Physical Security Compliance & Reliability, SME, EMEA in Newport

About Vantage Data Centers

Vantage Data Centers powers, cools, protects and connects the technology of the world’s well-known hyperscalers, cloud providers and large enterprises. Developing and operating across North America, EMEA and Asia Pacific, Vantage has evolved data center design in innovative ways to deliver dramatic gains in reliability, efficiency and sustainability in flexible environments that can scale as quickly as the market demands.

Physical Security Department

The Physical Security Department for Vantage Data Centers EMEA is very hands on. In most cases, we manage full-spectrum system specifications, site & system design, procurement, installation, configuration, maintenance of all network and server hardware and provide live-site physical security. We also work closely identifying & selecting trusted partner vendors and suppliers to learn about the latest technology changes so that we can make informed purchase decisions. We are always looking for ways to strike the best balance between human delivered physical security, technology, performance, and cost. Vantage Physical Security Department also participates in designing each of our new data center building’s security infrastructure. If you like getting your hands dirty and helping to design, build and maintain Physical Security infrastructure in a modern data center, then come work at Vantage. We are expanding with many new builds!

Position Description

The Physical Security Compliance & Reliability SME is a pivotal governance and technical authority role within the EMEA Physical Security organisation. The role exists to provide independent compliance oversight, assurance, and technical authority across VDC construction projects and OPEX migration/remedial works ensuring physical security systems are delivered in accordance with approved designs, VDC standards, and recognised industry best practice.

This role operates in close partnership with VDC Delivery teams and their appointed General Contractors, providing subject-matter expertise, governance oversight, and independent assurance across Physical Security scope. While day-to-day delivery and execution activities sit within the Delivery function, the SME supports delivery by offering technical guidance, compliance oversight, and quality assurance, helping ensure systems are delivered in line with VDC standards and are ready for commissioning and operational acceptance.

The SME plays a critical role within the VDC Gating Framework, supporting projects from early design stages through commissioning and Ready for Service (RFS). The role provides technical input and assurance at relevant gates, confirming that Physical Security scope, design intent, and risk controls are appropriately defined, implemented, and verified.

The SME acts as the VDC Physical Security technical authority for commissioning (Cx) activities, including system readiness reviews, witness testing, and validation against approved design specifications and standards. At a VDC Physical Security level, the SME is the final approver for commissioning execution outcomes and confirms whether Physical Security systems meet the defined criteria for acceptance into operational ownership. In this capacity, the SME serves as the VDC Physical Security authority for RFS acceptance, formally confirming that systems are compliant, commissioned, and fit for operational handover, or clearly identifying and documenting any gaps, risks, or constraints where acceptance criteria have not been met.

The role is responsible for developing, maintaining, and tracking Physical Security governance artefacts, including master security work plans, gating inputs, commissioning readiness assessments, and risk registers. This includes tracking task dependencies, identifying early risks, and ensuring that deviations from scope, design, or schedule are formally raised and managed through the appropriate delivery and escalation channels.

The SME monitors GC and delivery performance from a compliance and assurance perspective, providing VDC Delivery teams with expert guidance, challenge, and recommendations, but without assuming ownership of delivery actions. The role ensures that accountability for corrective actions remains clearly with delivery owners.

Following RFS, the SME retains responsibility for the governance and trackability of Physical Security snags, defects, and residual risks identified during commissioning, audits, or early operations, ensuring visibility, accountability, and disciplined closure without assuming responsibility for remediation execution. The role also ensures lessons learned, best practices, and systemic issues are captured and fed back into VDC standards, processes, and future projects to improve predictability, quality, and risk management across the Physical Security portfolio. Strong written and verbal communication skills are essential, as the SME engages with Delivery, Operations, GCs, integrators, and senior leadership to influence outcomes through expertise, evidence, and governance. The role requires significant experience overseeing large-scale physical security systems and is responsible for providing regular, accurate, and defensible reporting to the Director of Physical Security Compliance & Reliability on project status, risks, gating readiness, commissioning outcomes, and post-RFS defect closure across the assigned portfolio, including Dublin, Cardiff, and London.

Essential Job Functions

• Maintain and govern project-level Physical Security compliance artefacts, governance documentation, and risk registers in alignment with the VDC Gating Framework.
• Provide Physical Security compliance oversight and technical assurance during construction phases, working in close partnership with VDC Delivery teams and General Contractors.
• Support Delivery teams by reviewing progress, identifying risks or deviations, and providing recommendations relating to Physical Security scope, quality, and readiness.
• Provide governance and compliance oversight aligned to defined Physical Security work breakdown structures and VDC standards.
• Perform quality assurance reviews and support continuous improvement of Physical Security delivery processes and outcomes.
• Track and govern Physical Security milestones, dependencies, and key readiness activities without assuming responsibility for delivery execution.
• Develop, maintain, and govern templates, registers, forms, and document repositories supporting Physical Security compliance, commissioning, and handover.
• Audit Physical Security processes and controls, identifying opportunities to refine, improve, or introduce governance mechanisms to reduce risk and improve predictability.
• Build and maintain effective stakeholder networks to ensure appropriate context, visibility, and early awareness of issues impacting Physical Security outcomes.
• Understand VDC business and operational objectives and provide informed recommendations on standards, processes, technologies, and practices to support continual improvement.

Duties

• Provide governance oversight of Physical Security reporting tools and artefacts across VDC construction and OPEX-related security projects.
• Support project planning activities through Physical Security assurance, readiness reviews, and risk identification rather than direct project management.
• Communicate effectively with Delivery teams, Operations, and Physical Security leadership to provide clear status, risks, and recommendations.
• Support the development and review of Physical Security deployment, commissioning, and handover plans from a compliance and assurance perspective.
• Identify, assess, and prioritise Physical Security risks and ensure they are formally recorded, communicated, and addressed through appropriate delivery channels.
• Establish, govern, and support compliance with Physical Security policies, standards, and procedures.