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Associate Site Operations Manager

Memphis, TN

About xAI

xAI’s mission is to create AI systems that can accurately understand the universe and aid humanity in its pursuit of knowledge.

Our team is small, highly motivated, and focused on engineering excellence. This organization is for individuals who appreciate challenging themselves and thrive on curiosity.

We operate with a flat organizational structure. All employees are expected to be hands-on and to contribute directly to the company’s mission. Leadership is given to those who show initiative and consistently deliver excellence. Work ethic and strong prioritization skills are important.

All engineers and researchers are expected to have strong communication skills. They should be able to concisely and accurately share knowledge with their teammates.

About the Role

As the Associate Site Operations Manager, you’ll oversee the data center technicians who keep xAI’s AI infrastructure running smoothly. This role is pivotal in ensuring our systems operate at peak efficiency, supporting the compute power behind our mission. You’ll co-lead a skilled team, manage critical operations, and implement smart, sustainable solutions. We’re looking for someone with technical expertise and a proactive approach to maintain and scale our facilities effectively.

Responsibilities

• Oversee Site Operations: Manage power, cooling, networking, and hardware deployments to ensure 99.999% uptime for xAI’s AI compute systems, keeping our infrastructure reliable and ready for innovation.
• Guide Your Team: Lead and develop a team of Data Center Operations Technicians through training, performance evaluations, and fostering a collaborative, high-performing environment tied to xAI’s objectives.
• Streamline Processes: Take charge of hardware lifecycles, incident resolution, and inventory management, refining procedures to ensure your team operates with precision and consistency.
• Connect Key Players: Coordinate between technicians, xAI’s AI specialists, and external vendors to integrate new technology and expand capacity seamlessly.
• Drive Sustainable Solutions: Champion energy-efficient practices and sustainability efforts, optimizing resources while supporting the demands of cutting-edge AI workloads.
• Measure Success: Track and report key metrics like uptime, power efficiency, and issue resolution times, using data to enhance site performance and inform decisions.
• Handle Emergencies: Lead the team through urgent situations with clear direction, resolving issues quickly to protect our AI systems from disruption.
• Optimize Operations: Build and refine processes—such as preventative maintenance schedules with vendors and ticket workflows in Jira—to keep operations efficient and scalable.
• Support Expansion: Work with leadership to standardize best practices across sites (if applicable), ensuring operations align with xAI’s ambitious growth plans.

Basic Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in data center operations or similar critical environments, with 3+ years managing technical teams.
• Proven ability to lead teams effectively in fast-paced, high-responsibility settings.
• Solid expertise in server hardware, cabling, and data center technologies, from setup to lifecycle management.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience supporting compute-heavy environments like AI, machine learning, or high-performance computing.
• Proficiency with tools like Jira and managing collaborative workflows across teams.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to explain technical concepts clearly to diverse audiences.
• Familiarity with scripting (e.g., Python, Bash) to automate tasks and boost team efficiency.
• A history of partnering with vendors, scaling operations, and advancing sustainability initiatives.
• Enthusiasm for xAI’s mission to accelerate human discovery and unravel the universe.

Additional Requirements

• Ability to thrive in a dynamic, mission-focused environment with occasional on-call duties.
• Willingness to travel to data center locations as needed to support operations.
• Physical capability to handle data center tasks, including lifting up to 50 lbs, standing for long periods, and occasional ladder use

xAI is an equal opportunity employer and does not unlawfully discriminate based on race, color, religion, ethnicity, ancestry, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, medical conditions, genetic information, marital status, military or veteran status, or any other applicable legally protected characteristics. 

Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, including the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, and the California Fair Chance Act. 

For Los Angeles County (unincorporated) Candidates:

xAI reasonably believes that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship on the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of a conditional offer of employment: 

  • Access to information technology systems and confidential information, including proprietary and trade secret information, and/or user data;
  • Interacting with internal and/or external clients and colleagues; and
  • Exercising sound judgment.

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