Data Center Manager

Computer World Services Corp (CWS) is seeking a detail-oriented and results-driven Data Center Manager who is responsible for the overall technical leadership, operational management, and performance of enterprise Data Center infrastructure supporting NIEHS mission systems. This role supervises and coordinates the installation, configuration, maintenance, and optimization of network hardware, operating systems, and supporting infrastructure services.

The Data Center Manager provides direct oversight of Data Center operations across physical and virtual environments, including VMware, Windows, Linux, storage, database platforms, backup and recovery systems, and Citrix environments. This role ensures system availability, performance, security compliance, and alignment with Federal and NIH IT standards.

Key Tasks & Responsibilities

Data Center Operations & Infrastructure Management

• Supervise, coordinate, and perform additions, changes, and upgrades to operating systems, and associated devices
• Oversee day-to-day Data Center operations including system availability, performance monitoring, and operational stability
• Evaluate system utilization, response times, and capacity trends to ensure optimal performance
• Provide primary support for detection, diagnosis, and correction of operational issues across infrastructure environments

Systems Engineering & Technical Oversight

• Lead installation, configuration, testing, and integration of new hardware and software within the Data Center
• Troubleshoot complex infrastructure issues at both physical and logical network layers, including communication protocols (TCP/IP and related standards)
• Participate in planning, design, technical review, and implementation of new infrastructure systems and upgrades
• Maintain and enforce infrastructure standards across enterprise systems

Virtualization & Server Infrastructure (VMware / OS Platforms)

• Oversee VMware vCenter environments and virtual machine infrastructure
• Manage Windows and Linux server environments, including patching, performance tuning, and lifecycle management
• Ensure virtualization resources are optimized for performance, scalability, and availability
• Support provisioning, decommissioning, and migration of virtual and physical servers

Storage Systems Management

• Oversee enterprise storage environments including SAN, NAS, DASD, and RAID systems
• Monitor storage performance, capacity utilization, and I/O optimization
• Ensure storage expansion, lifecycle management, and backup integration are properly executed
• Maintain compliance with storage standards, encryption requirements, and federal data protection policies

Database Platform Oversight

• Provide oversight for enterprise database environments including Oracle, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, and MySQL
• Coordinate with Database Administrators on performance tuning, patching, and maintenance activities
• Ensure database infrastructure availability, capacity planning, and integration with application services

Backup & Recovery Operations

• Oversee enterprise backup and recovery systems and ensure compliance with NIEHS backup policies
• Ensure backup schedules are executed successfully and recovery procedures are validated
• Coordinate semi-annual and ad hoc recovery testing, including bare-metal restores
• Ensure Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and Recovery Point Objective (RPO) requirements are met
• Monitor backup integrity, media reliability, and restoration success rates

Citrix / End-User Access Infrastructure

• Oversee Citrix environments and virtual application delivery platforms
• Ensure secure, reliable remote access and application delivery services
• Coordinate upgrades, patching, and performance optimization for Citrix infrastructure

Operations Support, Reporting & Consultation

• Provide technical consultation, guidance, and training to IT staff as directed by the Government
• Support capacity planning, system forecasting, and infrastructure optimization initiatives
• Maintain operational reports covering system health, utilization, and performance trends
• Participate in after-hours support and on-call rotations as required

Required Technical Skills

• VMware vCenter and virtual infrastructure management
• Windows Server and Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) administration
• Enterprise storage systems (SAN, NAS, DASD, RAID)
• Backup and disaster recovery systems and methodologies
• Database infrastructure support (Oracle, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL)
• Citrix or equivalent virtual application delivery platforms
• Network troubleshooting including TCP/IP and infrastructure diagnostics
• System monitoring and performance analysis tools

• Experience supporting Federal or NIH IT environments
• Familiarity with hybrid cloud environments (e.g., Azure integration)
• Experience with automation and infrastructure orchestration tools
• ITIL Foundation or equivalent IT service management knowledge

Key Competencies

• Strong technical leadership and infrastructure oversight
• Analytical troubleshooting and root cause analysis
• Capacity planning and performance optimization
• Effective communication and technical mentoring
• Ability to manage mission-critical systems under SLA constraints
• Strong operational discipline and attention to detail

Education & Experience

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or related field, * 7+ years of experience in Data Center operations, systems engineering, or infrastructure management
• Experience supervising enterprise-scale infrastructure environments
• Experience supporting multi-platform environments (Windows, Linux, virtualization, storage, and database systems)

Certifications

• VMware VCP (virtualization backbone)
• Azure Administrator (hybrid cloud)
• RHCE (Linux operations)
• Security+ (federal compliance baseline)
• Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) or Agile certification
• Relevant cloud certification (e.g., Microsoft Azure Fundamentals or Associate)
• ITIL certification preferred.

Security Clearance

• Applicants must be able to obtain a Public Trust clearance