Data Centre Operations Lead

Job Title: Data Centre Operations Lead

Location: Rockville, MD - Onsite from day1 - Contract to hire

Job Description:

• Lead the data center operations team, providing guidance, training, and support to ensure high performance and operational excellence. Act as the primary point of contact for all data center-related issues and escalations.

• Oversee the daily operations of data center facilities, ensuring high availability and reliability of all systems.

• Manage data center infrastructure technology stack end to end – VMWare/VxRail/Citrix/Logic Monitor/Moog Soft/AD/Azure AD SSO, Azure Security Policy/PKI/Windows & Linux Servers/Vulnerability management/Beyond Trust Password Safe and AD-Bridge/Storage & Backup tools etc.

• Ensure adherence to operational standards and best practices.

• Drive the major incidents and potential incidents end to end with periodic updates to client stake holders for approvals/recommendations.

• Lead, mentor, and manage a team of data center operation engineers.

• Provide guidance and support for professional development and performance improvement.

• Coordinate and manage the team's daily activities, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and priorities.

• Lead the response to data center incidents, ensuring timely resolution and minimal impact on business operations.

• Perform root cause analysis and implement preventive measures to avoid recurrence of issues.

• Develop and maintain incident management processes and procedures.

• Plan and oversee scheduled maintenance and upgrades of data center infrastructure.

• Ensure that all hardware and software components are up-to-date and functioning optimally.

• Coordinate with vendors and service providers for maintenance and support activities.

• Monitor and analyze data center resource usage, ensuring efficient utilization and avoiding over-provisioning.

• Conduct capacity planning to support future growth and demand.

• Implement optimization strategies to enhance performance and reduce operational costs.

• Ensure data center infrastructure adheres to security policies, standards, and best practices.

• Implement and maintain security controls to protect data and systems.

• Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and industry standards (e.g., ISO 27001, HIPAA).

• Develop and implement disaster recovery and business continuity plans for data center operations.

• Ensure regular testing and validation of disaster recovery procedures.

• Ensure data center infrastructure is resilient and can recover quickly from failures or disruptions.

• Work closely with other IT teams, business units, and stakeholders to understand requirements and deliver solutions that meet their needs.

• Collaborate with vendors and service providers to evaluate and integrate new technologies and services.

• Communicate effectively with stakeholders, providing regular updates on data center operations and performance.

• Maintain comprehensive documentation of data center infrastructure, configurations, processes, and procedures.

• Generate regular reports on data center performance, incidents, and operational metrics.

• Ensure documentation is up-to-date and accessible to relevant stakeholders.

Here are some technical responsibilities in detail.

Active Directory and Cloud Services

• Administer Azure AD, manage security groups, GPO, SSO, and application configurations.

• Handle public cloud directory services, Oracle IDCS, network/file shares, SCP policies, privileged user management, and service account passwords.

• Conduct AD audits, schema updates, backup/restore services, and assist with JSOX, FDA, and GQS audits.

• Manage ticket queues and follow up on aging tickets.

• End-to-end support for Active Directory Domains (Azure AD, AD security groups, GPO, SSO, application configurations, etc.

IT Environment Monitoring

• 24x7 ITSM queue-based monitoring.

• Triage and first-level troubleshooting based on alert severity.

• Incident resolution using Standard Operating Procedures.

Vendor Coordination

• Coordinate with vendors for infrastructure on public/private Cloud.

• Provide vendor contact details and escalation matrix.

Citrix Architecture and Optimization

• Maintain Citrix architecture and seek continuous optimization.

• Participate in architecture design and planning with the steering committee.

• Recommend system and end-user performance improvements.

• Implement approved performance improvements.

Citrix Environment Support

• Support Citrix environment and integrate with Otsuka-specific technologies.

• Order, install, update, and maintain Citrix servers and tools.

• Assess, consolidate, upgrade, and manage Citrix infrastructure, including SDX appliances.

• Manage NetScaler infrastructure and upgrades.

IT Service Continuity and Disaster Recovery (DR) Services

• Strategy and Policy Definition

• Coordination and Execution

• Data Management

• Testing and Reporting

• DR Activation and Coordination

• Review and Enhancement

Onsite and Remote Support

• Onsite server support, IMAC services, and remote software installation.

• Decommissioning, proactive evaluation, and datacenter assessment.

Windows Server Management & Projects

• Administer and monitor Windows servers, including health checks and problem management.

• Manage local users, groups, shares, and server disk/storage.

• Handle event logs, vendor coordination, and performance issues.

• Install and manage IIS, apply security patches, and troubleshoot clusters.

• Oversee DNS, SCOM, certificate management, migrations, and server deployments.

Linux Server Administration and Projects

• User Administration - Manage user accounts, environments, and home directories.

• OS Package Administration - Add/remove OS packages and troubleshoot issues.

• Storage Management - Create/manage file systems, logical volumes, and clean up disk space.

• NIS and NFS Management - Administer NIS tables and services, install/configure NFS servers.

• Network and Security - Configure/manage NTP, DNS, and implement security standards.

• OS Upgrade and Patching - Upgrade/patch Linux OS, configure SSSD and AD, manage disk and security.

• High Availability and Compliance - Build/configure HA environments, enforce security, and ensure regulatory compliance.

• Server Builds and Management - Install/configure NIS, mail, DNS servers, and centralized syslog servers.

DC Power Tools

• Tool Stack –Logic Monitor, MoogSoft, Manage Engine, Beyond Trust Password Safe, Beyond Trust AD Bridge, CommVault compliance Search, Veritas Hubstor etc. – Management and Support

Logic Monitor Administration

• Installation and Configuration - Install and configure LogicMonitor Collectors and group servers for monitoring.

• Monitoring and Reporting - Configure monitoring settings, create HLD/Templates/SOPs, and integrate with Moogsoft.

• Maintenance and Troubleshooting - Backup/restore LogicMonitor Collectors, troubleshoot devices, and modify LogicModules.

• Consultancy and Coordination - Provide consultancy, manage stakeholders, oversee platform support, and monitor infrastructure services.

Moogsoft Administration and Issues

• Integration and Event Management -Resolve Element Layer Tool integration issues and missing events/alarms at the Moogsoft layer.

• Ticketing and Situation Formulation - Address ticketing problems with ITSM tools and inconsistencies in situation formulation/Cookbook.

• Maintenance and Upgrades - Fix maintenance window malfunctions and perform Moogsoft module upgrades.

• Configuration Management - Manage Moogsoft ReC, Ipe additions/deletions/modifications, and Cookbook enablement/disablement.

• TeamRooms and API Integration - Create/modify/delete Moogsoft TeamRooms and integrate Moogsoft AI Operations with vendor APIs to automate ticketing.

• Updates and Enhancements - Manage Moogsoft updates and enhancements.

Storage Backup & Data Management

• Define performance, data segregation, backup, restore, archival, retention, reliability, encryption, security, scheduling, and access control needs.

• Recommend hierarchical storage solutions (shared/dedicated, tiered storage, platforms) and procedures to meet requirements and SLRs.

• Review and approve storage and backup solutions and procedures.

• Procure and manage data storage infrastructure (SAN, NAS, tape, optical).

• Provide and manage backup and archival consumables for Otsuka facilities.

• Maintain data set placement, manage data catalogs, and configure Nimble SAN and NAS switches.

• Notify Otsuka of any data losses or risks.

• Perform data and file backups/restores per procedures and SLRs.

• Manage file transfers, data movement, and input processing for third-party media.

• Decommission storage and backup environments per policies.

• Develop and maintain backup schedules, manage backup media, and ensure data retention.

• Work with third-party vendors to archive data at secure offsite locations.

• Conduct media testing to ensure data recovery capability and integrity.

• Test end-to-end system recovery, remediate flaws, and coordinate with vendors.

• Recover files/data as required, provide recovery updates, and manage data replication to DR sites.

Qualifications we seek in you!

Minimum Qualifications / Skills

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Electrical Engineering, or a related field. Advanced degrees or relevant professional training are a plus.

• Minimum 10 years of experience in data center operations, with at least 5 years in a leadership or senior technical role.

• Extensive experience in data center operations, with a proven track record of managing large-scale data center environments.

• Strong leadership and team management skills, with the ability to motivate and develop a high-performing operations team.

• In-depth knowledge of data center infrastructure, including servers, storage, networking, power, and cooling systems.

• Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills, with the ability to diagnose and resolve complex technical issues.

• Experience with incident and problem management, change management, and capacity planning.

• Strong understanding of compliance, security, and regulatory requirements related to data center operations.

• Effective communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to interact with stakeholders at all levels.

• Experience in vendor management and contract negotiations.

• A proactive approach to continuous improvement and innovation in data center operations.

Preferred Qualifications/ Skills

• Relevant certifications from Microsoft, VMWare Citrix and Storage vendors are highly desirable.

• Experience with ITIL or other IT service management frameworks.

• Familiarity with cloud computing and hybrid data center environments.

• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to effectively interact with technical and non-technical stakeholders at all levels of the organization.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify root causes of issues and implement effective solutions in a timely manner.

• Proven ability to work independently as well as part of a team, with a proactive and self-motivated attitude towards achieving project goals.