Lead Data Center Technician

Job Type: Full-time | Location: Childress, Texas | Department: US Operations | Reporting to: Senior Operations Manager | Work Location Type: #onsite

IREN is a leading AI Cloud Service Provider, deliver large-scale GPU clusters for AI training and inference. IREN's vertically integrated platform is underpinned by its expansive portfolio of grid-connected land and data centers in renewable-rich regions across the U.S. and Canada.

We are currently looking for a Lead Data Center Technician to join our Childress, TX, team. Reporting to the Sr. Operations Manager, the Lead Data Center Technician will support IREN network infrastructure and customer IT infrastructure in a leading-edge data center facility. The role will oversee a shift team of data center technicians who respond to customer requests for support. They will be responsible for the safety, security, and reliability of people and tools supporting customer-owned equipment. The ideal candidate will have 3-5+ years of data center IT operations experience; they will be a self-starter and can express themselves clearly in both written and spoken forms. Experience working with high powered computing systems and liquid-to-chip technologies is a huge plus.

With 100% renewable energy, we build, own and operate our data centers and take pride in being at the forefront of sustainable solutions for the ever-evolving applications of high-performance compute. We believe that human progress is invaluable, but it should be done in the right way - responsibly, sustainably and having a positive impact on the communities we operate in.

Responsibilities

The Lead Data Center Technician will focus on the following as well as other job-related duties and/or projects as assigned.

• Oversee daily operations of the HPC data center, including customer smart hands request queue, infrastructure system performance, network equipment uptime, and physical infrastructure availability.
• Lead, mentor, and schedule a team of data center technicians, ensuring consistent performance, clear communication, and ongoing development through training and coaching.
• Act as the primary escalation point for technical issues and team-related matters, coordinating with internal stakeholders to ensure efficient resolution and service delivery.
• Promote and enforce a strong safety culture by ensuring compliance with all safety protocols, conducting regular audits [and drills, and leading incident investigations] and corrective actions.
• Responsible for IT hardware installation, fiber cable testing, troubleshooting, compliance, and performance monitoring to ensure high-density computing environments operate at peak efficiency.
• Support the maintenance, optimization, and security of the colocation facility leveraging liquid-to-chip cooling technology and the latest fiber-optic infrastructure.
• Coordinate with vendors and utilize reporting and automation tools to improve operational workflows.
• Document procedures, system configurations, and troubleshooting guides to ensure operational continuity and knowledge transfer.
• Respond to escalated incidents, execute root cause analysis, and implement long-term solutions to prevent recurrence.
• Maintain accurate inventory records for all HPC hardware and associated components.

Key attributes:

• Strong understanding of HPC systems, server hardware, storage arrays, networking, and operating systems.
• Proven ability to lead a team, delegate tasks, mentor junior technicians, and oversee project execution.
• Detail-oriented focus, ensuring systems are both robust and efficient.
• Quick and effective at diagnosing and resolving hardware, software, and connectivity issues in a high-pressure environment.

Requirements

• 3-5+ years of data center IT operations experience
• Bachelor’s degree in a technical field is preferred but not required.
• Prior experience and knowledge of direct-to-chip liquid cooling systems and integration into high-density colocation data centers a huge plus.
• Proven experience leading or supervising data center or technical operations teams in a high-performance culture, including shift scheduling, performance management, and mentoring in a high-uptime environment
• Demonstrated knowledge of safety standards and regulatory compliance
• Fiber Cable Testing & Patching – Experience with fiber-optic cable certification, optical loss testing, and OTDR analysis. Experience using BERT on SONET equipment a plus.
• Infrastructure – Experience working with liquid-cooled server racks, rear door heat exchangers, cooling distribution units, and supporting network cabling and switches.
• Troubleshooting & Problem-Solving – Experience troubleshooting server hardware and storage systems, capable of identifying fiber-optic signal loss, and network connectivity issues.
• Data Center Operations – Managing power, cooling, airflow, and fiber-optic infrastructure to ensure efficiency in critical systems.
• Security & Compliance – Familiarity with industry regulations, environmental standards, and cybersecurity protocols for critical data center facilities.
• Vendor Coordination – work with hardware OEMs and third-party service providers to coordinate RMA replacements, troubleshoot liquid cooling systems, repair power shelves, and replace fiber-optic transceivers.
• Automation & Monitoring – Utilizing AI-driven monitoring tools to track thermal performance, fiber-optic signal integrity, and system health.
• Emergency Response – respond to customer escalated IT incidents, server and network equipment failures, network provider outages, and maintain and document recovery procedures. Participate in the root cause analysis (RCA) and implement improvements.
• Certifications that could make this role effective: Comptia+, Linux Essentials, BICSI or TIA-942, Data Center professional certifications.

Other important requirements:  

• Pre-employment screening, including background check and substance testing may be required according to company policies. 
• Must provide own steel-toed work boots; other PPE will be supplied.
• Must be able to reliably commute to the site in Childress, Texas or have plans to relocate before starting work.
• Must be able to lift up to 49 lbs.
• Must participate in a 24/7 on call rotation.