VP, Operations - South Region

Job description

It's fun to work in a company where people truly BELIEVE in what they're doing! We're committed to bringing passion and customer focus to the business. SUMMARY The Vice President, Operations provides executive leadership for a regional portfolio of data center operations spanning multiple states and markets. This position is accountable for regional operational performance, reliability, safety, customer satisfaction, financial results, organizational capability, and execution of Aligned Data Centers’ enterprise operations strategy. The Vice President leads and develops Senior Directors and other regional operations leaders, ensuring consistency, accountability, and operational maturity across the region. This role translates enterprise priorities into regional operating plans, balances resources across markets, identifies and mitigates portfolio-level risk, and ensures each market is positioned to support current customer commitments and future growth. Serving as the senior operational leader for the region, the Vice President partners closely with the Senior Vice President, Operations and leaders across Corporate Operations, Platform Delivery, Engineering, EHS, Security, Finance, People & Culture, and other functions to deliver safe, reliable, scalable, and customer-focused operations. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Regional Strategy and Operational Leadership Develop and execute the regional operations strategy in alignment with enterprise objectives, customer commitments, and growth plans. Provide executive oversight for critical facility operations across multiple states, markets, and campuses. Translate enterprise priorities into measurable regional operating plans, performance expectations, and accountability mechanisms. Establish regional priorities and allocate leadership attention, workforce resources, and operational support based on business needs and risk. Ensure consistent execution of company standards related to 24x7 operations, maintenance, infrastructure reliability, safety, security, service delivery, logistics, incident management, and business continuity. Evaluate the operational health and readiness of each market and establish corrective or improvement plans where performance does not meet expectations. Serve as the regional executive escalation point for significant operational events, customer concerns, personnel matters, and infrastructure risks. Maintain appropriate executive availability during critical incidents and ensure timely communication, escalation, investigation, and follow-through. Regional Performance and Risk Management Own regional performance against established operational, customer, safety, financial, and workforce objectives. Review and evaluate regional performance indicators, including: Uptime and availability Service-level agreement performance Safety performance Preventive and corrective maintenance Incident and alarm trends Capacity and asset utilization Operational qualification and training Staffing and overtime Customer satisfaction Budget performance Identify systemic risks, performance trends, and operational gaps across markets and lead coordinated mitigation efforts. Ensure material incidents are thoroughly investigated, corrective actions are completed, and lessons learned are applied across the region. Partner with Corporate Operations and Operational Risk teams to support consistent governance, standards, controls, and continuous improvement. Evaluate market-level readiness for new capacity, customer deployments, organizational changes, and operational expansion. Financial and Workforce Leadership Own regional operating budget performance and provide oversight for forecasting, labor planning, capital priorities, and cost management. Review market budgets and forecasts, challenge assumptions, and ensure resources are aligned with operational requirements and growth plans. Partner with Finance and market leaders to identify productivity, cost optimization, and resource allocation opportunities without compromising safety, reliability, or customer service. Lead regional workforce planning, including organizational structure, headcount requirements, leadership capacity, and future staffing needs. Evaluate staffing models across markets and recommend changes based on capacity, workload, technical capability, customer requirements, and operational risk. Support business cases and recommendations for significant regional investments, programs, and organizational changes. Leadership and Organizational Capability Lead, coach, and develop Senior Directors and other regional operations leaders. Establish clear expectations for leadership performance, accountability, communication, collaboration, and execution. Build regional leadership capability through succession planning, talent reviews, performance calibration, and development of high-potential employees. Identify leadership and technical capability gaps and partner with appropriate stakeholders to implement development or staffing plans. Ensure market leaders are effectively managing performance, developing their teams, and reinforcing company expectations. Promote a culture of ownership, collaboration, continuous improvement, operational discipline, and customer service. Support effective organizational change and ensure leaders communicate changes clearly and consistently throughout the region. Customer and Stakeholder Partnership Serve as an executive operational sponsor for strategic customers and significant regional customer relationships. Participate in executive customer meetings, service reviews, escalations, and operational planning discussions. Ensure customer commitments are understood and consistently executed across applicable markets. Partner with Platform Delivery, Commissioning, Engineering, and market leadership to support customer deployments and transition new capacity into operations. Represent regional operations in executive reviews, planning meetings, and cross-functional initiatives. Build strong partnerships across corporate and field functions to remove barriers, resolve competing priorities, and improve service delivery. Growth and Operational Readiness Support regional growth planning, including new markets, campus expansion, new buildings, customer deployments, and operational transitions. Assess leadership, staffing, training, systems, and process readiness before new capacity becomes operational. Partner with Platform Delivery and Commissioning to promote a disciplined and effective transition from construction and commissioning to steady-state operations. Identify operational requirements and risks early enough to support timely business decisions. Help establish scalable regional practices that can be replicated as the company expands. Safety, Compliance, and Operational Governance Champion a strong culture of safety, security, compliance, and operational discipline throughout the region. Ensure regional compliance with company policies, customer requirements, applicable laws, codes, regulations, and critical environment standards. Partner with EHS, Security, ISMS, Legal, and other stakeholders to address compliance requirements and identified risks. Ensure regional leaders maintain appropriate operational documentation, emergency procedures, qualifications, and readiness. Reinforce stop-work authority and expectations for escalating conditions that may threaten employees, customers, assets, or operational reliability. SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES Directly supervises Senior Directors, Operations and may supervise other regional operations leaders. Provides indirect leadership and oversight to Directors, Facility Managers, technical leaders, and operations employees across multiple markets. Responsible for regional organizational planning, leadership development, succession planning, performance management, and talent decisions. Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with company policies and applicable laws. QUALIFICATIONS Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Facilities Management, Business, Operations, or a related field preferred. Equivalent relevant experience may be considered. Minimum of 10-15 years of progressive experience in mission-critical, data center, industrial, utility, or critical facility operations including responsibility for multiple markets, sites, or geographically dispersed teams. Demonstrated experience leading leaders and managing complex, large-scale operational organizations. Strong understanding of critical electrical and mechanical infrastructure, including UPS systems, generators, electrical distribution, cooling systems, fire protection systems, and building management systems. Demonstrated experience with operating budgets, workforce planning, forecasting, performance metrics, and resource allocation. Experience managing significant customer relationships and executive-level escalations. Strong understanding of operational risk, incident management, change management, business continuity, and regulatory compliance. Ability to interpret complex operational, engineering, financial, and performance information and translate it into effective business decisions. Executive-level communication and presentation skills. Ability to travel approximately 35%–50%, based on business and regional needs. CORE COMPETENCIES Strategic Thinking Leadership Mindset Business Acumen Drives Results Ownership Collaboration Communication Problem Solving Change Leadership Talent Development Financial Acumen Operational Risk Management Customer Focus Executive Presence PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT Frequently required to sit, stand, walk, and travel between operational locations. May be required to access active critical environments, mechanical spaces, rooftops, and construction areas. Occasionally required to bend, climb, and lift or move up to 25 pounds. May be exposed to moving equipment, elevated noise levels, and varying indoor and outdoor conditions. Must be able to respond to significant operational events outside normal business hours BENEFITS & PERKS: Aligned Data Centers is proud to offer a comprehensive benefits package to support the health, well-being, and financial security of our team members. Eligible employees have access to: Health Coverage : Medical, dental, and vision insurance Health Savings and Flexible Spending Accounts: HSA with employer contribution for eligible participants. FSA's offered for health and dependent care to increase tax savings. Retirement Savings : 401(k) plan with company match Paid Time Off and Holiday Pay Company-Sponsored Insurance : Short-Term Disability, Life Insurance, and Long-Term Disability (with medical election) Optional Benefits : Voluntary life, critical illness, legal, and additional disability coverage Wellness Programs : Employee assistance program (EAP), Wellhub gym membership, and other wellness initiatives The above is intended to describe the general content of and requirements for the performance of this job. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or physical requirements. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. At Aligned, we are committed to transparency and fostering a positive employee experience from your very first interaction with us. In compliance with Illinois pay disclosure requirements, when you join Aligned, you’ll have access to the following benefits: medical, dental, vision, short and long disability, life insurance and other voluntary benefits, 401k with employer match, bonus opportunities, paid time off, wellness benefits and professional development opportunities, all designed to support your well-being and career growth. We want you to have a clear understanding of what we offer, so you can make informed decisions about your future with us. Aligned is equally committed to fostering an inclusive workplace and providing equal employment opportunities for all employees. We ensure that all applicants and team members are considered for employment, advancement, and all other employment-related matters without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), national origin, age, physical or mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. If you require a reasonable accommodation to perform the essential functions of your job due to a disability or medical condition, please contact our People & Culture team. Accommodation requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis in accordance with applicable laws. Aligned will make reasonable accommodations where necessary to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their role.