Data Center Strategy and Operations Lead

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Regular or Temporary:

Regular

Language Fluency:  English (Required)

Work Shift:

1st shift (United States of America)

Please review the following job description:

The Data Center Strategy and Operations Lead is a pivotal role responsible for the overall strategy, planning and management of Truist’s data center operations. This role ensures Truist’s data centers operate with high efficiency, resiliency, and scalability to meet growing business demands. This role plays a critical part in managing the end-to-end lifecycle of Truist’s data center infrastructure, including provisioning, capacity management, and collaborating with key partners such as the Corporate Real Estate and Workplace (CREW) team for critical systems management. This role requires 25% overnight travel.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Following is a summary of the essential functions for this job.  Other duties may be performed, both major and minor, which are not mentioned below.  Specific activities may change from time to time. 

• Data Center Provisioning and Management
  • Oversee the end-to-end provisioning of Truist’s data centers, ensuring timely and efficient deployment of hardware and infrastructure required to support business operations.
  • Lead the implementation and maintenance of data center technologies, ensuring they meet business, technical and security requirements.
  • Ensure data center operations are compliant with Truist’s policies, industry standards, and regulatory requirements, including security, availability, and disaster recovery protocols.
  • Implement best practices for monitoring, managing, and maintaining data center environments, focusing on minimizing downtime and optimizing system performance.
  • Manage relationships with external vendors and service providers for data center services, ensuring delivery of high-quality and cost-effective solutions.

• Data Center Planning and Strategy
  • Develop and execute a long-term data center strategy, aligning it with Truist’s technology roadmap and growth plans.
  • Work closely with the Head of Engineering to ensure the data center strategy supports evolving business and customer needs.
  • Lead capacity planning efforts to ensure the data center infrastructure can support both current operations and future growth, optimizing for cost-effectiveness and scalability.
  • Regularly assess and review data center technologies and configurations, recommending upgrades and enhancements that improve efficiency and reliability.
  • Maintain a focus on sustainability in data center operations, identifying opportunities to reduce energy consumption and environmental impact.

• Liaison with CREW for Critical Systems Management
  • Act as the primary liaison between the data center operations team and the Corporate Real Estate and Workplace (CREW) team, ensuring alignment on the management of critical systems.
  • Collaborate with CREW to ensure physical infrastructure, such as power, cooling, and environmental controls, meet the high availability and resiliency requirements of Truist’s data centers.
  • Coordinate closely with CREW and facilities management teams on any upgrades, maintenance, or construction projects impacting data center operations, ensuring minimal disruption to business services.
  • Develop and maintain contingency plans with CREW to ensure data center continuity in the event of power outages, environmental hazards, or other risks.

• Data Center Capacity Management
  • Lead the planning and execution of data center capacity management, ensuring Truist’s data centers can meet current and future operational needs without overprovisioning or overspending.
  • Monitor data center performance and utilization metrics, identifying trends and ensuring timely expansion or reconfiguration to support business growth.
  • Develop and maintain capacity planning models, balancing the need for performance, cost management and resilience.
  • Ensure adequate redundancy is in place to prevent downtime and service interruptions, leveraging industry best practices in data center architecture.
  • Partner with technology, operations, and engineering teams to assess future demand and ensure data center resources are efficiently allocated and managed.

• Risk Management and Compliance
  • Ensure all data center operations comply with Truist’s risk management, compliance, and security frameworks, addressing any identified gaps in processes or controls.
  • Conduct regular risk assessments and audits of data center operations, working proactively to mitigate any identified risks and vulnerabilities.
  • Stay current on industry trends and regulatory changes, ensuring Truist’s data center operations adhere to the latest standards and requirements.
  • Work with internal audit and compliance teams to ensure data center operations maintain a high level of security, privacy, and integrity.

• Leadership and Development
  • Lead and mento a team of data center operations professionals, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and accountability.
  • Provide guidance and support to your team, encouraging continuous learning and professional growth in the rapidly evolving world of data center management.
  • Ensure the data center operations team has the skills and tools necessary to meet the growing demands of the business, investing in training and development where necessary.
  • Fostering strong cross-functional relationships with teams across engineering, operations, and product development to ensure seamless execution of data center strategies.

• Continuous Improvement and Innovation
  • Drive continuous improvement initiatives within data center operations, focusing on operational efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and service delivery.
  • Stay abreast of the latest data center technologies and innovations incorporating new tools and methodologies to enhance Truist’s data center infrastructure.
  • Leverage automation and other technological advances to improve data center operations, reducing manual processes and improving overall reliability.
  • Champion a culture of innovation within the data center operations team, encouraging new ideas and solutions to address Truist’s growing needs.

QUALIFICATIONS
Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Management, or Management Information Systems-related field, or equivalent education and related training
• 15 to 20 years of progressively responsible leadership experience in technology;
• 15 to 20 years of experience in technology strategy and/or architectural domains
• Comprehensive experience with various architectural domains such as application, data, infrastructure, security and integration
• Broad understanding of technology, architectural and strategic-planning concepts
• Ability to identify and translate enterprise-level needs into technology plans/business solutions
• Ability to interact effectively with Executive Management
• Strong interpersonal, collaboration and communication skills
• Ability to think and act strategically
• Substantial experience as a senior-level and effective negotiator (internal and external negotiations)
• Demonstrated proficiency in basic computer applications, such as Microsoft Office software products

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Business or Information Technology.
• 7-10 years of experience in data center operations, including strategy development, capacity planning, and infrastructure management.
• Proven experience managing large-scale data centers, including the implementation of critical systems and technologies.
• Strong understanding of data center provisioning, capacity management, and infrastructure resilience.
• Knowledge of physical data center infrastructure, including power, cooling, and environmental controls, and how they intersect with IT operations.
• Excellent project management skills, with a proven track record of delivering complex projects on time and within budget.
• Strong leadership skills with ability to mentor and develop a team, fostering a culture of accountability and high performance.
• Experience working closely with corporate real estate and facilities teams to manage critical infrastructure.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence at all levels of the organization.

General Description of Available Benefits for Eligible Employees of Truist Financial Corporation: All regular teammates (not temporary or contingent workers) working 20 hours or more per week are eligible for benefits, though eligibility for specific benefits may be determined by the division of Truist offering the position. Truist offers medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability, accidental death and dismemberment, tax-preferred savings accounts, and a 401k plan to teammates. Teammates also receive no less than 10 days of vacation (prorated based on date of hire and by full-time or part-time status) during their first year of employment, along with 10 sick days (also prorated), and paid holidays. For more details on Truist’s generous benefit plans, please visit our Benefits site. Depending on the position and division, this job may also be eligible for Truist’s defined benefit pension plan, restricted stock units, and/or a deferred compensation plan. As you advance through the hiring process, you will also learn more about the specific benefits available for any non-temporary position for which you apply, based on full-time or part-time status, position, and division of work.

Truist supports a diverse workforce and is an Equal Opportunity Employer that does not discriminate against individuals on the basis of race, gender, color, religion, citizenship or national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, veteran status or other classification protected by law. Truist is a Drug Free Workplace.

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