Location: Tarragona (Spain)

Start: ASAP

Type of Contract: Full Time / Permanent

About Submer

Submer enables organizations scaling AI to overcome the limits of traditional datacenters across power, compute density and efficiency.

What impact you will have

We are seeking a Director of Datacenter Operations to lead and manage the physical infrastructure of our AIaaS (AI-as-a-Service) datacenters. This role will be responsible for the deployment and operation of high-density AI datacenters, ensuring optimal power, cooling, and networking for AI-optimized compute clusters.

This position requires deep expertise in datacenter infrastructure management, energy efficiency, sustainability, and high-performance core networks. You will oversee the Datacenter Construction and Operations teams to drive building out and operational excellence. The role also involves site selection, expansion planning, and partnerships with colocation providers to ensure cost-effective and scalable AI infrastructure.

What you’ll do

Datacenter Infrastructure Management:

• Identify and assess new expansion sites, including self-owned facilities and colocation partnerships.

• Own the safe, reliable operation and lifecycle of critical infrastructure (MV/LV, UPS, generators, PDUs, liquid‑cooling/HVAC, BMS/DCIM, physical security), including SOP/MOP/EOP governance, change control, and incident/problem management.

• Oversee the deployment, and operation of AI-optimized datacenters, covering power distribution, cooling, networking, and physical security.

• Ensure high availability, redundancy, and SLA compliance for mission-critical AI workloads.

• Develop and maintain scalability plans to support the growth of AI compute demand.

• Manage real estate planning for new datacenter locations and infrastructure expansion.

• Maintain strategic relationships with colocation providers, hardware vendors, and contractors to ensure cost-effective and high-performance infrastructure.

• Lead EHS for critical operations (Permit‑to‑Work, LOTO, contractor control), drills and toolbox talks, fostering a zero‑harm culture.

• Leverage DCIM for real‑time monitoring and CMMS for PM/CM/CBM/PdM; publish monthly ops reports (availability, incidents/RCA, PUE/energy, vendor SLAs, risks)

Power & Cooling Optimization:

• Implement and optimize waterless, energy-efficient cooling systems, including:

  • Operate, maintain, and optimize energy‑efficient cooling systems

  • Liquid cooling solutions (direct-to-chip, cold plate, rear-door heat exchangers).

  • High-efficiency HVAC and airflow management for maximum energy efficiency.

• Operate, maintain, and test electrical distribution systems (MV/LV, UPS, PDUs, generators, grid interconnects), ensuring redundancy, safe switching operations (LOTO), and adherence to operational standards.

• Optimize PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) and drive cost-efficient energy consumption.

• Oversee waste heat recovery initiatives to support sustainability goals.

Networking & Physical Infrastructure:

• Ensure high-bandwidth, low-latency networking to support multi-datacenter AI workloads, including:

  • Dark fiber connectivity between datacenters for high-speed AI workload distribution.

  • Redundant, scalable network architectures to prevent bottlenecks and failures.

  • Peering, BGP routing, and IP assignment strategy for core datacenter networks.

• Implement advanced DCIM (Datacenter Infrastructure Management) tools for:

  • Real-time monitoring of power, cooling, and environmental conditions.

  • Predictive maintenance and automated issue detection.

Operational Reliability & Compliance:

• Develop, maintain, and execute preventive and predictive maintenance programs (PM/CM/PdM) through CMMS, ensuring maximum reliability of all critical infrastructure.

• Implement automated monitoring and alerting systems for early detection of potential failures.

• Ensure compliance with industry standards, including ISO 27001, SOC 2, TIA-942, and Uptime Institute Tier certifications.

• Maintain and execute site‑level business continuity and resilience procedures, including generator testing, electrical failover exercises, black‑building tests, emergency response protocols, and operational readiness checks.

Cost & Vendor Management:

• Optimize CapEx and OpEx for datacenter construction, expansion, and operations.

• Negotiate contracts with hardware suppliers, energy providers, and colocation partners to ensure cost-efficient AI infrastructure.

• Implement TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) modeling to support strategic investment decisions.

• Develop relationships with third-party partners supporting the datacenter maintenance

What you’ll need

• 10+ years of experience in datacenter infrastructure management, colocation operations, or enterprise IT facilities management.

• Proven expertise in deploying, and managing high-density AI/HPC datacenters, including modular (prefabricated) and traditional brick-and-mortar facilities.

• Deep knowledge of power distribution, cooling technologies, and energy-efficient solutions for DC infrastructure.

• Strong background in sustainability-driven initiatives, including PUE optimization, renewable energy integration, and waste heat recovery.

• Hands-on experience in redundant power architectures, including UPS systems, backup generators, energy storage, and grid interconnects.

• Extensive expertise in datacenter networking, including core network design, dark fiber infrastructure, and BGP routing.

• Familiarity with colocation vs. owned datacenter strategies, including lease vs. build analysis.

• Experience in large-scale vendor contract negotiations for hardware, networking, and power infrastructure.

What we offer

• Attractive compensation package reflecting your expertise and experience.

• Restaurant Pass.

• Private Health Insurance.

• Languages classes (English).

• A healthy work environment with fresh fruits to energise and an on-site gym for active breaks.

• A great work environment characterized by friendliness, international diversity, flexibility, and a hybrid-friendly approach.

• You'll be part of a fast-growing scale-up with a mission to make a positive impact, offering an exciting career evolution.

Our job titles may span more than one job level. The actual base pay is dependent on a number of factors, such as transferable skills, work experience, business needs and market demands.

Our Inclusive Responsibility

Submer is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, or any other protected category under applicable law. consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, or any other protected category under applicable law.