Head of Data Center Operations (M/F)

Head of DC Operations (M/F)

Paris Region

Your mission

In an environment where infrastructure availability and reliability are essential, Isatalent is looking for a Head of DC Operations to lead the operations of its data centers in the Paris region.

Reporting to management, you will be responsible for operational performance, service continuity, and infrastructure reliability. You will manage site managers and work closely with central expertise teams, clients, and maintenance partners.

In a context of company growth and operational demands, you will play a key role in harmonizing practices, structuring activity management, and supporting change within the teams.

Your objective: to build a consolidated operational vision, manage risks, and unite teams around common requirements for performance, security, and service quality.

Your responsibilities

Lead multi-site operations strategy and performance

• Develop a short- and medium-term operational roadmap, defining priorities, action plans, and the necessary human and financial resources.

• Define and harmonize the management methods for operational activities across all sites.

• Consolidate and evolve KPIs and dashboards, particularly concerning infrastructure availability, maintenance, customer communication, and procedure compliance.

• Analyze results, identify performance gaps, and drive corrective actions.

• Produce structured reporting for management and inform strategic decisions.

Manage site managers and support transformation

• Supervise and support site managers in managing their activities and developing their skills.

• Provide operational and technical expertise to challenge choices, priorities, and action plans.

• Promote team autonomy, accountability, and cooperation.

• Organize resource allocation and monitor workload plans.

• Support the reorganization of the perimeter, harmonize practices, and contribute to the integration of new sites.

• Work cross-functionally with the Head of the Expertise Pole and other company functions.

Ensure infrastructure reliability and manage risks

• Ensure the availability, resilience, and operational continuity of critical infrastructure.

• Oversee preventive, corrective, and regulatory maintenance, as well as works, extensions, retrofits, and changes carried out in operating environments.

• Take over and consolidate the mapping of operational and technical risks, particularly single points of failure (SPOFs) and critical obsolescence.

• Prioritize risks, define treatment plans, assess financial and human impacts, and identify necessary investments.

• Manage major incidents, escalations, root cause analyses, and the follow-up of corrective and preventive actions.

• Ensure compliance with security, conformity, and service continuity requirements.

Develop customer relations and partnerships with maintainers

• Ensure compliance with contractual commitments, SLAs, and quality standards expected by clients.

• Strengthen the quality of operational communication and trust with client contacts.

• Develop constructive and partnership-based relationships with maintainers and service providers.

• Improve intervention coordination, commitment tracking, and service quality.

• Identify areas for improvement and drive actions to enhance partner performance.

Manage budgets and continuous improvement

• Develop and monitor OPEX and CAPEX budgets for the perimeter.

• Arbitrate maintenance, renewal, and investment priorities based on risks, capabilities, and client commitments.

• Ensure compliance with regulatory, environmental, HSE, ICPE requirements, and applicable ISO standards.

• Deploy homogeneous standards, procedures, and work methods.

• Contribute to improving the energy performance of facilities, particularly PUE, and managing operating costs.

Your profile

Education and experience

• Higher education, ideally Master's degree (Bac +5), such as an engineering degree or a specialized master's in electrical engineering, energy, climate, industrial maintenance, or operations management. A technical Bachelor's degree (Bac +3) may be considered for exceptionally strong experience.

• Significant experience in the operation, maintenance, or technical management of critical infrastructure.

• Significant experience in managing managers, multi-site management, or a comparable operational management role.

• Proven experience in a critical environment operating 24/7, with high demands for availability, security, and compliance.

• Experience in managing major incidents, budget management, risk management, and driving operational transformations.

Technical skills

• Good understanding of data center operational issues and comprehension of electrical, mechanical, HVAC, fire protection, BMS/GTB, and control systems architectures.

• Proficiency in managing preventive, corrective, and regulatory maintenance.

• Knowledge of SLAs, KPIs for availability, capacity, service quality, and energy performance.

• Ability to analyze and challenge technical risks, maintenance plans, and investments.

• Proficiency in OPEX/CAPEX budget issues and applicable regulatory requirements.

Personal qualities

• Leadership and ability to manage experienced managers.

• Technical credibility and sense of responsibility.

• Ability to structure an organization, harmonize practices, and lead change.

• Aptitude for uniting teams and fostering cross-functional cooperation.

• Decision-making, arbitration, and prioritization skills.

• Calmness under pressure, rigor, and results-orientation.

• Customer focus and ability to build lasting partnerships.

Languages: Fluent French and professional English, both spoken and written.

Keys to Success

During the first few months, your objectives will include developing a clear operational roadmap, consolidating indicator-based management, prioritizing risks, and defining the necessary resources for their treatment.

You will also contribute to strengthening managerial cohesion, harmonizing practices between sites, and supporting the evolution of the organization with a view to sustainable performance and continuous improvement.

Do you want to put your critical infrastructure expertise to work in a demanding environment with a strong managerial, strategic, and cross-functional dimension?

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