# Operations Lead, R&D

**Company:** [Fluidstack](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/fluidstack)
**Location:** Austin, TX, New York, NY, San Francisco, CA, Seattle, WA
**Role:** Other
**Salary:** $229k – $271k/yr
**Experience:** 7+ years
**Skills:** Data Center Operations, Cmms, Maintenance Strategy, Commissioning, Facility Operations, Operability Requirements, Procedure Development
**Posted:** 2026-07-17

> Lead operations representation in R&D for AI compute infrastructure. Own operability requirements, build O&M foundations, and run reviews to ensure maintainable designs for data centers and critical facilities.

## Job Description

## Role Scope
- Represent operations inside R&D: the voice of the people who will run the design, embedded before it's built.
- Own operability requirements: maintenance access, sparing, and procedures designed in, with vetoes exercised.
- Build the O&M foundation for new designs: procedures, training outlines, and staffing models drafted with the design.
- Run operability reviews on every release: what breaks at 3am, and whether a technician can actually fix it.

## Requirements
- Operated critical facilities: data centers, plants, or heavy industrial sites.
- Influenced design from the operations seat and won the arguments that mattered.
- Write procedures technicians actually follow.
- Know what maintainability costs when it's missing.
- Translate field pain into engineering requirements.

## Nice-to-Haves
- Data center operations depth.
- CMMS and maintenance strategy.
- Commissioning participation.
- Startup site experience.

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**Apply:** https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/828893d6-806b-4f0a-9c63-0b67c118064a
**Canonical:** https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/828893d6-806b-4f0a-9c63-0b67c118064a