Director, Operations

It's fun to work in a company where people truly BELIEVE in what they're doing!
We're committed to bringing passion and customer focus to the business.

Does the thought of joining one of the fastest-growing, privately held data center companies sound exciting to you? Do you enjoy collaborating with team members to drive and operate some of the industry’s leading and most innovative infrastructure solutions?

At Aligned Data Centers, not only do we celebrate success across our platform, we celebrate the very teams that drive and support that success! Our culture is founded in passion, engineered from innovation, and driven by the pursuit of operational excellence. We are a company dedicated to driving positive change in the industry through continuous data center innovation, diversity and inclusion, and corporate sustainability.  

We realize not only is providing a comprehensive benefits package important, but we also provide a generous 401k match with immediate vesting, free membership to Gympass which provides our employees a rich health and wellness benefit and competitive time off plan.  Giving back and having fun is important to our team whether it be serving our communities or employee and customer events. Our Aligned DNA is what makes us unique and successful!    

JOB DESCRIPTION:

The Director Operations is responsible for leading and executing all aspects of the campus operations to include safety, security, reliability, network environment, customer relations, the critical environment, and P&L. This role will strategize, manage, and operate multiple Datacenter facilities for Aligned.  
The Director of Operations will ensure all Datacenter facility systems meet or exceed industry standards for critical maintenance resulting in 100% uptime, ensures the building engineering and security teams follow all reporting and documentation processes and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and meets all customer service level agreements and compliance audits. The Director of Operations will serve as the liaison for all 24x7 operational activities across their managed facilities with executives and department heads to ensure appropriate communications with all interested and vested parties. They will lead and direct the staff in their market to optimize employee potential and maximize Aligned’s continued growth in existing and new markets. This role reports to the SVP of Operations or their designee.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provides senior leadership to drive strategic vision for Aligned’s datacenters, including Critical Facilities Operations, Preventative Maintenance, Commissioning, Infrastructure, Service Delivery, Security, Logistics, and Safety on a Senior level.
• Manages Campus operations of the 24x7 Datacenter environment.   Identifies and implements critical metrics necessary to manage and monitor the performance of overall operations including, but not limited to, capacity, availability, budget, and inventory. Oversees all electrical and mechanical infrastructure such as UPS systems, generators, fire suppression systems, BMS, and HVAC systems Has responsibility for meeting established Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
• Ensures that all work performed within the Datacenter is done to high quality and without impact to any internal/external customers.
• Oversees requirements and delivery of services provided by Operations, Security, and Safety. Drives maximum potential of these functions to provide exceptional services to clients and employees.
• Oversees and supports the level 5 commissioning, operations, and maintenance of all Datacenter mission critical infrastructure in order to achieve 100% availability.  Manages Datacenter facility expansion and consolidation.
• Manages, coaches, and develops management team performing Datacenter operations.
• Manages and leads vendor relationship to maintain day to day operations and strategic goals for Datacenter Operations SLA’s and deliverables. Works with current vendor stakeholders and partners to develop and deliver strategic plans.  Oversees all Datacenter vendor contracts, streamlining services required and optimizing overall costs.
• Will work closely with all strategic supply chain vendors to ensure Aligned’s lean management strategies and continuous innovation and process improvement are fully implemented.
• Evaluates and mitigates risk on new and existing programs within datacenter program governance.
• Develops opportunities for cross-team effectiveness and remove organizational barriers for strong teamwork, collaboration, and excellent service delivery.
• Drives Aligned’s Sustainability Strategy and creates a program to improve the efficiency of the Datacenter operations.
• Engages in improvement projects, which often requires reaching out to a variety of support teams and driving them from conception to completion.
• Manages budgeting and forecasting, planning, deployment, incident and problem management, change management.
• Maintains documentation and diagrams capturing all essential parameters of Datacenter operations.
• Defines policies, procedures, and standards related to performance, capacity, availability, continuity, and security.
• Creates and delivers presentations to leadership team, company meetings, and conferences.
• Will meet all customer service levels and power utilization efficiency commitments and take an active role in on-going customer interaction. Participate in customer service review discussion and various ad-hoc meetings related to Datacenter management issues.
• Manages customer service orders and remote hand requests.
• Supervise local change management processes including the review and approval of all Method of Procedures (MOPs) for maintenance and one-time/emergency repair events in coordination with onsite personnel, contractors, and customers.
• Ensure compliance with all safety procedures as well as utilization of personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Respond quickly and appropriately to emergency situations (i.e., fire, evacuation, equipment failure etc.) and any customer concerns.
• Ensures inventory control programs/purchase parts and supplies are maintained.
• Ensure compliance with applicable codes, requisitions, government agencies and AE directives as relates to building and critical environment operations.
• Operational Roles may also apply as necessary.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree preferred with 10 years’ experience or minimum of 12-15 years of related experience in lieu of degree. 

• Ability to comprehend, analyze, and interpret complex project documents, AutoCAD, Visio, and PDF documents.
• Ability to project and time manage effectively. 
• Ability to develop operational standards, project tracking, and management documents. 
• Ability to effectively respond, verbally or written, to sensitive issues, complex inquiries, or complaints. 
• Ability to make effective presentations and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the public. 
• Requires a high level of commitment to customer service, whether co-workers or clients.
• Requires in-depth knowledge of all applicable rules, laws, codes, regulations, and ordinances in performing data/communications and MEP projects.
• Ability to estimate cost of client installations and other assigned projects. Cost tracking for all projects. 
• Knowledge of Purchase Order Requests process and invoice tracking.
• Develops appropriate RFP processes in addition to development of operating and capital budgets.
• Ability to analyze and solve problems involving several options with limited information.
• Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram or schedule form and to work independently.
• Demonstrate ability to work well under pressure with a proactive approach to unusual occurrences.
• Requires good organizational skills, attention to detail and an openness to new ideas and procedures.
• MSOffice applications. i.e., Excel, Outlook, Word, and PowerPoint.
• Occasional travel will be required for training and meetings.

BENEFITS & PERKS:

Aligned Data Centers is proud to offer a comprehensive benefits package to support the health, well-being, and financial security of our team members. Eligible employees have access to:

• Health Coverage: Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Health Savings and Flexible Spending Accounts:  HSA with employer contribution for eligible participants.  FSA's offered for health and dependent care to increase tax savings.
• Retirement Savings: 401(k) plan with company match
• Paid Time Off and Holiday Pay
• Company-Sponsored Insurance: Short-Term Disability, Life Insurance, and Long-Term Disability (with medical election)
• Optional Benefits: Voluntary life, critical illness, legal, and additional disability coverage
• Wellness Programs: Employee assistance program (EAP), Wellhub gym membership, and other wellness initiatives

The above is intended to describe the general content of and requirements for the performance of this job.  It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or physical requirements. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

At Aligned, we are committed to transparency and fostering a positive employee experience from your very first interaction with us. In compliance with Illinois pay disclosure requirements, when you join Aligned, you’ll have access to the following benefits: medical, dental, vision, short and long disability, life insurance and other voluntary benefits, 401k with employer match, bonus opportunities, paid time off, wellness benefits and professional development opportunities, all designed to support your well-being and career growth. We want you to have a clear understanding of what we offer, so you can make informed decisions about your future with us.

Aligned is equally committed to fostering an inclusive workplace and providing equal employment opportunities for all employees. We ensure that all applicants and team members are considered for employment, advancement, and all other employment-related matters without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), national origin, age, physical or mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

If you require a reasonable accommodation to perform the essential functions of your job due to a disability or medical condition, please contact our People & Culture team. Accommodation requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis in accordance with applicable laws. Aligned will make reasonable accommodations where necessary to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their role.