Director – Data Center Operations

About Nscale

Nscale is the vertically integrated AI cloud engineered for AI. We own and operate the full stack — energy, data centres, GPU superclusters, orchestration, and AI services — delivering high-performance infrastructure to AI-native companies, enterprises, and governments across Europe and the US. We are deploying GPU capacity at hyperscale, operating some of the densest, most advanced AI infrastructure in the world.

At Nscale, our Data Center Operations team plays a critical role in delivering safe, reliable, and high-performing infrastructure for our customers, where operational excellence is central to everything we do. We thrive on a culture of relentless innovation, ownership, and accountability, where every team member takes pride in their work and drives it with excellence and urgency. As an Nscaler, you'll build trust through openness and transparency, where everyone is inspired to do their best work. If you join our team, you'll be contributing to building the technology that powers the future.

About the Role

Nscale is seeking an experienced Director, DC Operations to lead the operational performance of our West Virginia campus. This is a senior leadership role with accountability for day-to-day operations, operational readiness, maintenance, incident response, risk management, team development, and continuous improvement across a highly complex, high-availability data center environment.

Nscale's AI infrastructure requires an operating model that goes beyond traditional data center facilities management. High-density compute, significant electrical loads, advanced cooling systems, rapid infrastructure deployment, and evolving AI technology create a dynamic environment where operational discipline, speed of execution, and sound technical judgment are critical.

You will lead the Operations function with clear accountability, strong operational standards, effective escalation paths, and consistent execution. You'll partner closely with Engineering, Construction, Commissioning, IT/AI Infrastructure, Security, EHS, Procurement, and other functions to ensure the campus is operationally ready, maintainable, scalable, and capable of supporting Nscale's rapidly growing AI infrastructure.

This is a site-based leadership role requiring a strong operational presence at the West Virginia campus. Relocation will be expected for candidates who are not within a reasonable commuting distance.

What You'll be Doing

Operations Leadership
- Provide overall operational leadership for the West Virginia campus and its critical infrastructure.
- Build a culture centered on safety, operational discipline, accountability, reliability, and continuous improvement.
- Establish the operating model, staffing, capabilities, and leadership structure required to support current operations and future growth.
- Establish effective communication, escalation, and decision-making processes for routine operations and critical events.
- Lead an operational excellence program with meaningful KPIs for safety, availability, maintenance, readiness, response, and training.

Operational Readiness & Handover
- Define Nscale's operational readiness requirements for new facilities, systems, capacity expansions, and major infrastructure deployments.
- Partner with Engineering, Construction, and Commissioning to ensure infrastructure transitions into operations with the right procedures, documentation, training, maintenance strategies, spares, controls, and monitoring in place.
- Establish clear readiness and acceptance criteria before infrastructure is placed into operational service.
- Build a repeatable readiness model that scales with Nscale's growth and incorporates lessons learned into future deployments.

Infrastructure & AI Operations
- Provide operational oversight of critical electrical, mechanical, cooling, controls, monitoring, and facility infrastructure.
- Ensure infrastructure operates within defined design parameters, operating envelopes, and safety requirements.
- Develop operational strategies for high-density AI environments, including significant electrical loads and advanced cooling systems.
- Partner with IT/AI Infrastructure and Engineering to understand the operational requirements of GPU and other high-density compute platforms.
- Identify and manage risks associated with increasing power density, thermal loads, infrastructure complexity, and rapidly evolving technology.

Maintenance & Asset Management
- Establish a disciplined maintenance strategy for critical infrastructure, including preventive and predictive maintenance programs.
- Establish effective CMMS, asset management, critical spares, and OEM service practices.
- Monitor equipment condition, recurring failures, maintenance trends, and emerging risks, and continuously improve maintenance strategies.

Incident Management & Operational Standards
- Lead the operational response to significant incidents and critical infrastructure events.
- Establish clear incident management, escalation, communication, and recovery processes.
- Establish and maintain consistent standards for SOPs, MOPs, EOPs, emergency response, and management of change, ensuring they are current, practical, and routinely exercised.
- Lead post-incident reviews and root cause analysis, ensuring corrective actions are owned, tracked, and closed.
- Ensure BMS, EPMS, DCIM, monitoring, alarming, historian, and other operational systems provide the visibility required to safely operate the campus.

Safety, Security & Compliance
- Maintain safety as a fundamental operating principle across employees, contractors, and service providers.
- Partner with EHS to establish safe operating practices for high-energy and mission-critical infrastructure, including energized work, switching, and hazardous energy controls.
- Support physical security and cybersecurity requirements for critical infrastructure and operational technology.
- Maintain compliance with applicable regulatory, environmental, safety, and operational requirements.

Team & Cross-Functional Leadership
- Build and develop a high-performing Operations organization capable of supporting a rapidly scaling AI infrastructure environment.
- Establish staffing, competency, training, authorization, and succession requirements.
- Recruit, develop, coach, and retain strong operational leaders and technical talent.
- Represent Operations in project planning, design reviews, technology decisions, and infrastructure deployment, bringing operational requirements into new projects early.

About You

- 10+ years of experience in mission-critical operations, data centers, power generation, utilities, industrial facilities, semiconductor manufacturing, or another highly complex operational environment.
- Demonstrated experience leading critical infrastructure operations where safety, availability, and operational discipline are essential.
- Experience leading technical teams and developing operational leaders.
- Strong understanding of electrical and mechanical infrastructure and the interdependencies within a mission-critical facility.
- Experience with operational procedures, maintenance programs, incident management, and emergency response.
- Experience working in MOP-, SOP-, and EOP-driven environments.
- Strong judgment and decision-making ability during high-pressure operational events.
- Excellent communication and leadership skills.

Nice to Have

- Experience operating hyperscale, AI, high-density compute, or large-scale data center infrastructure.
- Experience with high-density electrical distribution and advanced cooling systems, including liquid cooling.
- Experience with BMS, EPMS, DCIM, SCADA, controls, or other critical infrastructure monitoring systems.
- Experience establishing operational readiness or handover programs for new facilities or major infrastructure deployments.
- Experience with CMMS, critical spares, OEM service models, management of change, operational risk management, or root cause analysis.
- Experience leading operations through significant infrastructure growth or organizational change.
- Bachelor's degree in engineering, operations, facilities management, or a related technical field.

Why this role matters

Nscale is operating at the intersection of two rapidly evolving industries: AI and critical infrastructure. This role is an opportunity to help define how large-scale AI infrastructure is operated as the industry moves toward higher power densities, advanced cooling technologies, increasingly complex infrastructure, and unprecedented levels of compute demand.

In your first 12 months, you will:
- Establish a clear and effective Operations model and build a strong team with the right capabilities, coverage, and leadership depth.
- Implement consistent operational standards and a strong readiness and handover process for new infrastructure.
- Establish meaningful KPIs, effective incident response, and post-incident learning processes.
- Improve maintenance discipline, asset visibility, and critical spares readiness.
- Develop clear operating envelopes for the campus and its AI infrastructure.
- Position the West Virginia campus to scale without compromising safety, reliability, or operational discipline.

You will play a significant role in building not only a high-performing facility, but the operational standards, teams, and practices that can scale with Nscale's growth. We are looking for an operational leader who wants to help build what comes next.

What We Can Offer You

At Nscale, you'll find a collaborative, supportive, and innovative environment where your contributions spark real impact. We're building something extraordinary, and we want you at the core.

- Highly competitive package, including base salary and equity, with reviews every 12 months.
- Join one of the fastest-growing tech startups: your chance to push boundaries, collaborate with brilliant minds, and make your mark on cutting-edge AI.
- Expect a dynamic progression plan tailored to your ambitions. Grow by trying new things, leading, challenging the status quo, and owning your impact, always with our full support.
- Human-first flexibility. We treat you as humans first. Our flexible workplace trusts Nscalers to deliver, giving you the autonomy to shape your day around life's moments.
- Join our thriving remote-first team. Geography is no barrier to impact or connection. We build seamless virtual collaboration, empowering you wherever you work.

Equal Opportunities Statement

At Nscale, we are committed to fostering an inclusive, diverse, and equitable workplace. We believe that a variety of perspectives enrich our work environment, and we encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds, experiences, and abilities. We strongly encourage applications from people of colour, the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, neurodivergent people, parents, carers, and people from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

If there's anything we can do to accommodate your specific situation, please let us know.

Salary Range 200000 - 270000 USD