Build stage 4
Operations
Operations is the fourth stage of a data center build. Once the owner accepts the building after integrated systems testing, a critical facilities team takes over and runs it around the clock. The power, cooling and monitoring systems built and tested in the earlier stages become their responsibility for the life of the building.
By Czarina Tabayoyong, Founder, Critical Path Hiring. Former Amazon, AWS and Google recruiter.
Last reviewed · First published
Reviewed as terms, pay and markets change.
Work
Turnover
At the end of commissioning, the contractors and the commissioning agent hand the building to operations: as-built drawings, test results, equipment manuals, warranties, spare parts and training. Operations staff who watched the integrated systems testing start with a better picture of how the building behaves.
Daily operations
Facility technicians work shifts so someone is on site at all hours. They watch the building management system (BMS) and the electrical power monitoring system (EPMS), walk the electrical and mechanical rooms, and log readings. Many sites follow written procedures for every routine task and every change, so no one works on live equipment from memory.
Maintenance
Generators, UPS systems, switchgear, chillers and cooling units all need planned maintenance. Some is done by the site's own technicians and some by the equipment vendors. Work on equipment that carries the critical load is planned in advance and approved before it starts.
Failure response
When an alarm comes in, the technician on shift follows an emergency procedure, keeps the load running and escalates to the facility manager and vendors. Afterward the team writes up what failed and what will change to prevent it.
People
- Facility or site managers who run the building and the team
- Chief engineers who own the electrical and mechanical systems
- Critical facilities engineers and shift leads
- Electrical and mechanical facility technicians
- Controls and BMS technicians
- Maintenance planners and EHS (environmental, health and safety) staff
- Data center technicians who install and service servers and network gear, often on a separate team
Commissioning overlap
Owners often bring their chief engineer and shift leads on site during level 4 and level 5 testing, so the operations team has watched each system tested under load before it takes over. People who have done both commissioning and operations can fill either role.
Hiring impact
Operations roles need to be filled before the building opens, and around-the-clock coverage means each shift role needs several people. Candidates from power plants, hospitals, pharmaceutical plants and the Navy nuclear program often bring the electrical and mechanical plant experience these roles need. Ask candidates which systems they have operated, what their shift pattern was, and how they handled the last failure on their watch.
For when to open each search against the build schedule, see the hiring timeline by build stage.
Related
Operations pay ranges
Posted pay for critical facilities engineers, chief engineers and technicians, updated monthly.
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Czarina Tabayoyong
Founder and principal recruiter, Critical Path Hiring. Czarina recruits commissioning, MEP, power and critical facilities people for data center builds. She previously recruited cloud and data center architecture talent at AWS Professional Services, and PMO and project delivery talent for hyperscale data center campuses in Texas and Virginia.
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