Director, Datacenter Operations

SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible with the ultimate goal ofenabling human life on Mars.

DIRECTOR DATACENTER OPERATIONS

We are seeking an exceptional Director Datacenter Operations to lead both the engineering and operations of xAIs hyperscale AI compute facilities. This role will own the full lifecycle of mission-critical infrastructure from design and development through construction commissioning and ongoing operations including structural civil electrical mechanical liquid cooling power generation power distribution controls and high-capacity fiber optic networks.

You will build and lead high-performing multidisciplinary engineering and operations teams drive technical strategy and operational excellence and ensure world-class reliability efficiency and scalability for the infrastructure powering xAIs AI training clusters. This high-impact position requires deep expertise in hyperscale data center or industrial infrastructure strong leadership across both engineering and operations disciplines and the ability to deliver at unprecedented speed and scale. This is a full-time primarily onsite role with significant travel to project sites and vendor locations.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Own the operations and performance of the physical infrastructure for xAIs data centers and compute facilities including electrical systems mechanical systems liquid cooling power generation power distribution controls and fiber networks.
• Build and lead operations teams across electrical mechanical controls power generation and critical infrastructure areas.
• Set and maintain operational standards and procedures for power usage cooling performance uptime efficiency and reliability.
• Run day-to-day facility operations including power generation electrical and mechanical systems preventive maintenance and response to issues.
• Improve facility operations over time by focusing on better reliability efficiency and cost control.
• Work with construction hardware and procurement teams to bring new facilities from construction into steady operations.
• Identify and implement improvements to cooling systems power delivery controls and maintenance practices to support large AI clusters.
• Manage operational budgets vendor relationships and resource planning.
• Maintain safety quality and compliance standards across all operations.
• Report on facility performance and provide updates and recommendations to leadership.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelors degree in an engineering discipline or 8 years of experience in a production/military/industrial/data center environment.
• 4 years of direct people leadership experience managing engineering and/or operations teams.

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Deep knowledge of electrical mechanical and power systems liquid cooling controls/BMS fiber optic networks and 24/7 critical facilities operations.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver high reliability and operational excellence under aggressive growth timelines.
• Direct experience in AI or hyperscale data center environments including liquid cooling systems and high-power GPU/accelerator infrastructure.
• Strong background in both design/engineering and operations of power generation assets (gas turbines reciprocating engines etc.).
• Experience building or scaling fiber infrastructure for low-latency high-bandwidth interconnects between compute clusters.
• Track record of leading multidisciplinary teams through the full project lifecycle (design through operations) on fast-track schedules.
• Familiarity with Uptime Institute Tier standards ASHRAE guidelines IEEE NFPA IBC TIA-942 and relevant power generation standards.
• Experience with automation predictive maintenance and data-driven operational improvements.
• Masters degree in engineering or related field; Professional Engineer (PE) license is a plus.
• Hands-on experience with relevant tools and platforms (AutoCAD Revit ETAP BIM CMMS monitoring systems).

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• This role is primarily onsite at key project locations (e.g. Memphis area) and will require relocation if not local.
• Willingness to travel to other sites and vendor locations as needed (up to 20%).
• Ability to work in industrial/data center environments and lead teams during high-pressure phases including extended hours when required.
• Must be comfortable with on-call responsibilities for critical infrastructure.

ITAR REQUIREMENTS:

• To conform to U.S. Government export regulations applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national (ii) U.S. lawful permanent resident (aka green card holder) (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. 1157 or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. 1158 or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.

SpaceX is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with SpaceX is governed on the basis of merit competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race color religion gender national origin/ethnicity veteran status disability status age sexual orientation gender identity marital status mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

Applicants wishing to view a copy of SpaceXs Affirmative Action Plan for veterans and individuals with disabilities or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should reach out to.