Senior Manager, Chief Engineer, NA

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

This position is on-site at our data center in Shackelford County, TX.

The Senior Manager, Chief Engineer provides strategic and operational leadership on a data center campus, ensuring the safe, reliable, and uninterrupted performance of all critical infrastructure supporting 24x7x365 mission-critical operations. This role is accountable for the health of power, cooling, and building control systems across the portfolio, driving consistency, resiliency, and operational excellence at scale.

This leader sets the standard for maintenance strategy, system testing, commissioning oversight, and operational readiness throughout the facility lifecycle. The Senior Manager, Chief Engineer focuses on risk reduction, performance optimization, and long-term reliability by establishing clear expectations, disciplined processes, and a culture grounded in safety, precision, and accountability.

The role provides direct leadership to Lead Critical Facilities Engineers, Critical Facilities Engineers, and onsite contracted service partners. Responsibilities include setting operational priorities, aligning resources, enforcing standards, and ensuring execution remains tightly aligned with organizational objectives and customer expectations.

Reporting to the Director of Operations, the Senior Manager, Chief Engineer serves as a key partner to Engineering, Construction, Security, and IT teams, ensuring facility operations are integrated early into design, build, and expansion efforts. This position plays a critical role in elevating operational performance, strengthening cross-functional collaboration, and maintaining customer confidence across the data center portfolio.

Essential Job Functions

• Provide strategic leadership and oversight of critical facility operations at the data center campus

• Ensure 24/7/365 operational readiness and system reliability, with a focus on zero downtime

• Serve as the customer's primary representative for all facility operations, establish and communicate the customer's requirements, review projects and services, determine the acceptability of Service Provider's performance and act as the sole point of contact for all communications from Service Provider.

• Ensure availability and capacity targets are achieved in accordance with contractual Service Level Agreements

• 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

• 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

Physical Working Conditions

• The position is subject to extreme cold and extreme heat. Activities occur inside and outside.

• The position is subject to noise such as vibration and high volume of air movement

• The position is subject to hazards. Includes a variety of physical conditions, such as proximity to moving mechanical parts, moving vehicles, electrical current, working on scaffolding and high places, exposure to high heat or exposure to chemicals.

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

#LI-Onsite #LI-AH1

We operate with No Ego and No Arrogance. We work to build each other up and support one another, appreciating each other's strengths and respecting each other's weaknesses. We find joy in our work and each other, actively seeking opportunities to inject fun into what we do. Our hard and efficient work is rewarded with an above market total compensation package. We offer a comprehensive suite of health and welfare, retirement, and paid leave benefits exceeding local expectations.

Throughout the year, the advantage of being part of the Vantage team is evident with an array of benefits, recognition, training and development, and the knowledge that your contribution adds value to the company and our community.

Don't meet all the requirements? Please still apply if you think you are the right person for the position. We are always keen to speak to people who connect with our mission and values.

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.