Critical Facilities Manager - Data Center (8% Annual Target Bonus)

Job description

About the Role CBRE is seeking a Critical Facilities Manager to lead mission-critical facility operations, ensuring the safe, reliable, and efficient performance of all building infrastructure systems. This position is responsible for managing Critical Facilities Technicians, driving operational excellence with continuous improvement, maintaining client relationships, developing future leaders, and ensuring all contractual, safety, reliability, safety first mindset, and performance objectives are achieved.

The Critical Facilities Manager provides leadership for operations and maintenance of mechanical, electrical, life safety, and critical power systems supporting data centers. This role combines technical expertise, people's leadership, business management, client engagement, risk mitigation, and operational accountability.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Team Development

• Provide direct leadership, supervision, coaching, and career development for Critical Facilities Technicians.
• Develop future leaders through mentoring, succession planning, and structured employee development programs.
• Build a culture of accountability, ownership, continuous learning, and operational excellence.
• Lead recruiting, hiring, onboarding, performance management, and retention initiatives.
• Establish staffing plans that support 24x7 operations while balancing workload, employee development, and operational requirements.
• Promote employee engagement and maintain high performance across multi-shift operations.
• Lead by example and model behaviors consistent with CBRE RISE values.

Client Relationship Management

• Serve as the primary operational point of contact for client stakeholders.
• Develop trusted relationships through transparent communication, operational consistency, and proactive issue resolution.
• Conduct business reviews focused on KPIs, staffing, risks, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Communicate operational performance, risks, incident findings, and improvement opportunities in a manner that builds client confidence.
• Ensure that all contractual obligations, KPIs, and customer expectations are consistently achieved or exceeded.

Critical Facilities Operations

• Provide overall leadership for the operation, maintenance, and reliability of critical infrastructure systems including electrical distribution, UPS systems, generators, HVAC systems, PDUs, fire life safety systems, and building automation systems.
• Ensure preventative maintenance, corrective maintenance, projects, and repairs are completed safely and within agreed KPI requirements.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for facility emergencies and critical incidents. Maintain the flexibility to support continuous operations through on-call availability, emergency response, schedule adjustments, extended work hours, and coverage of operational gaps as necessary to ensure safe, reliable, and uninterrupted facility operations.
• Oversee electrical switching activities, power path management, system shutdowns, and critical maintenance events.
• Ensure Building Management System (BMS) alarms and operational issues are investigated, resolved, and documented appropriately.

Incident & Crisis Management

• Lead site response efforts during critical incidents, equipment failures, utility disruptions, and emergency events.
• Provide clear leadership during high-pressure situations while maintaining focus on personnel safety and business continuity.
• Direct incident investigations and ensure thorough root cause analysis is performed.
• Develop and implement corrective and preventive actions to reduce recurrence and improve system reliability.
• Ensure lessons learned are documented, communicated, and incorporated into operational processes. Safety, Risk & Compliance
• Establish and maintain a strong safety-first culture across all operations.
• Ensure compliance with Lockout/Tagout (LOTO), Zero Energy Verification, energized work practices, and environmental health and safety programs.
• Empower employees to stop work when unsafe conditions exist.
• Partner with Safety Managers and operational leadership to identify and mitigate operational risks.
• Ensure employees, contractors, and vendors comply with company, client, and regulatory requirements.
• Review risk assessments, permits, maintenance procedures, and operational controls.

Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on safety, reliability, uptime, efficiency, and customer satisfaction.
• Utilize CMMS and maintenance management systems to track compliance, asset performance, backlog, and productivity.
• Develop strategies to reduce reactive maintenance and improve planned maintenance effectiveness.
• Monitor site KPIs and reliability metrics to identify opportunities for enhanced performance.
• Maintain site readiness for audits, customer reviews, and compliance assessments.
• Ensure proceduresand risk assessments are regularly reviewed and updated.

Financial & Vendor Management

• Develop and manage facility operating budgets, maintenance expenditures, and resource forecasts.
• Balance financial objectives with reliability, uptime, safety, and contractual obligations.
• Ensure efficient use of labor, materials, and contracted services while maintaining operational excellence. Additional Preferred Qualifications + 10+ years of experience preferred in mission-critical facilities,data centers, nuclear plant, industrial maintenance, commercial facilities, or related technical environments.
• Experience developing high-potential employees into higher-level roles.
• Experience managing operational and maintenance budgets.
• Strong understanding of reliability-centered maintenance principles and asset management strategies.
• Experience using CMMS/EAM platforms to improve maintenance compliance and operational performance.
• Proven ability to influence stakeholders and drive results without direct authority.
• Strong presence with the ability to communicate effectively with technicians, customers, and senior leadership.

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States without the need for visa sponsorship now or in the future Equal Employment Opportunity: CBRE is an equal opportunity employer that values diversity.

We have a long-standing commitment to providing equal employment opportunity to all qualified applicants regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, veteran status, political belief, or any other basis protected by applicable law.

Candidate Accommodations

CBRE values the differences of all current and prospective employees and recognizes how every employee contributes to our company’s success. CBRE provides reasonable accommodations in job application procedures for individuals with disabilities. If you require assistance due to a disability in the application or recruitment process, please submit a request via email at [email protected] or via telephone at +1 866 225 3099 (U.S.) and +1 866 388 4346 (Canada).

CBRE, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer (Women/Minorities/Persons with Disabilities/US Veterans)