Critical Facilities Manager / Data Centre Operations Manager

A state-of-the-art hyperscale data centre campus in Slough is seeking a highly capable Critical Facilities Manager to oversee the operational integrity of a world-class facility. This is a rare opportunity to take ownership of a flagship new site, ensuring 100% uptime while leading a high-performing engineering team within one of the most advanced technical environments in Europe. The successful candidate will be a technically minded leader with strong experience in mission-critical engineering, compliance, and team management. This role offers significant autonomy, continuous investment in innovation, and outstanding long-term career progression for the right individual. This is yet again another fantastic opportunity to work with and for one of the largest Data Centre Maintenance and operations companies in the UK and across the Globe Key Purpose of the Role To lead the onsite engineering and contractor teams responsible for all building infrastructure, mechanical and electrical plant, and critical systems. Acting as the primary client interface, you will ensure service excellence, compliance, and operational resilience across the facility. Core Responsibilities

• Build and manage strong client relationships, representing the site at operational meetings.
• Own Health & Safety leadership across engineers, contractors, and visitors.
• Drive compliance, risk management, and performance tracking across all maintenance activities.
• Lead and mentor the onsite team, overseeing training, development, and performance management.
• Manage planned, reactive, and corrective maintenance across critical systems.
• Ensure full compliance with statutory requirements, operational procedures, and site protocols.
• Escalate and respond to major incidents in and out of working hours.
• Take responsibility for budget oversight, procurement, and accurate reporting.
• Deliver continuous improvement initiatives across processes, service delivery, and team culture.
• Identify opportunities for innovation, optimisation, and added value across the campus.

Key Deliverables

• 100% compliance across all statutory and operational requirements.
• Zero missed PPMs or avoidable service interruptions.
• Accurate reporting and governance documentation, including logbooks and CMMS upkeep.
• Effective financial stewardship across P&L, work-in-progress, and procurement., * Brand-new flagship facility with cutting-edge infrastructure.
• High visibility and autonomy within a mission-critical environment.
• Opportunity to shape culture, standards, and future strategy.
• Clear, structured career progression into senior operational leadership.

If you are driven by operational excellence and thrive in fast-paced, high-responsibility environments - this is a career-defining opportunity. Jim Hines

• Strong background in critical engineering, ideally within a data centre or high-resilience environment.
• Proven team leadership / supervisory experience.
• Experience in compliance management and critical works planning.
• Excellent communication, relationship-building, and stakeholder management skills.
• High attention to detail with a proactive, solutions-focused mindset.
• Competent with Microsoft Office tools and digital maintenance platforms (CMMS).
• Recognised Engineering Qualification (Mechanical or Electrical).

Preferred:

• Financial oversight or budget management experience.
• Exposure to soft services / wider facilities management alongside engineering operations.
• Evidence of personal development and career progression.