Data Center Site lead

Job Description: Role: Data Center Site lead Location: New Albany, OH 43054 Duration: Long Term Role Purpose The Data Center Operations Lead provides front-line leadership and operational oversight for client's 24×7 data center operations supporting the Encova Insurance account at the Columbus, OH facility. This role is responsible for supervising and coordinating Smart Hands & Feet technicians, ensuring safe, reliable, and uninterrupted data center operations across facilities, power, cooling, security, and life-safety systems. The Data Center Operations Lead serves as the primary on-site escalation point, coordinating closely with remote NADC (North America Data Center) / Monitoring teams, MSP partners, on-call client facilities and engineering resources, and Encova IT stakeholders. This role bridges the gap between hands-on operational execution and strategic oversight, ensuring SOP compliance, incident coordination, team development, and continuous operational improvement. Key Responsibilities 1. Data Center Operations Leadership & Team Management · Lead, supervise, and mentor a team of Smart Hands & Feet Data Center Support Technicians across rotating shifts to ensure 24×7 coverage · Develop and manage shift schedules, ensuring adequate staffing during all shifts including weekends, holidays, and severe weather events · Conduct regular performance reviews, coaching sessions, and skills development programs for team members · Ensure all technicians are trained and proficient in SOPs, runbooks, escalation procedures, and safety protocols · Serve as the shift lead and primary decision-maker for operational matters within documented authority levels · Foster a culture of accountability, safety, and operational excellence within the data center operations team · Coordinate onboarding and cross-training of new team members to ensure operational continuity 2. Monitoring & Incident Management Oversight · Oversee continuous monitoring and response to alerts from enterprise and local systems including Control‐M (batch job status), Metasys (BMS alarms), SolarWinds (infrastructure alerts), CCTV systems, and NADC/MSP platforms · Ensure timely alert acknowledgement, initial validation, and appropriate escalation by the operations team · Act as the primary escalation point for all data center incidents, coordinating response efforts across MSP, NADC, facilities, and on-call engineering teams · Validate that all monitoring, alerting, and response activities follow documented SOPs and runbooks · Track and report on incident trends, response times, and resolution metrics to drive continuous improvement · Monitor weather conditions proactively to identify storm or environmental risks and initiate pre-emptive actions per SOP 3. Physical Infrastructure & Facility Oversight · Oversee and participate in scheduled and event-driven walk-arounds of the data center and support areas · Ensure thorough inspections of raised floors, POP rooms, maintenance rooms, battery rooms, and electrical areas for hazards, obstructions, or abnormalities · Supervise routine checks of critical systems including liquid cell battery fluid levels, UPS backup battery levels (camera systems), glycol levels for CRAC units, leak detection systems, emergency gas shut-off valves, and EPO (Emergency Power Off) button accessibility · Verify access-controlled and sensitive areas are properly secured and documented · Coordinate with licensed contractors and client facilities engineers for specialized testing, calibration, or corrective work · Maintain and improve inspection checklists, walk-around schedules, and facility documentation 4. Power, Cooling & Environmental Management · Oversee first-level operational support for critical infrastructure including utility power systems, generator systems, UPS systems, emergency power systems, and associated battery rooms · Manage monitoring and response for cooling and environmental systems including CRAC unit status, temperature/humidity conditions, and glycol level monitoring · Ensure team verifies normal utility power availability before transferring systems off generator power · Direct data center systems into bypass mode during approaching storms as directed by SOP or facilities leadership, and support restoration once conditions are cleared · Coordinate with facilities engineering for any power or cooling events that exceed first-level response scope · Track environmental trends and escalate anomalies before they impact service availability 5. Incident Response & Crisis Coordination · Serve as the primary on-site incident coordinator for event-driven alerts from generators, UPS, battery rooms, maintenance rooms, POP rooms, and environmental systems · Coordinate physical verification of alarm conditions and immediate notification of MSP and on-call facilities contacts · Lead storm-related operational activities including pre-storm preparations, active monitoring during events, and post-storm restoration · Respond to Simplex fire alarm system notifications, ensuring proper acknowledgement, defined response procedures, and checks-and-balances oversight when disarming alarms · Support actions to prevent unnecessary fire department dispatch where approved · Coordinate incident support activities until relieved by authorized personnel and ensure comprehensive incident documentation 6. Security, Access Control & Vendor Management · Oversee monitoring of data center camera systems and controlled-access areas · Manage the receiving, logging, and secure storage of deliveries of data center equipment and materials · Coordinate escort support for authorized vendors, service providers, and contractors · Ensure cleaning crews are checked in and janitorial closets are unlocked/secured per schedule and policy · Maintain vendor access logs and ensure all third-party access complies with security policies · Serve as liaison between on-site operations and security management for access-related issues 7. Documentation, Reporting & Compliance · Maintain detailed and accurate logs of all events, alerts, actions taken, escalations, and shift hand-offs · Develop, review, and update SOPs, runbooks, and operational procedures to reflect current environment and best practices · Prepare and deliver shift turnover reports ensuring seamless continuity of operations across shifts · Generate regular operational reports including incident summaries, walk-around findings, equipment status, and KPI metrics · Ensure audit readiness by maintaining comprehensive documentation of all data center activities · Support compliance with industry standards, regulations, and client policies 8. Stakeholder Communication & Coordination · Serve as the primary communication bridge between on-site data center operations and remote NADC/Monitoring teams · Interface with MSP partners, client facilities engineering, and Encova IT leadership on operational matters · Provide clear, accurate, and timely communication during active or potential incidents · Escalate to secondary and tertiary contacts promptly if primary resources are unavailable · Participate in change management processes, maintenance window planning, and capacity reviews · Contribute to operational improvement initiatives and technology refresh planning Skills & Competencies · Strong leadership and team management capabilities with ability to motivate and develop technical staff · Deep working knowledge of data center operational environments, including power distribution, UPS, generator systems, cooling, and environmental systems · Proficiency with monitoring tools such as Metasys (BMS), SolarWinds, Control‐M, and CCTV systems · Thorough understanding of fire alarm and life-safety systems (e.g., Simplex) · Strong adherence to SOPs, change management, and escalation discipline · Calm, methodical, and decisive response under pressure during incidents and emergencies · High attention to detail, situational awareness, and proactive risk identification · Excellent verbal and written communication skills for cross-functional coordination · Strong documentation and reporting skills · Ability to manage vendor relationships and coordinate third-party activities on-site · Familiarity with ITIL framework and incident/problem/change management processes Experience & Qualifications Required · 5–8 years of progressive experience in data center operations, facilities support, or critical infrastructure environments · 2 years in a lead, supervisory, or team lead capacity within data center or IT operations · Hands-on experience with Smart Hands & Feet or on-site data center support models · Demonstrated experience with centralized monitoring, NOC-driven environments, or MSP-managed operations · Proven track record of managing 24×7 operations including shift scheduling and staff development · Experience with incident management, escalation procedures, and crisis coordination · Working knowledge of power systems (utility, generator, UPS), cooling systems (CRAC, glycol), and fire/life-safety systems Preferred · Experience supporting insurance, financial services, or similarly regulated environments · Background in BMS platforms (e.g., Metasys) and enterprise monitoring tools (SolarWinds, Control‐M) · Experience with data center migration, consolidation, or lights-out operating models · Familiarity with DCIM (Data Center Infrastructure Management) solutions · Project management experience in data center or infrastructure contexts Certifications (Preferred) · Certified Data Center Professional (CDCP) or Certified Data Center Facilities Operations Manager (CDFOM) · ITIL Foundation or higher certification · CompTIA Server or CompTIA Network · OSHA 10/30 Certification · Relevant vendor certifications (e.g., Schneider Electric, Eaton, Vertiv) are a plus Physical & Work Environment Requirements · Ability to perform frequent walkthroughs of data halls, electrical rooms, battery rooms, generator areas, cooling areas, and maintenance areas · Ability to lift and move equipment up to 50 lbs as per policy-defined limits · Comfortable working in raised-floor, electrical, and industrial environments · Ability to stand, walk, bend, and climb ladders for extended periods during shift · May be exposed to loud noise from generators, cooling systems, and other mechanical equipment · Must be able to wear required PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) when entering certain areas Work Schedule & Coverage Model · Data center operates 24×7, 365 days a year · Role requires participation in a rotating shift schedule including day, evening, and overnight shifts · Weekend and holiday coverage is required on a rotating basis · Flexibility required to support storm events, maintenance windows, and extended coverage during major incidents · Must be available for on-call support as needed during critical events Role Boundaries This role includes: · Team leadership, supervision, and development of on-site DC technicians · Monitoring oversight, walk-arounds, validation, and escalation management · Execution and enforcement of approved actions per SOPs and runbooks · Incident coordination and stakeholder communication · Documentation, reporting, and operational improvement · Support to MSP, NADC, and client facilities teams This role does NOT include: · Advanced troubleshooting, diagnostics, or root cause analysis on critical systems · Repairs, hardware/software configuration changes, or engineering modifications · Independent decision-making outside documented procedures and authority levels · Budget ownership or procurement authority (escalate to Data Center Manager) Thanks & Regards Lokesh Nagavamsapu SRI Tech Solutions

Salary : $22 - $25