Data Centre Lab Manager in London

Contract Assignment - Data Centre Lab Manager

Reference - 20659

Day Rate - £500 - £550 a day (Inside IR35 determination)

Duration - 6 months extendable

Start Date - ASAP

Location - West Yorkshire

We are looking for an experienced infrastructure professional to take responsibility for the day-to-day operation of a technical hardware lab, while also providing leadership and direction to a small specialist team. The role is strongly focused on physical infrastructure and hardware rather than software engineering. The successful candidate will oversee activities including server installation, cabling, hardware configuration, testing and decommissioning, ensuring that appropriate processes and standards are followed. You will also work closely with teams across software, networking and facilities/floor management, helping to coordinate technical activity and ensure that both operational and project requirements are delivered effectively. A key element of the position is balancing hands-on technical responsibilities with team leadership, workload management and stakeholder engagement.

Core Responsibilities

• Take overall responsibility for the day-to-day operation and organisation of the hardware lab.
• Maintain appropriate hardware processes, records, audits and technical documentation.
• Coordinate the installation, provisioning, racking and removal of physical infrastructure.
• Lead the introduction and validation of new server and component hardware, ensuring it meets required certification and testing standards.
• Oversee hardware integration with VMware-based environments, ensuring effective connectivity between the physical and virtual infrastructure.
• Provide senior-level technical support and escalation for complex hardware issues, including rebuilding or recreating environments where required for major incident investigation.
• Work collaboratively with software, network, facilities and other technical teams to coordinate infrastructure changes and project activity.
• Engage with customers and other stakeholders where hardware-related planning or delivery requires input.
• Manage team activity through Jira, including sprint planning, prioritisation and allocation of BAU and project tasks.
• Establish, document and maintain consistent hardware testing and certification practices across the team.
• Support the development of the team and ensure appropriate standards are maintained across all lab activities.

Technical Experience

The successful candidate is likely to have:

• Significant practical experience working with data centre hardware and physical infrastructure.
• Strong experience with server installation, racking, cabling, hardware builds and physical troubleshooting.
• Hands-on familiarity with server management platforms such as Dell iDRAC, HPE iLO or Lenovo XClarity.
• A sound understanding of VMware environments and how physical infrastructure connects into the virtualisation layer.
• Good knowledge of SAN and storage technologies, particularly from a physical connectivity and infrastructure perspective.
• Experience using Jira or a similar platform to manage team workloads, sprint activity and priorities.
• Previous experience leading a small technical team, ideally with responsibility for approximately six people.
• The ability to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders and to work across multiple delivery teams.
• Experience within a controlled or regulated environment would be advantageous, particularly financial services.

About You

This position would suit someone who enjoys working close to the hardware and is comfortable combining technical responsibility with people leadership. You will need to be sufficiently hands-on to understand and resolve physical infrastructure issues, while also being able to step back and coordinate the wider team and its workload. You should be confident working across organisational boundaries and communicating with software, networking, business and operational stakeholders. The role requires someone who can manage competing BAU and project priorities, provide technical leadership during incidents and maintain a high standard of operational discipline within the lab. Candidates whose background is predominantly software development, virtualisation or purely managerial, without substantial physical hardware experience, are unlikely to be suitable. Equally important is the ability to work collaboratively, build effective relationships and contribute positively to the wider team.