HEAD OF DATA CENTER

Job Description : HEAD OF DATA CENTER OPERATIONS ABU DHABI UAE * To lead the effort from design completion through commissioning and into full steady-state operations. * You will work directly with the CEO to bring the facility to life - overseeing construction, standing up a 20–50 person operations team, and establishing the processes, standards, and culture that will underpin the delivery capability in market. * This a defining opportunity for a leader with deep expertise in both critical infrastructure and GPU-dense, high-density compute environments. KEY RESPONSIBILITES: Construction & Commissioning Lead construction management, general contractor oversight, and MEP commissioning for the Abu Dhabi facility. Define and implement operational readiness plans for AI/HPC workloads, including high-density power (20–40+ kW/rack) and liquid or rear-door cooling systems. Own all vendor and supplier relationships: UPS, generators, cooling, structured cabling, and network interconnect providers. Operations & Standards Develop and enforce data center SOPs, DCIM frameworks, and change management procedures. Establish and maintain 24/7 operational coverage, SLA frameworks, and incident response playbooks. Team Leadership Recruit, structure, and lead a 20–50 person operations team: facility engineers, NOC operators, DCIM analysts, and physical security personnel. Build a high-performance culture from day one, establishing hiring standards, career frameworks, and training programmes. Regulatory & Government Relations Establish and manage relationships with ADDC for power supply agreements and ADDA / Abu Dhabi free zone authorities for licensing and permitting. Implement physical security, data sovereignty controls, and compliance with ISO 27001 and UAE data protection frameworks. Commercial & Executive Reporting Partner with the commercial team to define customer SLAs for managed AI infrastructure services. Own operational KPIs — PUE, uptime, capacity utilisation — and report directly to the CEO and board. Manage capex and opex budgets with full financial accountability. Minimum 12 years in data center or critical infrastructure operations, with at least one full facility build-out or major commissioning in a senior leadership role. Hands-on expertise with high-density compute environments, GPU cluster infrastructure, or HPC data centers. Deep technical knowledge of critical systems: HV/LV power distribution, UPS and generator systems, precision cooling (CRAC, CRAH, liquid cooling), and structured cabling. Proven track record of hiring and scaling technical operations teams of 15 or more people from scratch. Strong command of Uptime Institute Tier standards, ISO 27001, EN 50600, and TIA-942. Experience operating in the UAE or GCC, with demonstrable understanding of local regulatory, utility, and permitting processes. Demonstrated ability to manage multi-million dollar construction and capex programmes. Executive-level stakeholder management and board reporting experience. Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical field. Uptime Institute certifications: CDCP, CDCS, or CDCMP. Prior experience at a hyperscaler (AWS, Azure, GCP, Oracle) or major colocation operator (Equinix, Digital Realty, Gulf Data Hub). Familiarity with ADDC power frameworks, Abu Dhabi Economic Zones, and TDRA licensing. Experience with NVIDIA DGX, AMD Instinct, or similar GPU cluster deployment and operations.

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