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- Tasks: Lead strategic management of EMEA data centre operations and ensure operational excellence.
- Company: A leading global financial institution with a focus on innovation and compliance.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, leadership opportunities, and a chance to shape critical infrastructure.
- Why this job: Make a significant impact on mission-critical environments in a highly regulated industry.
- Qualifications: Extensive experience in data centre operations and knowledge of regulatory standards.
- Other info: Join a dynamic team and drive best practices across multiple sites.
The predicted salary is between 72000 - 108000 £ per year.
A leading global financial institution is seeking an experienced Head of Data Centre & Critical Facilities Operations to lead the strategic management and operational performance of its EMEA data centre estate. This is a senior leadership role responsible for ensuring the resilience, availability, and compliance of mission-critical infrastructure environments supporting the bank’s core technology platforms. The successful candidate will provide strategic oversight of data centre operations, facilities management, infrastructure resilience, and vendor governance across multiple sites. Operating within a highly regulated environment, the role will ensure that the bank’s data centre facilities and supporting infrastructure meet the highest standards of operational excellence, regulatory compliance, and service availability.
The Head of Data Centre & Critical Facilities Operations will be responsible for the leadership, governance, and operational management of all EMEA data centre environments and associated equipment rooms. Working closely with technology leadership, facilities management providers, and infrastructure teams, the role will ensure that critical infrastructure including power, cooling, environmental monitoring, telecommunications connectivity, and structured cabling operate reliably and efficiently. The role will also drive long-term capacity planning, resilience strategy and operational best practices across the organisation’s data centre estate.
Duties:
- Provide strategic leadership for the bank’s EMEA data centre and critical facilities operations.
- Ensure the resilience, availability, and operational integrity of mission-critical infrastructure environments.
- Oversee the management of power, cooling, environmental monitoring, and other critical facilities systems across the data centre estate.
- Lead operational governance across data centre activities, including equipment installation, moves/adds/changes, remote hands, and infrastructure decommissioning.
- Develop and implement long-term capacity planning strategies covering power, cooling and space utilisation.
- Manage relationships with facilities management providers and specialist infrastructure vendors.
- Ensure operational procedures and governance controls are maintained across all data centre environments.
- Lead disaster recovery planning and testing across critical infrastructure environments.
- Ensure infrastructure environments meet regulatory and audit requirements, including Sarbanes-Oxley Act and SOC 1.
- Maintain accurate asset and infrastructure inventory across the data centre estate.
- Oversee the design, installation, and commissioning of infrastructure, including equipment rooms and structured cabling environments.
- Coordinate the delivery and resilience of telecommunications circuits supporting critical infrastructure.
Experience required:
- Significant experience leading enterprise data centre and critical facilities operations.
- Experience operating within financial services or other highly regulated industries.
Head of Data Centre & Critical Facilities Operations employer: Church International
Contact Detail:
Church International Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Data Centre & Critical Facilities Operations
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the industry, attend relevant events, and engage with professionals on platforms like LinkedIn. We all know that sometimes it’s not just what you know, but who you know that can help you land that dream job.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its data centre operations. Understand their challenges and think about how your experience can solve them. We want you to walk into that interview room with confidence, ready to impress!
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your expertise! Bring along examples of your past successes in managing data centre operations or improving resilience strategies. We believe that demonstrating your impact can set you apart from other candidates.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. We’re always on the lookout for talented individuals who can lead and innovate in critical facilities operations.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Data Centre & Critical Facilities Operations
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV speaks directly to the role of Head of Data Centre & Critical Facilities Operations. Highlight your experience in managing data centre operations and any relevant achievements that showcase your leadership skills in a regulated environment.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're the perfect fit for this senior leadership role. Mention specific examples of how you've ensured resilience and compliance in previous positions, and don’t forget to show your passion for the industry.
Showcase Relevant Experience: When filling out your application, be sure to emphasise your significant experience in enterprise data centre operations. Include details about your work with power, cooling, and environmental monitoring systems, as well as your ability to manage vendor relationships effectively.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother application process. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you don’t miss out on any important updates regarding your application status!
How to prepare for a job interview at Church International
✨Know Your Infrastructure Inside Out
Make sure you’re well-versed in the specifics of data centre operations, especially around power, cooling, and environmental monitoring. Brush up on the latest technologies and best practices in resilience strategy and operational governance to show you’re not just familiar but passionate about the field.
✨Demonstrate Leadership Experience
Prepare examples that showcase your leadership skills in managing teams and projects. Think about times when you’ve successfully led disaster recovery planning or improved operational integrity. This will help you illustrate your capability to lead the bank’s EMEA data centre operations effectively.
✨Understand Regulatory Requirements
Familiarise yourself with key regulations like the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and SOC 1. Be ready to discuss how you’ve ensured compliance in previous roles, as this is crucial for the position. Showing that you can navigate a highly regulated environment will set you apart.
✨Build Relationships with Vendors
Think about your experience managing relationships with facilities management providers and infrastructure vendors. Prepare to discuss how you’ve successfully collaborated with external partners to enhance operational performance, as this will be vital for the role.