Operations Lead UK

Job Title: UK Operations Lead
Location: Didcot Oxford UK
Department: Operations

Who We Are

At CloudHQ our mission is to deliver flexible efficient and resilient data center solutions to businesses worldwide. Founded by a pioneer in data center REITs we are a rapidly growing organization with state-of-the-art data center sites Globally in locations such as Ashburn London Frankfurt Paris Milan Osaka and São Paulo.

As we embark on an exciting phase of global growth we are looking for top-tier talent to drive our success and shape the future of CloudHQ.

Role Overview

The UK Operations Lead is responsible for the full operational leadership of all CloudHQ data centers across the United Kingdom. This role ensures operational excellence regulatory compliance financial performance and alignment with regional and global strategies.

Reporting directly to the EMEA Regional Operations Director this position requires strong leadership strategic thinking and the ability to manage multi-site operations high-performing teams and complex mission-critical environments. The role combines business ownership technical oversight and stakeholder engagement at executive level.

Key Responsibilities

General Management & Leadership

• Lead and manage all data center operations across the UK ensuring alignment with regional and global business strategies.
• Develop and execute country-level operational strategies including cost optimization performance improvement and risk mitigation initiatives.
• Build lead and develop high-performing teams across operations engineering (electrical & mechanical) facilities security and compliance functions.
• Provide leadership and direction to managers and functional leaders ensuring accountability and performance delivery.
• Drive a culture of operational excellence safety and continuous improvement across all locations.
• Establish succession planning talent development and leadership capability within the UK organization.
• Act as the primary escalation point for major operational incidents and critical business risks.
• Represent the company with regulators customers industry bodies and key strategic partners.

Operational Oversight

• Ensure operational excellence across all UK data center facilities delivering maximum uptime resilience and service quality.
• Define monitor and report on KPIs related to availability efficiency maintenance performance and service delivery.
• Ensure implementation and compliance with global operational standards procedures (SOPs MOPs EOPs) and best practices.
• Drive continuous improvement programs across reliability maintenance strategy and operational efficiency.
• Oversee capacity planning and ensure readiness for customer growth and expansion.
• Collaborate with engineering and design teams on new developments ensuring scalability and resilience of infrastructure.
• Ensure robust risk management frameworks including business continuity (BCP) and disaster recovery (DR) planning.
• Maintain oversight of all infrastructure systems (without direct hands-on responsibility) including electrical mechanical and critical support systems.

Financial & Regulatory Management

• Own and manage the UK operational budget including forecasting cost control and financial performance.
• Drive cost optimization initiatives while maintaining performance and service quality.
• Ensure full compliance with UK legislation including Health & Safety (HSE) environmental regulations and energy compliance frameworks.
• Oversee governance audit readiness and regulatory reporting requirements.
• Partner with finance legal procurement and compliance teams to mitigate business and operational risks.
• Manage vendor contracts SLAs and commercial performance across all service providers.

Sustainability & Innovation

• Lead initiatives across UK operations including energy efficiency carbon reduction and water usage optimization.
• Drive improvements in energy performance metrics (e.g. PUE) across all facilities.
• Support adoption of innovative technologies and solutions to enhance operational efficiency and reliability.
• Align UK operations with corporate ESG objectives and reporting standards.

Required Skills & Experience

Education

• Bachelors degree in Business Operations Management Engineering or related field.
• MBA or equivalent preferred.

Experience

• Minimum 10 years of experience in operations management within mission-critical environments
• At least 57 years in senior leadership roles managing multi-site data centre operations or similar complex infrastructure environments.
• Proven track record of managing large-scale high-availability operations with full P&L or budget responsibility.

Leadership Skills

• Demonstrated ability to lead large cross-functional and geographically distributed teams.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to translate business objectives into operational execution.
• Strong decision-making skills under pressure in mission-critical environments.

Technical Expertise

• Strong understanding of data center infrastructure including:
• Electrical systems (UPS generators MV/LV distribution ATS).
• Mechanical systems (HVAC chilled water systems CRAH/CRAC).
• Building systems (BMS EPMS DCIM platforms).

Knowledge of industry standards and frameworks:

• SO 27001 ISO 50001
• ASHRAE (TC 9.9)
• TIA-942
• Uptime Institute Tier Standards
• Understanding of redundancy models (N N1 2N) and high availability design principles.
• Experience with business continuity disaster recovery and risk management programs.
• Strong awareness of energy management sustainability practices and efficiency metrics (PUE).

Other Skills

• Chartered Engineer (CEng) status with the Engineering Council (UK) preferred.
• Membership with a relevant professional body (e.g. IET IMechE CIBSE) highly desirable.
• Strong financial acumen (budgeting forecasting cost control).
• Excellent communication negotiation and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to operate in a fast-paced global and highly technical environment.
• High level of ownership accountability and resilience.

Language

• Fluent in English; German French Italian and/or Spanish highly desirable.

Join us at CloudHQ and be part of an innovative team shaping the future of global data infrastructure!

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