Network Operations Center (NOC) Manager – Data Center Operations

Job Title: Network Operations Center (NOC) Manager – Data Center OperationsLocation: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (with flexibility for travel between data center locations) Company: EzditekRole Overview:We are seeking an experienced and technically proficient NOC Manager to lead and manage Network Operations Center functions across multiple hyper-scale data centers located in different capital cities in Saudi Arabia. The NOC Manager plays a key role in the Data Center Operation, with primary responsibility to plan, organize, and manage staff and overall NOC operations to ensure the stability of the data center infrastructure. This position will oversee a team of multiple in-house and outsource NOC engineers and technicians to ensure 24/7 infrastructure monitoring, incident response, and operational excellence. The NOC Manager will be responsible for maintaining compliance with hyper-scale tenants' Service Level Agreements (SLAs), ensuring high availability and efficiency of data center operations, and driving continuous improvement in NOC processes and infrastructure.Key Responsibilities:Strategy & PlanningDefine, implement, and enforce the data centers' Configuration Management and Change Management policies and practices.Make budget and purchasing recommendations and support capacity management and planning to provide a steady, cost-effective infrastructure to meet the availability demands of the business and tenants.Develop and implement NOC operational strategies aligned with organizational growth and tenant requirements.Leadership & Team Resource ManagementHire, develop, and retain highly responsive and customer-focused engineers to ensure the effective operation of the NOC.Manage tools, systems, and procedures to ensure effective management of issues and customer satisfaction.Oversee and direct the business-as-usual daily operations of NOC teams across multiple data centers.Lead, mentor, and develop NOC engineers and technicians to achieve high performance.Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and innovation within the NOC team.Ensure appropriate staffing levels (in-house and outsourced) to maintain 24/7 NOC operations and Uptime TCOS gold certificate, including scheduling and resource planning.Conduct regular performance reviews and provide ongoing feedback and training.Operational ManagementManage and provide, as needed, hands-on technical support work related to the overall health and maintenance of the organization's multiple environments.Perform Tier-2 and Tier-3 escalation support and act as the point of contact in the NOC for all inquiries from Senior Leadership and other Managers.Ensure seamless coordination between NOC operations and site operations teams across all data center facilities.Event Monitoring & ManagementManage and fine-tune event monitoring systems to proactively identify and respond to issues, including setting up alarm notifications based on time and severity.Develop and maintain detailed protocols for responding to alerts from monitoring tools, calls, emails, and other inputs.Oversee the resolution of incidents to minimize downtime and customer impact, with continuous focus on minimizing response and resolution times within tenants' SLAs.Implement automation tools and processes to enhance monitoring efficiency and accuracy.Incident & Problem ManagementEstablish and enforce robust processes for incident and problem management to ensure consistent handling of issues.Drive resolution of complex technical problems by coordinating cross-functional teams.Ensure timely escalation, resolution, and communication of incidents to internal and external stakeholders, and engage business to trigger business continuity plans as situations require.Conduct detailed post-incident reviews and implement preventative measures based on findings.Service Reporting & AnalysisProvide regular and ad-hoc reports on key performance metrics, incident trends, SLA compliance, and operational health.Use analytics to identify trends and areas for improvement, enabling data-driven decision-making.Develop dashboards and visualizations for real-time performance monitoring and reporting.Capacity & Change ManagementMonitor and analyze capacity trends to proactively address future infrastructure needs or highlight underutilization situations.Work with engineering teams to plan and execute upgrades or expansions to meet growing demands or program phasing requirements.Oversee change management processes to ensure seamless implementation of new services and updates with minimal impact on operations.Disaster Recovery & Business ContinuityDevelop, test, and maintain disaster recovery and business continuity plans specific to NOC operations.Conduct regular drills and reviews to ensure the team is prepared for potential disruptions.Coordinate with data center teams to align NOC plans with broader business continuity strategies.Service Asset & Configuration ManagementMaintain an accurate and up-to-date inventory of NOC infrastructure, tools, and assets.Ensure alignment with IT requirements and industry best practices for infrastructure deployment and operation.Evaluate and recommend new technologies or upgrades to improve asset performance and lifecycle management.Compliance & SLA ManagementEnsure compliance with all operational, regulatory, and environmental standards.Monitor energy consumption and ensure operations adhere to hyper-scale tenants' SLAs for energy management, monitoring, and billing with appropriate agreed PUE multiplier.Act as a liaison to ensure tenant requirements are understood, implemented, and measured effectively.Stakeholder EngagementBuild strong relationships with hyper-scale tenants to understand their unique NOC-functions requirements and expectations.Collaborate with the Sales team to assess the feasibility of custom solutions and align with tenant-specific needs.Provide proactive updates to stakeholders on operational health, incidents, and resolutions.Infrastructure OptimizationInitiate and oversee requests for expanding and optimizing NOC infrastructure to meet evolving business needs.Identify opportunities to enhance operational efficiency through process improvements and technology upgrades.Ensure the NOC infrastructure is scalable, secure, and aligned with business growth strategies.Qualifications:Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Telecommunication Engineering, Information Technology, or a related field.Fluency in English (written and spoken) is mandatory.Proficiency in Arabic is preferred.8-10 years of related experience with at least 3 years in a managerial role.Proven experience managing NOC functions in a hyper-scale data center environment.Strong proficiency in ITIL frameworks and NOC-related systems/tools, such as monitoring platforms and ticketing systems.Demonstrated expertise in incident, problem, capacity, and change management.Strong leadership, communication, and decision-making skills.Ability to thrive under pressure and manage multiple priorities effectively.Advanced certifications such as ITIL, CDFOM, CDFOS, AOS, and PMP are a plus.Key Competencies:Strong NOC operations leadership and strategic planning expertise.Deep knowledge of data center infrastructure monitoring and management.Excellent incident management and problem resolution capabilities.Strong ITIL framework proficiency and service management expertise.Data-driven decision-making and analytical capabilities.Exceptional