Site Integration and Deployment Director

Overview

Microsoft’s Cloud Operations & Innovation (CO+I) organization is the engine that powers our cloud services. As a Site Integration and Deployment Director, you will play a key leadership role in delivering the core infrastructure and foundational technologies that support Microsoft’s online services, including Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365, Xbox, OneDrive, and Bing.

CO+I is committed to the personal and professional development of our employees, providing opportunities to learn, grow, develop new capabilities, and build meaningful careers.

The Site Integration and Deployment Director is a critical leadership role within the Data Center Operations organization, reporting to the Regional Technical Lead, Datacenter Operations EMEA.

In this role, you will lead teams and partner with stakeholders across multiple organizations to drive operational excellence across Network Operations, Edge Site Operations, new data center site integration and operational readiness, and AI infrastructure deployment.

You will bring together technical, operational, program management, people leadership, and financial capabilities to deliver complex infrastructure programs while maintaining high standards of safety, security, quality, availability, compliance, and environmental responsibility.

Success in this role requires an ability to lead through complexity, collaborate across organizational boundaries, communicate effectively with technical and senior stakeholders, and build inclusive, high-performing teams.

Responsibilities

Leadership and Team Management

• Create and champion a culture of safety, security, availability, quality, and compliance across data center operations.

• Lead, coach, and support teams while demonstrating Microsoft’s culture, values, and leadership principles.

• Attract, develop, and retain diverse talent, creating an environment that supports individual growth, collaboration, and career development.

• Build an inclusive environment where differing perspectives are valued and team members are empowered to contribute.

• Establish clear priorities and accountability while enabling teams to successfully deliver against business and operational objectives.

Continuous Improvement and Innovation

• Champion continuous improvement and positive organizational change across areas of accountability.

• Create an environment that encourages collaboration, curiosity, learning, and knowledge sharing.

• Contribute to regional and global improvement programs and apply lessons learned and best practices to strengthen operational performance.

• Identify opportunities to improve processes, tooling, quality, efficiency, reliability, and customer outcomes.

Site Integration and Operational Readiness

• Lead the integration and operational readiness of new data center sites as they transition from design and construction into operations.

• Partner across engineering, construction, commissioning, deployment, and operations teams to support successful site delivery.

• Help drive excellence in data center design standards, construction, commissioning, capacity utilization, and operational readiness.

• Ensure newly launched facilities transition effectively into the field operations portfolio.

• Identify integration risks and work across teams to establish appropriate mitigation and resolution plans.

Network and Edge Operations

• Support the delivery and readiness of core network infrastructure for new and existing data center locations.

• Provide leadership across network infrastructure installation, device deployment readiness, hardware troubleshooting, and improvements to associated processes and tools.

• Lead large-scale network and infrastructure transformation programs from planning through completion, with a focus on quality, schedule, cost, and operational readiness.

• Support Edge Data Center Operations to maintain strong standards of safety, security, governance, reliability, and infrastructure services across the region.

AI Infrastructure Deployment

• Lead teams responsible for the end-to-end deployment of AI infrastructure and equipment within Microsoft data centers.

• Establish effective governance across deployment programs, including risk and issue management, program communications, stakeholder alignment, and executive reporting.

• Partner across technical, engineering, deployment, and operations organizations to support the successful delivery of AI infrastructure.

• Drive consistent execution while identifying and addressing risks that could impact deployment, operational readiness, safety, quality, or customer outcomes.

Qualifications

• Extensive leadership and management experience within production, mission-critical, data center, infrastructure, technology, or comparable operational environments.

• Significant experience managing complex vendor relationships, commercial agreements, contracts, or operating partnerships.

• Demonstrated experience leading, directly managing, and influencing diverse and multidisciplinary teams across complex organizations.

• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional initiatives, build alignment across stakeholders, and deliver meaningful business and operational outcomes.

• Proven ability to build, develop, and lead high-performing teams.

• Strong knowledge of physical IT infrastructure, which may include servers, storage, networking, capacity, data center racks/enclosures, or structured cabling.

• Knowledge of Critical Environment infrastructure and concepts, which may include electrical distribution, power systems, cooling systems, mechanical infrastructure, or comparable mission-critical technologies.

• Demonstrated ability to communicate and influence effectively across technical teams, business stakeholders, and senior leadership.

• Strong understanding of financial management, budgeting, cost management, and forecasting.

• Experience applying project or program management principles within complex technical or operational environments.

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics, Telecommunications, a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Preferred Qualifications

The following experience and qualifications may be beneficial but are not required:

• Knowledge of IT Service Management and service operations principles, such as ITIL, OLA/SLA management, or continuous service improvement.

• Experience leading large-scale data center, cloud infrastructure, network, critical environment, or technology deployment programs.

• Experience supporting the transition of infrastructure from design, construction, or commissioning into operational environments.

• Experience delivering AI, high-performance computing, advanced network, or other large-scale technology infrastructure.

• Relevant project, program, operational excellence, or continuous improvement certifications, such as PMI/PMP, Six Sigma, Kaizen, ITIL, or comparable certifications.

• Experience working effectively across regional or global organizations with multiple technical and business stakeholders.

We recognize that relevant skills and capabilities can be developed through different career paths, education, training, and practical experience. If you meet the required qualifications and believe your experience could contribute to this role, we encourage you to apply.

Background Check Requirements

Ability to meet Microsoft, customer, and/or government security screening requirements is required for this role. These requirements include, but are not limited to, the following specialized security screening:

Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud Background Check upon hire or transfer and every two years thereafter.

Data Center Operations Management M6 - The typical base pay range for this role across Ireland is € 106,300.00 - € 188,800.00 per year. Certain roles may be el