Data Center Manager

Job Title: Data Center Manager

Reports To: Data Center Program Manager

Department: Technical Services

FLSA Status: Exempt

Salary: $

Location: Abilene, TX

At Smartlink, we believe exceptional people create exceptional results. Guided by our core values,
Creating Customer Fanatics, Innovate and Create, One Team, We Are All In, and Safety Leads to Success
, we foster a culture where driven, ambitious individuals are empowered to make an impact, grow their careers, and help drive our success.

We are a fast-paced, high-performance organization where accountability, teamwork, and innovation are expected and rewarded. This is not a traditional 40-hour workweek environment. Success often requires flexibility, dedication, and a willingness to go above and beyond to deliver for our customers and teammates.

In return, you'll be surrounded by talented professionals who challenge and support one another, with opportunities for career growth, skill development, and meaningful contributions that make a real difference.

If you're competitive, motivated by achievement, and ready to be All In, Smartlink offers more than a job. It offers the opportunity to build an exceptional career while helping shape the future of our industry. If you're ready to be All In, we invite you to join us and help shape the future of Smartlink.

The Data Center Manager is a leadership role accountable for the end-to-end delivery of large-scale fiber-optic infrastructure within hyperscale data centers and complex telecommunications environments. This position orchestrates specialized cable installation teams and logistics operations to ensure high-density fiber networks are delivered on schedule, within budget, and to the highest quality standards. Success requires a strategic, forward-thinking leader capable of synchronizing the arrival of multimillion-dollar materials with the daily production output of field technicians, enabling seamless execution across all phases of the project lifecycle—from procurement and build sequencing through testing, turnover, and close-out.

• Serve as the primary owner of end-to-end delivery, maintaining the critical path from material procurement through testing, turnover, and close-out.
• Develop comprehensive project plans covering scope, schedule, budget, resourcing, risk mitigation, and quality controls.
• Sequence work for cable installation, pathway construction, cabinet installation, and fiber deployment across data halls and inter-building routes.
• Lead project kickoffs and establish clear communication channels with internal teams, subcontractors, and customers.
• Collaborate with engineering to interpret design packages, rack elevations, pathway drawings, and fiber routing diagrams.

• Direct day-to-day activities of installation crews, logistics technicians, and subcontractors, setting and tracking production targets.
• Synchronize material staging plans with daily crew schedules to eliminate wait time and protect schedule integrity.
• Dynamically reallocate resources to meet “hot” priorities and critical deadlines.
• Monitor progress across multiple work streams and resolve onsite issues (design gaps, material shortages, pathway conflicts, access constraints).

• Coordinate deliveries, receiving, inventory, and staging with logistics teams.
• Forecast material demand based on installation rates, build phases, and engineering requirements.
• Ensure on-time arrival of long-lead, high-cost components (e.g., HFC fiber reels, ODF hardware, cabinets, pathway materials); act quickly on exceptions to prevent delays.

• Own the project budget: labor forecasting, material burn rates, and change-order management.
• Review/approve POs, change orders, and subcontractor invoices.
• Produce financial dashboards and progress summaries for leadership and clients.
• Identify cost‑saving opportunities without compromising schedule or quality.

• Ensure all work complies with engineering designs,…