Operations Lead - UK

Job Title: UK Operations Lead Location: Didcot, Oxford, UK Department: Operations Who We Are At CloudHQ, our mission is to deliver flexible, efficient, and resilient data center solutions to businesses worldwide. Founded by a pioneer in data center REITs, we are a rapidly growing organization with state-of-the-art data center sites globally in locations such as Ashburn, London, Frankfurt, Paris, Milan, Osaka and São Paulo. As we embark on an exciting phase of global growth, we are looking for top-tier talent to drive our success and shape the future of CloudHQ. Role Overview The UK Operations Lead is responsible for the full operational leadership of all CloudHQ data centers across the United Kingdom. This role ensures operational excellence, regulatory compliance, financial performance, and alignment with regional and global strategies. Reporting directly to the EMEA Regional Operations Director, this position requires strong leadership, strategic thinking, and the ability to manage multi-site operations, high-performing teams, and complex mission-critical environments. The role combines business ownership, technical oversight, and stakeholder engagement at executive level. Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage all data center operations across the UK, ensuring alignment with regional and global business strategies.
• Develop and execute country-level operational strategies, including cost optimization, performance improvement, and risk mitigation initiatives.
• Build, lead, and develop high-performing teams across operations, engineering (electrical & mechanical), facilities, security, and compliance functions.
• Provide leadership and direction to managers and functional leaders, ensuring accountability and performance delivery.
• Drive a culture of operational excellence, safety, and continuous improvement across all locations.
• Establish succession planning, talent development, and leadership capability within the UK organization.
• Act as the primary escalation point for major operational incidents and critical business risks.
• Represent the company with regulators, customers, industry bodies, and key strategic partners.
Operational Oversight
• Ensure operational excellence across all UK data center facilities, delivering maximum uptime, resilience, and service quality.
• Define, monitor, and report on KPIs related to availability, efficiency, maintenance performance, and service delivery.
• Ensure implementation and compliance with global operational standards, procedures (SOPs, MOPs, EOPs), and best practices.
• Drive continuous improvement programs across reliability, maintenance strategy, and operational efficiency.
• Oversee capacity planning and ensure readiness for customer growth and expansion.
• Collaborate with engineering and design teams on new developments, ensuring scalability and resilience of infrastructure.
• Ensure robust risk management frameworks, including business continuity (BCP) and disaster recovery (DR) planning.
• Maintain oversight of all infrastructure systems (without direct hands-on responsibility), including electrical, mechanical, and critical support systems.
Financial & Regulatory Management
• Own and manage the UK operational budget, including forecasting, cost control, and financial performance.
• Drive cost optimization initiatives while maintaining performance and service quality.
• Ensure full compliance with UK legislation, including Health & Safety (HSE), environmental regulations, and energy compliance frameworks.
• Oversee governance, audit readiness, and regulatory reporting requirements.
• Partner with finance, legal, procurement, and compliance teams to mitigate business and operational risks.
• Manage vendor contracts, SLAs, and commercial performance across all service providers.
Sustainability & Innovation
• Lead initiatives across UK operations, including energy efficiency, carbon reduction, and water usage optimization.
• Drive improvements in energy performance metrics (e.g., PUE) across all facilities.
• Support adoption of innovative technologies and solutions to enhance operational efficiency and reliability.
• Align UK operations with corporate ESG objectives and reporting standards.
Required Skills & Experience Education
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Operations Management, Engineering, or related field.
• MBA or equivalent preferred.
Experience
• Minimum 10 years of experience in operations management within mission-critical environments
• At least 5-7 years in senior leadership roles managing multi-site data centre operations or similar complex infrastructure environments.
• Proven track record of managing large-scale, high-availability operations with full P&L or budget responsibility.
Leadership Skills
• Demonstrated ability to lead large, cross-functional, and geographically distributed teams.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to translate business objectives into operational execution.
• Strong decision-making skills under pressure in mission-critical environments.
Technical Expertise
• Strong understanding of data center infrastructure, including:
• Electrical systems (UPS, generators, MV/LV distribution, ATS).
• Mechanical systems (HVAC, chilled water systems, CRAH/CRAC).
• ?Building systems (BMS, EPMS, DCIM platforms).
Knowledge of industry standards and frameworks
• SO 27001, ISO 50001
• ASHRAE (TC 9.9)
• TIA-942
• Understanding of redundancy models (N, N+1, 2N) and high availability design principles.
• Experience with business continuity, disaster recovery, and risk management programs.li>
• Strong awareness of energy management, sustainability practices, and efficiency metrics (PUE).
Other Skills
• Chartered Engineer (CEng) status with the Engineering Council (UK) preferred.
• Membership with a relevant professional body (e.g., IET, IMechE, CIBSE) highly desirable.
• Strong financial acumen (budgeting, forecasting, cost control).
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to operate in a fast-paced, global, and highly technical environment.
• High level of ownership, accountability, and resilience.
Language
• Fluent in English; German, French, Italian and/or Spanish highly desirable.
  
  Bachelor's degree in Business, Operations Management, Engineering, or related field.
• MBA or equivalent preferred., Minimum 10 years of experience in operations management within mission-critical environments
• At least 5-7 years in senior leadership roles managing multi-site data centre operations or similar complex infrastructure environments.
• Proven track record of managing large-scale, high-availability operations with full P&L or budget responsibility.
Leadership Skills
• Demonstrated ability to lead large, cross-functional, and geographically distributed teams.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to translate business objectives into operational execution.
• Strong decision-making skills under pressure in mission-critical environments.
Technical Expertise
• Strong understanding of data center infrastructure, including:
• Electrical systems (UPS, generators, MV/LV distribution, ATS).
• Mechanical systems (HVAC, chilled water systems, CRAH/CRAC).
• ?Building systems (BMS, EPMS, DCIM platforms).
Knowledge of industry standards and frameworks
• SO 27001, ISO 50001
• ASHRAE (TC 9.9)
• TIA-942
• Understanding of redundancy models (N, N+1, 2N) and high availability design principles.
• Experience with business continuity, disaster recovery, and risk management programs.li>
• Strong awareness of energy management, sustainability practices, and efficiency metrics (PUE)., Chartered Engineer (CEng) status with the Engineering Council (UK) preferred.
• Membership with a relevant professional body (e.g., IET, IMechE, CIBSE) highly desirable.
• Strong financial acumen (budgeting, forecasting, cost control).
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to operate in a fast-paced, global, and highly technical environment.
• High level of ownership, accountability, and resilience.
Language
• Fluent in English; German, French, Italian and/or Spanish highly desirable.
  
  At CloudHQ, our mission is to deliver flexible, efficient, and resilient data center solutions to businesses worldwide. Founded by a pioneer in data center REITs, we are a rapidly growing organization with state-of-the-art data center sites globally in locations such as Ashburn, London, Frankfurt, Paris, Milan, Osaka and São Paulo.
As we embark on an exciting phase of global growth, we are looking for top-tier talent to drive our success and shape the future of CloudHQ.