Data Center Operations Engineer

Location: Chennai, India
Department: Infrastructure Operations

Who We Are

Vultr is on a mission to make high-performance cloud infrastructure easy to use, affordable, and locally accessible for enterprises and AI innovators around the world. With 33 global cloud data center locations, Vultr is trusted by hundreds of thousands of active customers across 185 countries for its flexible, scalable, global Cloud Compute, Cloud GPU, Bare Metal, and Cloud Storage solutions. In December 2024 Vultr announced an equity financing at a $3.5 billion valuation. Founded by David Aninowsky and self-funded for over a decade, Vultr has grown to become the world’s largest privately-held cloud infrastructure company.

Vultr Cares

• Medical Insurance stipend paid annually

• 9 Company-Paid Holidays

• Generous Leave Policy + 1 month paid sabbatical every 5 years + Anniversary Bonus each year

• Professional Development Reimbursement

• Fitness membership reimbursement

• Company paid Wellable subscription

Join Vultr

Vultr is seeking a Data Center Operations Engineer to serve as the initial on-site operational owner for the newly launched Chennai data center location. This role is responsible for planning, coordinating, and executing the operational readiness of new data centers, acting as Vultr’s technical and operational representative during the ramp-up phase before permanent staffing and management are established.

This position focuses on operational analysis, deployment planning, coordination, and decision-making required to bring a new facility online. The role operates with significant autonomy and exercises independent judgment in determining how approved standards, deployment plans, and operational policies are applied in real-world conditions. This is a highly visible role that directly impacts infrastructure readiness, service reliability, and Vultr’s ability to scale into new markets.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary on-site operational owner for new data center locations during the launch and ramp-up phase

• Analyze site-specific conditions and determine how Vultr’s infrastructure standards, deployment plans, and operational procedures are implemented locally

• Coordinate and sequence deployment activities to ensure systems are brought online in a safe, efficient, and scalable manner

• Identify operational gaps, risks, or constraints and develop recommendations or mitigation plans in collaboration with remote infrastructure and engineering teams

• Plan and oversee the installation and configuration of server and network infrastructure, including rack layouts, power distribution strategy, cabling approaches, and hardware placement

• Diagnose complex infrastructure issues by analyzing interactions across hardware, power, cooling, networking, and system configurations

• Determine appropriate corrective actions for non-standard deployment or operational scenarios and escalate recommendations when changes to standards or scope are required

• Evaluate hardware health and performance data to inform readiness decisions and remediation planning

• Act as Vultr’s on-site representative with data center facility staff, vendors, and warranty providers, coordinating work activities and validating outcomes

• Determine when vendor or facility issues require escalation, schedule adjustments, or alternative approaches to maintain launch timelines

• Partner closely with remote Operations, Network Engineering, Security, and Infrastructure teams to align on readiness milestones and risk management

• Establish and maintain authoritative documentation for the site, including infrastructure layouts, inventory controls, deployment records, and operational status reporting

• Manage spare parts strategy and inventory planning for the site, identifying needs and recommending replenishment based on operational analysis

• Provide structured updates, findings, and recommendations to management regarding site readiness, risks, and next-phase staffing or operational needs

• Support knowledge transfer and handoff as additional technicians or managers are assigned to the site

• Contribute lessons learned and improvement recommendations to inform future data center launches

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience supporting data center infrastructure in a hands-on technical role with demonstrated responsibility beyond task execution

• Proven ability to analyze infrastructure environments, identify operational risks, and determine appropriate courses of action

• Strong working knowledge of server hardware, network equipment, and data center facility services including power, cooling, and cross-connects

• Experience coordinating vendors, facility providers, and cross-functional technical teams

• Ability to operate independently while exercising judgment within defined authority and escalation frameworks

• Strong organizational and documentation skills, with experience producing operational plans, status updates, and readiness documentation

• Strong written and verbal communication skills

• Experience supporting GPU-based or high-density infrastructure is a plus

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in colocation and cloud/hybrid environments.

• Familiarity with sustainability and energy efficiency best practices.

• Strong Knowledge of ITIL and Agile methodologies.

• Familiar with JIRA and Confluence

Work Conditions:

• Rotational on-call duty may be required.

• May need to work outside of normal business hours for incident management or critical maintenance.

Inclusion & Privacy

We are an equal opportunity employer and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and experiences, and we prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable laws. Vultr will consider qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records in accordance with applicable laws and will not conduct a background check until after an offer of employment has been extended and accepted.

We also take your privacy seriously. We handle personal information responsibly and follow applicable laws, including U.S. privacy rules and India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. Your data is used only for legitimate business purposes and is protected with proper security measures.

Where allowed by law, applicants may request details about the data we collect, access or delete their information, withdraw consent for its use, and opt out of nonessential communications. For more details, please see our Privacy Policy.