Hardware Break/Fix Operations Manager - Data Center

Job Title: Hardware Break/Fix Operations Manager - Data Center

Duration: Long Term Contract

Location: Somerset, NJ – Hybrid (Occasional weekend and periodic on-call support required)

Basic Function:

The EDC North American Hardware Break/Fix Operations Manager is responsible for leading the delivery of business-as-usual data centre hardware operations across the Americas, including enterprise, colocation, exchange, WAN, and cloud environments.

Principal Responsibilities and Duties:

• Provide senior operational leadership and single-point accountability for the integrated, hands-on management of IT hardware services across the Company’s Americas data center portfolio.
• Own and oversee hardware-related changes, significant events, incidents, and problems from initiation through closure, including post-incident reviews, root cause analysis, corrective actions, and management follow-up.
• Develop, maintain, and continuously improve standard operating procedures, emergency response procedures, preventive maintenance programs, and technical documentation.
• Maintain a deep understanding of data center design intent, operating models, contingency plans, and service dependencies to support effective resiliency planning and operational response.
• Provide disciplined oversight of financial management, cost control, regulatory and code compliance, personnel management, staff development, health and safety, statutory obligations, environmental controls, and energy management.
• Deliver regular management reporting that demonstrates operational performance, service quality, and adherence to internal OLAs, SLAs, KPIs, and governance expectations.
• Manage communications during incidents, ensuring timely, accurate, and authoritative updates to senior management; review incident reports, identify trends, document lessons learned, and recommend corrective actions.
• Develop, obtain approval for, and execute environmental management and reporting plans that support carbon footprint management, sustainability, and responsible data center operations.

Knowledge, skills, and abilities required to qualify for the position:

• Degree-level education with a relevant professional qualification preferred, or demonstrable equivalent experience in a comparable critical operations environment.
• Strong understanding of managed service contracts, service scope definition, vendor performance management, and technical RFP leadership for new services, rebids, and expanded scope.
• Experience managing a sizeable P&L and operating within disciplined operating and capital budget controls, with strong commercial awareness, business acumen, and financial accountability.
• Proven track record in the development and execution of strategic plans and initiatives.
• Strong understanding of critical support environments, such as data centers, hospitals, power plants, military facilities, financial services facilities, or other mission-critical operational settings.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, influencing, and analytical skills, with a demonstrated track record of leading, developing, and managing teams across regions, locations, and time zones.
• Strong networking skills, current industry knowledge, and the ability to build and maintain effective professional relationships.
• Ability to produce high-quality reports and presentations and deliver effective, persuasive communications to senior stakeholders.
• Previous vendor negotiation and management experience for data center and/or construction contracts.
• Ability to write and review accurate and complete support procedures, system documentation, and issue tracking entries.

Key Relationships:

• The role requires close collaboration with representatives from Critical Infrastructure, SETI, Corporate Services and Security, Reengineering and Expense Management, MS Real Estate, MS IT Groups, and external vendors. The individual must be able to develop and maintain effective working relationships across regions and time zones.