Data Center Technician

About the Role

As a Microsoft Data Center Technician (DCT), you will develop an understanding of standard processes and procedures for preparing, installing, performing diagnostics, troubleshooting, replacing, and/or decommissioning equipment under the guidance of more experienced Data Center colleagues. This opportunity will allow you to develop an understanding of our Data Center environment, familiarize yourself with security and data management procedures, and accelerate your career growth in the process. Microsoft’s Cloud Operations & Innovation (CO+I) is the engine that powers our cloud services. As a CO+I DCT, you will perform a key role in delivering the core infrastructure and foundational technologies for Microsoft's online services including Bing, Office 365, Xbox, OneDrive, and the Microsoft Azure platform.

Key Responsibilities

Datacenter Operations

• Comply with Data Center business unit policies, procedures, and deadlines with guidance.
• Escalate issues related to compliance or operational assurance activities.
• Review Process Change Notifications (PCNs) and understand their impact on work execution.
• Ask questions when information is missing and may provide feedback on process changes.
• Complete assigned tickets efficiently and in alignment with relevant Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) per task type.
• Seek guidance on challenging or complex tickets.
• Receive guidance and supervision to develop an understanding of standard processes for preparing, installing, performing diagnostics, troubleshooting, replacing, and/or decommissioning IT datacenter technology and equipment.
• Develop a fundamental understanding of the functions of, and interactions between cabling infrastructure, network, server, and storage equipment.

Datacenter Work Environment

• Complete required security and data management training and comply with procedures/policies.
• Escort third-party vendors or IT support on-premises.
• Take action and report physical security access concerns and/or incidents.
• Work for extended periods under elevated levels of ambient noise, heat, and light.
• Contribute to a positive and effective team environment by sharing information, participating in meetings, asking questions, and partnering with other teams for smooth transitions and handovers.
• Encourage providing and responding to feedback for increased efficiency and adopt best practices.
• Occasional climbing of ladders.
• Frequent climbing of stairs and/or ramps.
• Prolonged standing.
• Occasional lifting up to 25lbs / 11kg without assistance.
• Occasional lifting 25-50lbs / 11-22.5kg with lift assistance.
• Occasional push or pull 50-75 lbs / 22.5-34kg with assistive device.
• Normal visual acuity (near, far and peripheral with correction).
• Normal color vision for electrical work.
• Participate in daily safety briefings.
• Complete required Environmental & Health Safety (EHS) training and comply with safety procedures.
• Complete required Task Hazard Analysis (THAs).
• Use appropriate equipment and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
• Adhere to and promote a culture of safety, taking proactive action to alert others of safety concerns, near-misses, and/or incidents.
• Participate in proactive safety observation reporting.
• Travel up to 25% typically domestically during the workday, and occasionally domestically for overnight stays.
• May work 12-hour shifts, including non-standard business hours (evenings, nights, weekends, holidays).

Managing Service

• Maintain awareness of KPIs through reporting dashboards for performance discussions.
• Develop an understanding of cross-functional Data Center processes to support partnerships.
• Complete required training aligned to job focus areas (e.g., Break fix, Deployment, Simple Change, Decommission, IT Critical Environment) in a timely manner.
• Observe experienced technicians for hands-on experience and on-the-job training (OJT).
• May complete additional training for industry or technical certifications.
• Escalate and/or seek guidance from experienced technicians or management regarding client interactions.

Service Delivery

• Develop an understanding of effective execution order strategies for assigned tasks.
• Prepare, stage, set up, and perform basic startups and shutdowns for hardware (e.g., racks, hard drives, switches) according to written instructions.
• May perform tasks in tandem with other technicians to comply with procedures and safety requirements.
• Directly perform decommissions, simple changes (e.g., memory upgrades, OS rebuilds), and refreshes of infrastructure cabling, network, storage, and server equipment.
• Process data-bearing devices (DBDs) for destruction or confirm identification for eradication/destruction.
• Immediately communicate, report, and escalate data center technical or safety-related incidents.
• May participate in bridge calls and execute on-site follow-up actions.
• Learn post-execution verification of grounding, staging, labeling, and cabling to align with safety protocols, deployment standards, and planned Network Design Templates (NDTs).
• Learn about errors in deployment standards or NDTs and escalate for corrections.
• Perform basic diagnostics and troubleshooting with guidance to identify causes of technical issues and replace faulty components with zero-to-minimal disruption.
• Develop awareness of conditions, circumstances, and scenarios with significant customer or business impact.

Other

• Embody company culture and values.

Requirements & Tech Stack

Required Qualifications

• High school diploma, GED, or equivalent.
• Basic knowledge of computer hardware and components.
• Equivalent experience may substitute for formal education.

Other Requirements

• Ability to meet Microsoft, customer, and/or government security screening requirements.
• Microsoft Cloud Background Check: Required upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.
• Citizenship verification: Required due to citizenship-based legal restrictions supporting U.S. federal, state, and/or local government agency customers. Verification with a valid passport is a condition of employment.
• This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Candidates must have authorization to work in the United States that does not require employer sponsorship now or in the future.