Head of Infrastructure Operations (US)
Nscale · Houston, New York City, San Francisco · $200,000–$300,000 (stated in the posting)
About Nscale
Nscale is the GPU cloud engineered for AI. We provide cost-effective, high-performance infrastructure for AI start-ups and large enterprise customers. Nscale enables AI-focused companies to achieve superior results by reducing the complexity of AI development. Our GPU cloud bolsters technical capabilities and directly supports strategic business outcomes, including cost management, rapid innovation, and environmental responsibility.
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.
Role Overview
We are seeking a Head of Infrastructure Operations to lead the end-to-end operational management of Nscale's data centre portfolio across a defined region (EMEA, APAC, Americas). You'll be responsible for ensuring operational excellence, safety, compliance, and reliability across all physical infrastructure, while driving continuous improvement and scaling operations to support rapid business growth. Regular travel to the DCs is essential to the success of this position. This is a high-impact leadership role where you'll own the strategic direction of data centre operations, manage cross-functional teams, and serve as a critical partner to senior leadership in delivering world-class infrastructure that powers our AI cloud platform.
What You'll Do
Operational Leadership & Strategy
- Own the strategic vision and execution of data centre infrastructure operations across the region, ensuring alignment with Nscale's business objectives and growth plans.
- Establish and maintain operational standards, processes, and procedures that drive efficiency, safety, and reliability across all sites.
- Lead the development and implementation of operational roadmaps that support capacity planning, infrastructure scaling, and service delivery milestones.
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives to optimize costs, reduce downtime, and enhance operational maturity.
Team Management & Development
- Build, mentor, and lead high-performing teams across multiple data centre sites, specifically operations staff.
- Establish clear accountability structures, performance metrics, and development pathways for direct reports and broader teams.
- Foster a culture of ownership, safety, and excellence where team members are empowered to make decisions and drive impact.
- Conduct regular performance reviews, provide constructive feedback, and support career progression.
Physical Infrastructure & Facilities Management
- Oversee Datacentre Leads in their execution of day to day Infrastructure Operational procedures, from routine inspections to the handling of ITSM tickets ensuring all SLAs are met.
- Support the Datacentre provider (Nscale or Colo) to ensure optimum performance of the facility, including physical infrastructure, power distribution, cooling systems, security, and environmental controls.
- Maintain accurate asset inventory for all AI Infrastructure and supporting hardware and tooling.
- Support the physical security programme, maintaining audit trails, incident documentation and physical security protocols across all sites.
- Coordinate with the wider Nscale teams to ensure infrastructure layouts, rack elevations, and reference architectures are implemented correctly and optimised for efficient operations
Reliability, Safety & Compliance
- Establish and maintain SLOs/SLIs for data centre availability, performance, and incident response.
- Lead incident response and root-cause analysis for operational failures; own remediation and prevention strategies.
- Ensure full compliance with health and safety regulations, environmental standards, and industry best practices.
- Support ongoing certifications and audits (ISO 27001, ISO 22237, SOC 2, Cyber Essentials Plus, ISO 22301).
- Maintain comprehensive documentation for compliance, audit readiness, and regulatory requirements.
Vendor & Supplier Management
- Manage relationships with critical vendors, contractors, and service providers.
- Oversee vendor performance, SLAs, and contract compliance; escalate issues and drive resolution.
- Conduct procurement activities for equipment, services, and maintenance contracts with cost and quality discipline.
- Coordinate with the Supply Chain team to ensure smooth hardware deployment and logistics flow.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Partner closely with Infrastructure Engineering, Network Engineering, and Security teams to ensure operational readiness and alignment.
- Work with the Deployment Supply Chain team to support hardware intake, staging, and deployment timelines.
- Collaborate with Finance and Commercial teams on capacity planning, cost optimization, and customer commitments.
- Support project delivery teams in commissioning new sites and scaling existing facilities.
- Engage with senior leadership on operational metrics, risk management, and strategic initiatives.
Monitoring, Reporting & Analytics
- Establish KPIs and KRIs for operational health (uptime, energy efficiency, cost per rack, incident rates, etc.).
- Implement monitoring and alerting systems to track infrastructure performance and environmental conditions.
- Produce regular operational reports for senior leadership, including performance metrics, risks, and improvement initiatives.
- Use data-driven insights to identify optimization opportunities and inform decision-making.
About You
Experience & Background
- 10+ years of experience in data centre operations, infrastructure management, or facilities management at scale.
- Proven track record leading regional or multi-site operations in a high-growth, fast-paced environment.
- Experience managing teams across multiple locations and coordinating complex operational initiatives.
- Demonstrated success in scaling operations, improving efficiency, and maintaining high reliability standards.
- Background in hyperscale, cloud, or HPC data centre environments (preferred).
Technical Knowledge & Expertise
- Deep understanding of data centre infrastructure, including power systems, cooling, networking, and security.
- Familiarity with ISO 22237 (data centre design and operations) and ISO 27001 Annex A.11 (physical security).
- Knowledge of monitoring systems, environmental controls, and infrastructure automation.
- Understanding of GPU/HPC infrastructure and the unique operational requirements of AI cloud platforms.
- Familiarity with compliance frameworks (SOC 2, ISO 27001, Cyber Essentials Plus, ISO 22301).
Leadership & Soft Skills
- Exceptional leadership capability with the ability to inspire, develop, and hold teams accountable.
- Strong stakeholder management skills; comfortable influencing senior leaders and cross-functional partners.
- Excellent communication and presentation skills; able to translate complex operational concepts for diverse audiences.
- Problem-solving mindset with the ability to operate in ambiguous, fast-moving environments.
- Bias toward ownership, pragmatism, and delivering results with urgency.
Operational Excellence
- Disciplined, organized, and methodical approach to operational management and compliance.
- Proven ability to establish processes, standards, and controls that scale with business growth.
- Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy in documentation and reporting.
- Proactive approach to risk management, safety, and continuous improvement.
Nice to Have
- Experience with Palantir Foundry or similar data platforms for operational analytics.
- Familiarity with infrastructure telemetry and usage-based billing data.
- Background in sustainability and energy efficiency optimization.
- Experience supporting customer-facing SLAs and service delivery commitments.
- Knowledge of Kubernetes, container orchestration, or hybrid cloud architectures.
- Security certifications or deep familiarity with GRC tooling.
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 (base + equity) with reviews every 12 months.
- Join the fastest-growing tech startup, 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.
Equal Opportunities Statement
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.
The responsibilities outlined in this job description are not exhaustive and are intended to provide a general overview of the position. The employee may be required to perform additional duties, tasks, and responsibilities as assigned by management, consistent with the skills and qualifications required for the role.
The range below reflects the base salary for the position. Actual compensation may vary based on job-related factors such as skill set, experience, education, and location. In addition to base salary, this role may be eligible for bonus, equity, and/or commission programs. Nscale may offer a competitive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, flexible paid time off, parental leave, and retirement plan participation.