Datacenter Infrastructure Lead Spain

Job description

DATA4'S MISSION DATA4 creates Smart & Scalable digital facilities for our customers. Our network of highly connected, resilient and sustainable data center campuses underpins our customers’ digital growth in Europe. DATA4 Group finances, designs, constructs and operates its own data centers. Delivered through our data center campus model, we provide our customers with secure, scalable and high-performance data hosting solutions. DATA4 VALUES At DATA4 we are driven by our values. These are the core of everything we do – from the proactivity we show in delivering great outcomes for our clients, to the responsibility we show as a key contributor to the digital economy. Our three values are: To be entrepreneurial – we are teams of doers who make things happen - with autonomy, energy and a sense of responsibility To always take responsibility – for our impact on the people we work with, the society we are part of, and the environment in which we operate To constantly be adaptable – our business is designed to adapt, answering not only today’s challenges, but also anticipating what’s coming next. ABOUT THE ROLE The Data Center Infrastructure Lead, Spain provides strategic leadership and governance for all critical infrastructure operations across the country. The role leads Data Center technical facility management at the national level and is directly accountable for the safe, secure, reliable, and available operation of all data centers within their span of control. Managing the Facility Manager Leads, Critical Environment Manager Leads, and associated operational teams, the role oversees multiple campuses, ensuring standardized operational excellence, engineering governance, regulatory compliance, and continuous improvement. The Data Center Infrastructure Lead drives initiatives to enhance reliability, resilience, safety, physical security, operational performance, and customer service delivery, supporting the evolving needs of both colocation and hyperscale customers while maintaining the highest standards of availability and operational discipline. The Data Center Infrastructure Lead reports to the Country Head of Data Center Operations. They will also liaise locally with the Energy Manager and the Operations Contract/Quality Manager to achieve their operational objectives and contribute to country strategic goals. They benchmark their processes and operational performance with other countries, with the support of Data4 Operations Global Process Owners. They manage health, safety, environment and physical security at their facilities with the support of the HSE and Physical Security Managers. They liaise on a regular basis with Customer Success team to ensure client operational requests and objectives are met. The Data Center Infrastructure Lead is responsible for growing Facility Managers and Critical Environment Managers into leaders showing entrepreneurship, responsibility and adaptability. They identify competences and resources available and provide direction and expertise to the FM leads, CEM leads and all individual contributors within their scope by promoting Data4 strategy and best business practices. They ensure succession planning, early talent detection, individual performance reviews and individual yearly business objectives. They take calculated risks and provide support to other countries in Data4 Operations when needed. The Data Center Infrastructure Lead is responsible for operational budgets and forecasts and ensures both capital expenditures and cost of goods sold / operational expenditures are kept within the allowed budget and in line with the Head of Data Center Operations targets and objectives. They promote a culture of transparency and raise early warnings, manage risks and provide solutions for any budget overrun or execution delays. They identify the need for capital investments and manage short-term and long-term investments also with the Head of Data Center Operations. The Data Center Infrastructure Lead provides weekly, monthly and quarterly reports to the Head of Data Center Operations and to the Country Director. They participate in mandatory ISO9001, 27001 and 50001, PCI-DSS, ISAE-3402, ENS audits among others. They manage gaps and propose mitigation and remediation plans to any non-compliance identified. The Data Center Infrastructure Lead interfaces with senior leadership. The candidate for the role must excel in written and verbal communication, in both Spanish and English. They must demonstrate the ability to think strategically and take bold initiatives on behalf of their internal and external customers. They have experience of operating large-scale data centers or comparable experience in mission critical environments (e.g. semiconductors, nuclear operations, military…) RESPONSIBILITIES RESPONSIBILITES IN TERMS OF IMS CERTIFICATIONS Respect and enforce certification policies in terms of: IMS: Respect and enforce the certification policy and be proactive in improving the Integrated Management System (IMS) with stakeholders. H&S: Respect and enforce health and safety rules. Environment: Respect and enforce environmental policies. Information security: Respect and enforce information security policies. Energy: Respect and enforce the policy of energy management policy. JOB SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES Hires and inducts the right team of Facility Management and Critical Environment Management. Develops people, owns training programs, manages performance, and ensures succession planning Defines performance targets and implements improvement plans with the Head of Data Center Operations, Spain to address performance issues Issues periodic operational performance reports, and ensures operational standards align with the business and industry best practices Drives continuous improvement and lessons learned, manages risks within own scope Manages COGS and CAPEX budgets, accountable for budget early warnings Works with other teams to constantly improve the level of service rendered internally and to our customers. Defines the 3-years roadmap in collaboration with the Country Director, Spain and the Head of Data Center Operations, Spain Assists with special queries from other countries such as new data center launch, crisis resolution, or any other operations related topic. Ensure that operational activities are performed in accordance with applicable information security policies, standards, and compliance requirements, while fostering a strong security culture. REQUIREMENTS Education and experience 5+ year experience in similar position or in mission-critical operation, with background in incident management and resolution Bachelor's Degree in Electrical/Mechanical/Industrial Engineering or equivalent experience Fluent English (B2/C1) Technical skills Required Proven leadership experience managing multidisciplinary technical teams Extensive experience operating and maintaining critical infrastructure within mission-critical environments. Strong knowledge of facility management, critical environment operations, and engineering governance. Experience leading change management processes in high-availability environments, ensuring operational risk is effectively managed. Demonstrated experience in major incident management, root cause analysis, corrective actions, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. Experience developing and monitoring operational KPIs, service performance metrics, and driving operational excellence. Strong understanding of maintenance strategies, asset lifecycle management, and operational risk management. Proficiency with IT Service Management (ITSM) and operational platforms (e.g., JIRA, ServiceNow, MCIM, or equivalent). Strong analytical and decision-making skills, with the ability to interpret operational data and drive performance improvements. Good understanding of applicable health & safety, environmental, information security, and regulatory compliance requirements. Preferred Experience managing managers within a multi-site or multi-campus organization. Experience supporting enterprise, colocation, and hyperscale customers in mission-critical environments. Knowledge of industry standards and best practices, including EN 50600, ISO 27001, ISO 9001, ISO 50001, and other relevant operational frameworks. Experience leading operational readiness, commissioning, or infrastructure expansion projects. Financial acumen, including budget management, vendor performance management, and cost optimization initiatives. Leadership and Soft skills Exceptional leadership skills with the ability to inspire, develop, and empower high-performing technical teams. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively at all organizational levels, including executive leadership and customers. Strong strategic thinking, capable of translating business objectives into long-term operational strategies. Demonstrated ability to influence stakeholders and build trusted relationships across engineering, operations, commercial, and executive functions. Proven ability to make sound decisions under pressure while balancing operational risk, customer impact, and business priorities. Strong customer-focused mindset with a commitment to delivering operational excellence and service quality. Highly organized, with excellent planning, prioritization, and execution skills. Continuous improvement mindset, promoting innovation, operational discipline, and a culture of learning. High levels of integrity, accountability, and professional ethics. Ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly through presentations, reports, and strategic documentation. #LI-DNI