Chief Operating Officer, NA

$325,000 - $375,000/Yr

Vantage Data Centers Management Co

Full-time - Executive

Real Estate

About the position

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Vantage Data Centers will play a pivotal role in overseeing the strategic direction and operational management of our data centers across North America. This position is responsible for leading operational excellence in various domains including data center operations, reliability engineering, physical security, customer experience, network operations, and lease management. The COO will serve as the primary liaison for all 24x7 operational activities across the managed nationwide data centers, ensuring effective communication with executives and department heads to meet or exceed defined service levels. The ideal candidate will possess a proven track record of leadership in a fast-paced, high-growth environment, demonstrating the ability to drive operational excellence across multiple locations. In this role, the COO will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of our North American Data Center Operations, overseeing the management of site operations functions, budget, and key performance indicators (KPIs). The COO will develop and implement strategies to enhance operational performance, ensuring that availability and capacity targets are achieved and maintained for all Vantage Data Center facilities. This includes leading a diverse team of technical directors and fostering a collaborative culture that encourages high performance and accountability. The COO will also be tasked with creating and managing annual operating expense budgets and capital expenditures, continuously monitoring forecasts to meet financial targets while ensuring cost-effective resource utilization. Additionally, the role involves leading nationwide data center operations, identifying critical metrics necessary for performance monitoring, and ensuring compliance with established Service Level Agreements (SLAs). Customer service and satisfaction are paramount, and the COO will develop and maintain elite customer service standards, ensuring that customer issues are resolved promptly. Collaboration with various teams, including Reliability Engineering, Design, Engineering, and Construction, is essential to ensure timely delivery of new facilities and successful commissioning activities. The COO will also implement key initiatives and process improvements to drive desired outcomes across the organization, establishing key performance indicators and metrics to demonstrate operational health.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the strategic direction and operational management of data centers across North America.
• Lead operational excellence across data center operations, reliability engineering, physical security, customer experience, network operations, and lease management.
• Serve as the liaison for all 24x7 operational activities across managed nationwide data centers.
• Manage day-to-day operations, budget, and KPIs for site operations functions at all North American properties.
• Develop and implement strategies to enhance operational performance and drive continuous improvement initiatives.
• Ensure availability and capacity targets are achieved and maintained for all Vantage Data Center facilities.
• Lead a team of technical directors and foster a collaborative and high-performance culture.
• Create and manage annual operating expense budgets and capital expenditures, monitoring forecasts to meet financial targets.
• Identify and implement critical metrics necessary to monitor overall operations performance.
• Develop and maintain elite customer service standards, ensuring customer satisfaction and prompt issue resolution.
• Collaborate with various teams to ensure timely and cost-effective delivery of new facilities and successful commissioning activities.
• Implement key initiatives and process improvements to drive desired outcomes across the organization.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in Engineering, Computer Science, Business Administration, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum of 15 years of experience leading large (250+) technical teams in a facility/plant engineering and maintenance environment.
• Minimum of 10 years of direct managerial experience with strong interpersonal skills.
• Proven track record of leading large-scale, multi-site operations in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.
• Demonstrable experience in delivering large initiatives through cross-functional collaboration.
• Strong understanding of data center infrastructure, reliability engineering, security, and customer experience management.
• Excellent strategic thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Proven capabilities in developing teams, coaching, and skill mentoring.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills to technical and non-technical audiences.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience with building automation systems.
• Familiarity with innovations in the data center marketplace.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Life and AD&D insurance.
• Short and long-term disability coverage.
• Paid time off.
• Employee assistance programs.
• Participation in a 401k program that includes company match.
• Additional voluntary benefits.