Data Center Site Manager - Pittsburgh

Quake AI is seeking a Data Center Site Manager to lead the launch and ongoing operations of its Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania AI data center. This role will oversee a new, purpose-built facility designed to support high-density AI and HPC workloads, including liquid-cooled GPU infrastructure. The Pittsburgh facility is approximately 41,367 square feet with 4MW of power capacity and will serve as a key Quake AI site for demonstrating the Company’s capabilities in the United States.

This is a hands-on operational leadership role spanning construction turnover, commissioning, operational readiness, and steady-state 24/7 critical-facility operations. You will build and lead the on-site operations team, establish foundational processes and procedures, oversee critical electrical and mechanical infrastructure, manage vendors and contractors, and ensure the site is ready to provide reliable, high-quality service to customers. Over time, this role may also take on leadership responsibility for a portfolio of colocation data centers.

The ideal candidate brings strong mission-critical facilities experience, demonstrated team leadership, and the ability to operate effectively in a new-site environment. You should be comfortable managing site operations across technical, people, vendor, safety, customer, and project dimensions while maintaining a disciplined focus on uptime, incident prevention, and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

Lead all aspects of on-site data center operations for the Pittsburgh facility, including personnel, critical infrastructure, equipment, physical security, safety, vendor performance, customer coordination, and local utility relationships. Build, hire, develop, and manage a high-performing team of operations, electrical, and mechanical technicians. Establish staffing models, operating rhythms, training programs, performance expectations, and development pathways that support safe and reliable 24/7 critical-facility operations.

Support the transition of the facility from construction and commissioning into steady-state operations, ensuring the successful handover of critical infrastructure, operating documentation, and required processes. Partner with construction, commissioning, engineering, and vendor teams to confirm that systems, documentation, maintenance plans, and training are complete before turnover. Develop, review, and maintain MOPs, SOPs, EOPs, and other operational documentation, and participate in commissioning activities for new or replacement equipment.

Oversee preventive and corrective maintenance programs for critical electrical, mechanical, cooling, life-safety, and control systems. Manage contractor and vendor activity, ensuring work is completed safely, on schedule, and in accordance with applicable statements of work, service-level agreements, company standards, and regulatory requirements. Lead site-level projects, including scope, budget, contractor coordination, schedule management, and quality oversight.

Own on-site incident response, escalation, communication, and follow-up for events that could affect customer operations, site safety, or facility availability. Coordinate site personnel during incidents, communicate impact and recovery status to appropriate leadership and stakeholders, lead root-cause analysis and corrective-action efforts, and maintain emergency-response and disaster-mitigation practices. Partner with customers on fit-out discussions, operational requirements, and recurring service reviews, and collaborate with regional and global teams on broader infrastructure and operational initiatives.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of relevant experience in data center operations, mission-critical facilities, critical infrastructure, or a comparable technical operating environment.
• Demonstrated experience managing and developing electrical, mechanical, operations, facilities, or critical-environment technician teams.
• Experience leading construction handover, commissioning support, operational readiness, facility startup, or major infrastructure retrofit activity.
• Deep understanding of the electrical, mechanical, cooling, and IT/networking environments associated with data centers or mission-critical facilities.
• Experience managing preventive maintenance, corrective maintenance, vendor activity, contractor work, and service-provider performance.
• Strong incident-management and analytical skills, including experience leading root-cause analysis, implementing corrective actions, and communicating effectively during critical events.
• Experience working directly with customers, vendors, contractors, utilities, and internal stakeholders in an operational or project environment.
• Experience managing site-level projects with responsibility for scope, budget, schedule, quality, and stakeholder coordination.
• Strong reporting, documentation, organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• High degree of initiative, accountability, and willingness to operate hands-on in a fast-moving environment.
• General knowledge of facility and electrical safety, OSHA requirements, lockout/tagout procedures, and relevant industry best practices.
• Associate degree or equivalent technical education from a two-year college, vocational program, or military background, with a focus on engineering, electrical or mechanical systems, or IT infrastructure. A bachelor’s degree in a related field is strongly preferred.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience operating AI, HPC, cloud, GPU, or other high-density computing environments.
• Experience with liquid-cooling technologies, including direct-to-chip cooling, coolant distribution units, rear-door heat exchangers, or similar systems.
• Experience leading a greenfield data center opening or transitioning a newly constructed critical facility into 24/7 operations.
• Experience operating data center infrastructure including switchgear, UPS systems, generators, power distribution equipment, chillers, cooling systems, BMS, EPMS, or DCIM platforms.
• Experience supporting colocation data center operations, including customer fit-outs, customer communication, and service-level agreement management.
• Experience developing, reviewing, and executing MOPs, SOPs, EOPs, and other critical-facility operating procedures.
• Relevant industry certifications or training in data center operations, critical facilities, electrical safety, or mission-critical infrastructure.

Work Environment

This is an on-site role based at the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania data center campus. The position requires availability for 24/7 escalation support and periodic off-hours response during construction, commissioning, facility handover, and early operational ramp-up. The role will involve work in industrial and mission-critical facility environments, including electrical rooms, mechanical spaces, equipment yards, and active construction areas, and requires completion of site-specific safety training.

Annual Compensation Range: Competitive based on experience + benefits + equity

This posting refers to an active vacancy within the organization.