk & hear
• Ability to use hands to type, handle & feel
• Ability to reach with hands and arms
• Ability to see at close and distance ranges and the ability to see color
• Must be comfortable working in a high stress, fast paced environment with shifting priorities
• Must be willing to work outside normal business hours, including weekends, late nights, holidays, and on‑call support
• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds 1/3 of the time

Additional Details

• This position is eligible for company benefits including but not limited to medical, dental, and vision coverage, life and AD&D, short and long-term disability coverage, paid time off, employee assistance, participation in a 401k program that includes company match, and many other additional voluntary benefits.
• Compensation for the role will depend on a number of factors, including your qualifications, skills, competencies, and experience and may fall outside of the range shown.

Vantage Data Centers is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Vantage Data Centers does not accept unsolicited resumes from search firm agencies. Fees will not be paid in the event a candidate submitted by a recruiter without an agreement in place is hired; such resumes will be deemed the sole property of Vantage Data Centers.