Associate Director, Operational Excellence at IREN in Fort Worth, TX

Job description

Job Type: Full-Time | Location: Fort Worth, Texas | Department: Engineering | Reporting to: Global Director, Asset Management and Operational Excellence | Work Location Type: #hybrid IREN is a vertically integrated AI Cloud provider, delivering large-scale data centers and GPU clusters for AI training and inference. IREN’s platform is underpinned by its expansive portfolio of grid-connected land and power in renewable-rich regions across North America, Europe and APAC. Reporting to the Global Director, Asset Management & Operational Excellence, the Associate Director, Data Center Infrastructure Readiness & Performance is accountable for taking IREN’s data centre infrastructure and facilities from construction and commissioning into operations, and for the operating standards and performance governance that keep them reliable through their operating life. The role is the liaison from design engineering and construction through commissioning into Operations: it brings Operations along through the L1 to L5 commissioning stages and accepts each stage on behalf of Operations. It sets the operating parameters, guardrails and risk-based limits that protect asset health and reliability, and owns the performance frameworks, KPIs and governance processes that let the fleet scale while maintaining reliability. The role leads the Operational Excellence & Compliance pillar, growing from a team of one to a multi-site team of Operational Readiness & Compliance Leads as the portfolio expands. It is grounded in facility engineering and 24/7 critical-facilities operations: electrical and mechanical infrastructure, commissioning, maintenance and operating discipline. With 100% renewable energy, we build, own and operate our data centers and take pride in being at the forefront of sustainable solutions for the ever-evolving applications of high-performance compute. We believe that human progress is invaluable, but it should be done in the right way – responsibly, sustainably and having a positive impact on the communities we operate in. Responsibilities Own operational readiness for the transition from construction and commissioning into live operations: set the readiness protocol (Level 1 to Level 5), accept handover from the construction and commissioning organization on behalf of Operations and hold the acceptance gate at each level and lead the Operational Readiness & Compliance Leads deployed to each new site through ramp-up and stabilization. Set the operating parameters, guardrails and risk-based limits that protect asset health and lead the business case for bringing select maintenance and operational functions in-house where it improves cost or reliability. Own the performance framework, KPIs and stewardship process, including dashboards for maintenance completion, work order resolution and labor efficiency, that give leadership visibility and drive decisions as the portfolio scales; own the reporting partnership with the integrated operations center and the data model the KPIs read from. Own the operating standards suite (SOPs, MOPs, EOPs, maintenance playbooks and technical documentation) across IREN’s data center portfolio, setting the standard method for maintenance effectiveness, work execution and operational planning and assuring it is followed. Lead the operational audit and assurance program: set the audit framework, direct reviews of site adherence to company and customer requirements and hold sites to corrective action closure. Lead cross-functional initiatives affecting site readiness, scalability and operational performance, and shape the operating model, systems and practices that support growth. Define the competencies required to operate and maintain assets to IREN’s operating standards; support Operations and HSSE in building the training and exercise programs against them. Hold technical authority for the operating standards, readiness protocol and operational management of change: approve standards and deviations withi