Data Center Jobs in Ohio
Data Center jobs in Ohio are concentrated in cloud infrastructure, enterprise IT, and colocation services, with strong demand for technicians, engineers, and operations specialists at every level from entry-level NOC analyst to senior facility engineer. Columbus, Cincinnati, and Cleveland are the state's largest hiring centers, anchored by employers like Amazon Web Services, Expedient, and AEP Ohio, which maintain significant data infrastructure across the state. The most consistent openings are in facilities operations, network infrastructure, and power and cooling systems management. Scan the live roles below and apply to whichever ones fit.
Find Data Center JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 233+ Data Center jobs
INTRODUCTION
Data Center Optical Engineer – Field Services in Ohio (Onsite / 0-100% Travel Required) - Contract Role
Our client is seeking a highly motivated and skilled Data Center Optical Engineer to support customer environments and colocation facilities. This role focuses on the reliable installation, maintenance, testing, troubleshooting, migration, and operation of optical fiber and transport infrastructure within large-scale data centers. The ideal candidate will have strong hands-on experience with fiber optic cabling, optical testing, data center operations, and transport troubleshooting, along with proven team leadership and customer-facing experience. This position requires someone who can maintain high standards of quality, audit work performed by technicians, communicate directly with customers, and lead new business at customer locations across the United States. This is a great opportunity for an experienced fiber/data center professional who enjoys hands-on technical work, customer interaction, and travel. The successful candidate must be willing to travel up to 100%, including traveling to non-home-market locations for several weeks at a time when required.
Contract Duration: 6 – 24 Months
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- 2.5+ years of experience in fiber installation, with 1.5+ years of experience working in a large-scale data center environment.
- Proven experience working in data center operations or a similar technical environment.
- Strong hands-on experience with connectorized fiber optic cabling.
- Experience working with single-mode and multi-mode fiber.
- Experience with LC connectors, fan-outs, structured cabling, and fiber patch panels.
- Hands-on experience with optical testing and troubleshooting.
- Experience using optical power meters, stabilized light sources, VFLs, OTDRs, and optical test equipment.
- Proven team lead experience.
- Strong customer-facing communication skills with the ability to interact directly with customers.
- Ability to read and interpret Methods of Procedure (MoPs), engineering documentation, vendor documentation, network diagrams, cut sheets, and physical network designs.
- Strong written and verbal English communication skills.
- Excellent organizational, administrative, and documentation skills.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Windows-based applications.
- Strong attention to detail and commitment to quality.
- High integrity, self-motivation, and ability to work independently.
- Ability to multitask and remain composed in fast-paced, high-availability environments.
- Willingness to travel to customer locations and lead new business.
- Ability to support travel requirements ranging from 0–100%.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience supporting optical transport networks within large-scale data centers.
- Experience with fiber migrations, remediation, break/fix, decommissioning, and remote hands services.
- Experience auditing third-party technician work and providing immediate technical feedback.
- Experience working with customer ticketing systems and service management platforms.
- Experience leading teams in customer data center environments.
- Experience with optical power calculations and fiber link testing.
- Experience working with optical transport equipment and infrastructure.
- Familiarity with AWS Outposts environments.
- Experience using IFS or similar field service applications.
- Experience working with customer-specific tools, processes, and documentation.
- Strong understanding of fiber cleaning, inspection, connector handling, and proper fiber installation practices.
YOUR ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Lead and support optical infrastructure work within customer data centers and colocation facilities.
- Conduct daily audits of work performed by third-party technicians on behalf of the client.
- Provide immediate feedback to technicians to maintain quality, safety, and installation standards.
- Interact directly with customers through ticketing systems and face-to-face communications.
- Provide clear, concise reports, updates, and status information to customers and internal stakeholders.
- Assist with fiber installation, decommissioning, break/fix, remediation, migration, and remote hands activities.
- Conduct and/or supervise optical testing and troubleshooting.
- Use optical power meters, stabilized light sources, VFLs, OTDRs, and other optical test equipment.
- Execute Methods of Procedure (MoPs), engineering documents, vendor documentation, and network diagrams accurately.
- Read and interpret cut sheets and physical network design documents to ensure accurate port connections.
- Verify proper fiber routing, connections, labeling, and cable management.
- Lead technical activities at customer locations and support new business kickoffs.
- Travel to non-home-market locations, potentially for several weeks at a time.
- Work closely with customers, engineers, vendors, and third-party technicians.
- Ensure all work is completed according to safety, quality, and operational requirements.
- Troubleshoot fiber and optical transport issues and coordinate appropriate resolution.
- Document work activities, test results, discrepancies, and corrective actions.
- Maintain high standards of execution across installation, migration, remediation, and break/fix activities.
Technical Knowledge Check
Candidates should be able to independently demonstrate practical knowledge of fiber optics. The following technical concepts are considered essential:
- Optical Power: Given -3 dBm, -5 dBm, and -7 dBm, identify -3 dBm as the strongest signal.
- Fiber Cleaning: Know appropriate fiber cleaning methods, including CLETOP, one-click cleaners/click-stiks, and lint-free wipes with 99% isopropyl alcohol.
- Loopback: Understand how to place a loopback on a fiber pair through the front of a patch panel without disconnecting the rear connections.
- Fiber Identification: Know that yellow fiber is used for single-mode fiber in the scenario described. Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate this level of hands-on fiber knowledge during the screening process.
Tech Breakdown
- 30% Fiber Optic Installation, Maintenance & Remediation
- 20% Optical Testing & Troubleshooting
- 15% Data Center Operations & Infrastructure
- 15% Team Leadership & Customer Interaction
- 10% Auditing, Quality Control & Documentation
- 5% Fiber Migration / Break-Fix / Decommissioning
- 5% Field Service Tools, Ticketing & Reporting
Daily Responsibilities
- 35% Hands-On Fiber / Optical Engineering
- 20% Testing, Troubleshooting & Remediation
- 15% Technician Auditing & Quality Control
- 15% Customer Interaction & Technical Reporting
- 10% Team Leadership & Coordination
- 5% Documentation, Ticketing & Administrative Activities
Travel & Work Requirements
- Travel: 0–100%, depending on business requirements.
- Must be willing to travel to customer locations across the United States.
- Must be willing to travel to a non-home-market location with limited notice.
- Travel assignments may last several weeks at a time.
- Must be willing to travel to customer locations for kickoff activities and to lead new business.
- Must be comfortable working in active data center environments.
- Ability to lift and move equipment weighing up to 50 lbs.
- Comfortable working at heights and in varying environmental conditions.
- Must follow all applicable safety and operational requirements.
What You’ll Bring
The successful candidate will combine strong fiber optic and data center technical expertise with proven leadership and customer-facing skills. You should be comfortable working hands-on with single-mode and multi-mode fiber, optical testing equipment, patch panels, structured cabling, and optical transport infrastructure. You should also be able to lead technicians, audit work for quality, communicate directly with customers, interpret technical documentation, and troubleshoot issues under pressure. Because this position can require extensive travel, the ideal candidate is flexible, self-motivated, and comfortable working at customer sites across the country. A strong candidate will have the technical knowledge to recognize proper fiber installation and cleaning practices, understand optical power levels, perform testing and troubleshooting, and maintain high standards of execution across complex data center projects.
We are Connectors. We thrive on ‘quality over quantity’ and put the work into building strong relationships. We create connections, discover qualities, uncover skills, and place people with accuracy. We are your true partner!
We are Collaborators. You’ll be working with a wholly owned subsidiary of Kelly and part of the Kelly Telecom division. It allows us to be as nimble and fiercely competitive as a startup while having the backing of a multibillion-dollar publicly traded company that has been in business for 75 years. With direct access to hiring managers, services don’t stop at standard recruiting processes. We use our expertise to improve your application skills and provide ongoing career support.
We give 24/7 Support. We are in this together. We provide around-the-clock availability, competitive employee benefits, and continuously check in to make sure things are going smoothly. Check out our Glassdoor page! As part of our promise to talent, Kelly supports those who work with us through a variety of benefits, perks, and work-related resources. Kelly offers eligible employees voluntary benefit plans including medical, dental, vision, telemedicine, term life, whole life, accident insurance, critical illness, a legal plan, and short-term disability. As a Kelly employee, you will have access to a retirement savings plan, service bonus and holiday pay plans (earn up to eight paid holidays per benefit year), and a transit spending account. In addition, employees are entitled to earn paid sick leave under the applicable state or local plan.
INTRODUCTION
Data Center Optical Engineer – Field Services in Ohio (Onsite / 0-100% Travel Required) - Contract Role
Our client is seeking a highly motivated and skilled Data Center Optical Engineer to support customer environments and colocation facilities. This role focuses on the reliable installation, maintenance, testing, troubleshooting, migration, and operation of optical fiber and transport infrastructure within large-scale data centers. The ideal candidate will have strong hands-on experience with fiber optic cabling, optical testing, data center operations, and transport troubleshooting, along with proven team leadership and customer-facing experience. This position requires someone who can maintain high standards of quality, audit work performed by technicians, communicate directly with customers, and lead new business at customer locations across the United States. This is a great opportunity for an experienced fiber/data center professional who enjoys hands-on technical work, customer interaction, and travel. The successful candidate must be willing to travel up to 100%, including traveling to non-home-market locations for several weeks at a time when required.
Contract Duration: 6 – 24 Months
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- 2.5+ years of experience in fiber installation, with 1.5+ years of experience working in a large-scale data center environment.
- Proven experience working in data center operations or a similar technical environment.
- Strong hands-on experience with connectorized fiber optic cabling.
- Experience working with single-mode and multi-mode fiber.
- Experience with LC connectors, fan-outs, structured cabling, and fiber patch panels.
- Hands-on experience with optical testing and troubleshooting.
- Experience using optical power meters, stabilized light sources, VFLs, OTDRs, and optical test equipment.
- Proven team lead experience.
- Strong customer-facing communication skills with the ability to interact directly with customers.
- Ability to read and interpret Methods of Procedure (MoPs), engineering documentation, vendor documentation, network diagrams, cut sheets, and physical network designs.
- Strong written and verbal English communication skills.
- Excellent organizational, administrative, and documentation skills.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Windows-based applications.
- Strong attention to detail and commitment to quality.
- High integrity, self-motivation, and ability to work independently.
- Ability to multitask and remain composed in fast-paced, high-availability environments.
- Willingness to travel to customer locations and lead new business.
- Ability to support travel requirements ranging from 0–100%.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience supporting optical transport networks within large-scale data centers.
- Experience with fiber migrations, remediation, break/fix, decommissioning, and remote hands services.
- Experience auditing third-party technician work and providing immediate technical feedback.
- Experience working with customer ticketing systems and service management platforms.
- Experience leading teams in customer data center environments.
- Experience with optical power calculations and fiber link testing.
- Experience working with optical transport equipment and infrastructure.
- Familiarity with AWS Outposts environments.
- Experience using IFS or similar field service applications.
- Experience working with customer-specific tools, processes, and documentation.
- Strong understanding of fiber cleaning, inspection, connector handling, and proper fiber installation practices.
YOUR ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Lead and support optical infrastructure work within customer data centers and colocation facilities.
- Conduct daily audits of work performed by third-party technicians on behalf of the client.
- Provide immediate feedback to technicians to maintain quality, safety, and installation standards.
- Interact directly with customers through ticketing systems and face-to-face communications.
- Provide clear, concise reports, updates, and status information to customers and internal stakeholders.
- Assist with fiber installation, decommissioning, break/fix, remediation, migration, and remote hands activities.
- Conduct and/or supervise optical testing and troubleshooting.
- Use optical power meters, stabilized light sources, VFLs, OTDRs, and other optical test equipment.
- Execute Methods of Procedure (MoPs), engineering documents, vendor documentation, and network diagrams accurately.
- Read and interpret cut sheets and physical network design documents to ensure accurate port connections.
- Verify proper fiber routing, connections, labeling, and cable management.
- Lead technical activities at customer locations and support new business kickoffs.
- Travel to non-home-market locations, potentially for several weeks at a time.
- Work closely with customers, engineers, vendors, and third-party technicians.
- Ensure all work is completed according to safety, quality, and operational requirements.
- Troubleshoot fiber and optical transport issues and coordinate appropriate resolution.
- Document work activities, test results, discrepancies, and corrective actions.
- Maintain high standards of execution across installation, migration, remediation, and break/fix activities.
Technical Knowledge Check
Candidates should be able to independently demonstrate practical knowledge of fiber optics. The following technical concepts are considered essential:
- Optical Power: Given -3 dBm, -5 dBm, and -7 dBm, identify -3 dBm as the strongest signal.
- Fiber Cleaning: Know appropriate fiber cleaning methods, including CLETOP, one-click cleaners/click-stiks, and lint-free wipes with 99% isopropyl alcohol.
- Loopback: Understand how to place a loopback on a fiber pair through the front of a patch panel without disconnecting the rear connections.
- Fiber Identification: Know that yellow fiber is used for single-mode fiber in the scenario described. Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate this level of hands-on fiber knowledge during the screening process.
Tech Breakdown
- 30% Fiber Optic Installation, Maintenance & Remediation
- 20% Optical Testing & Troubleshooting
- 15% Data Center Operations & Infrastructure
- 15% Team Leadership & Customer Interaction
- 10% Auditing, Quality Control & Documentation
- 5% Fiber Migration / Break-Fix / Decommissioning
- 5% Field Service Tools, Ticketing & Reporting
Daily Responsibilities
- 35% Hands-On Fiber / Optical Engineering
- 20% Testing, Troubleshooting & Remediation
- 15% Technician Auditing & Quality Control
- 15% Customer Interaction & Technical Reporting
- 10% Team Leadership & Coordination
- 5% Documentation, Ticketing & Administrative Activities
Travel & Work Requirements
- Travel: 0–100%, depending on business requirements.
- Must be willing to travel to customer locations across the United States.
- Must be willing to travel to a non-home-market location with limited notice.
- Travel assignments may last several weeks at a time.
- Must be willing to travel to customer locations for kickoff activities and to lead new business.
- Must be comfortable working in active data center environments.
- Ability to lift and move equipment weighing up to 50 lbs.
- Comfortable working at heights and in varying environmental conditions.
- Must follow all applicable safety and operational requirements.
What You’ll Bring
The successful candidate will combine strong fiber optic and data center technical expertise with proven leadership and customer-facing skills. You should be comfortable working hands-on with single-mode and multi-mode fiber, optical testing equipment, patch panels, structured cabling, and optical transport infrastructure. You should also be able to lead technicians, audit work for quality, communicate directly with customers, interpret technical documentation, and troubleshoot issues under pressure. Because this position can require extensive travel, the ideal candidate is flexible, self-motivated, and comfortable working at customer sites across the country. A strong candidate will have the technical knowledge to recognize proper fiber installation and cleaning practices, understand optical power levels, perform testing and troubleshooting, and maintain high standards of execution across complex data center projects.
We are Connectors. We thrive on ‘quality over quantity’ and put the work into building strong relationships. We create connections, discover qualities, uncover skills, and place people with accuracy. We are your true partner!
We are Collaborators. You’ll be working with a wholly owned subsidiary of Kelly and part of the Kelly Telecom division. It allows us to be as nimble and fiercely competitive as a startup while having the backing of a multibillion-dollar publicly traded company that has been in business for 75 years. With direct access to hiring managers, services don’t stop at standard recruiting processes. We use our expertise to improve your application skills and provide ongoing career support.
We give 24/7 Support. We are in this together. We provide around-the-clock availability, competitive employee benefits, and continuously check in to make sure things are going smoothly. Check out our Glassdoor page! As part of our promise to talent, Kelly supports those who work with us through a variety of benefits, perks, and work-related resources. Kelly offers eligible employees voluntary benefit plans including medical, dental, vision, telemedicine, term life, whole life, accident insurance, critical illness, a legal plan, and short-term disability. As a Kelly employee, you will have access to a retirement savings plan, service bonus and holiday pay plans (earn up to eight paid holidays per benefit year), and a transit spending account. In addition, employees are entitled to earn paid sick leave under the applicable state or local plan.
See All 233+ Data Center Jobs in Ohio
Find roles in Ohio that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Data Center JobsData Center Jobs by City in Ohio
Where Ohio roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Data Center Job Market in Ohio
A snapshot from current Ohio openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
- Amazon52
- DSV31
- Meta10
- Cologix10
- Gilbane8
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software12
- Retail6
- E-Commerce & Online Marketplaces6
- Construction & Real Estate4
- Investment & Asset Management2
What Ohio Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in data center jobs across Ohio.
- Associate or bachelor's degree in information technology, electrical engineering, or a related field
- Hands-on experience with data center operations, including server hardware and cabling infrastructure
- Familiarity with power distribution, UPS systems, and HVAC cooling in critical facilities
- Industry certifications such as CompTIA Server+, CDCP, or BICSI DCDC preferred
- Ability to work rotating shifts including nights and weekends in a 24/7 operations environment
- Experience with ticketing systems and change management procedures in enterprise environments
Data Center Jobs in Ohio: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a data center technician or engineer in Ohio?
Most Ohio employers hire candidates with an associate or bachelor's degree in information technology, computer science, or electrical engineering, though some entry roles accept relevant certifications in lieu of a degree. Ohio does not require a state-issued license specifically for data center roles, but obtaining vendor-neutral credentials like CompTIA Server+, CDCP, or BICSI DCDC strengthens your candidacy significantly with Columbus and Cincinnati-area employers who list them as preferred qualifications.
Which companies hire data centers in Ohio?
Companies currently hiring data centers in Ohio include Amazon, DSV, and Meta, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. Ohio's concentration of cloud providers, colocation operators, and utility-adjacent infrastructure firms makes it one of the more active markets in the Midwest for sustained data center hiring.
Which Ohio cities have the most data center jobs?
New Albany, Columbus, and Lockbourne lead Ohio in data center openings. Columbus drives the largest share due to its status as a major cloud infrastructure hub, with hyperscale campuses from several large providers concentrated in the New Albany corridor, while Cincinnati and Cleveland contribute through enterprise IT campuses, financial services infrastructure, and regional colocation facilities.
Are there remote data center jobs in Ohio?
Yes, but they're rare. Data center roles are largely hands-on and facility-based, which limits remote options considerably. About 20% of data center openings tied to Ohio are remote or hybrid as of September 2026, and those positions tend to be in monitoring, NOC analysis, or project coordination rather than physical infrastructure or facilities operations work.
How can I get hired as a data center technician in Ohio with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is a hands-on associate degree program in information technology or electronics technology at an Ohio community college, such as Columbus State or Sinclair, which feed directly into local employer pipelines. Large Ohio colocation and cloud operators regularly hire entry-level data center technicians and NOC analysts for overnight and weekend shifts, and candidates who hold CompTIA A+ or CompTIA Server+ have a clear edge over those without any credential when applying to those roles.
Where can I find and apply to data center jobs in Ohio?
You can find and apply to data center jobs in Ohio on Migrate Mate, which lists current Ohio openings across facilities operations, networking, and infrastructure engineering roles. Search the listings to find roles that match your experience level and location preference, then apply directly to the ones that fit.
See All 233+ Data Center Jobs in Ohio
Find roles in Ohio that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Data Center Jobs