Data Center Manager Jobs for OPT Students
Data Center Manager jobs are available to F-1 OPT students with degrees in computer science, information systems, or electrical engineering. Most roles qualify as STEM OPT extensions, giving you up to 36 months of work authorization. Employers typically sponsor H-1B visas for strong performers in this operationally critical, hard-to-fill role.
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Manage a team that maintains cloud infrastructure for global data center operations!
AWS is looking for technology managers with experience in people management, strong technical understanding and the drive and vision to take AWS Data Center Operations to the next level. The successful candidate will have experience creating/devising strategies, mentoring people at all levels, sponsoring projects, and proposing technical solutions. This position involves leading teams in hardware and network diagnostics followed by physical repair and includes participation in an on-call rotation.
AWS Infrastructure Services owns the design, planning, delivery, and operation of all AWS global infrastructure. In other words, we’re the people who keep the cloud running. We support all AWS data centers and all servers, storage, networking, power, and cooling equipment that ensure our customers have continual access to the innovation they rely on. We work on the most challenging problems, with thousands of variables impacting the supply chain — and we’re looking for talented people who want to help.
You’ll join a diverse team of software, hardware, and network engineers, supply chain specialists, security experts, operations managers, and other vital roles. You’ll collaborate with people across AWS to help us deliver the highest standards for safety and security while providing seemingly infinite capacity at the lowest possible cost for our customers. And you’ll experience an inclusive culture that welcomes bold ideas and empowers you to own them to completion.
Effective May 15, 2017, logical access to the AWS GovCloud region will be restricted to Amazon employees who are U.S. Citizens. (GovCloud may NOT be accessed from outside of the United States)
Key job responsibilities
The successful candidate will be operationally responsible for a Data Center. Some high-level responsibilities include:
- Prioritize and assign trouble tickets to data center technicians and operators
- Manage the performance of a diverse team(s) of data center operation professionals with varying skills across different locations
- Developing Career Paths for the employees and making updates in our internal tools.
- Recruit and train data technicians to ensure appropriate staffing levels
- Ensure effective and efficient management of day-to-day data center operations including queue management, 7/24 shift arrangement and hardware logistics
- Fast learn or act as the subject matter expert across all aspects in data center operations
- Ensure all operational KPIs and metrics are being measured and met
- Inspire and guide improvement in team process, technology innovation and automation
- Manage Large Scale Events (outages) and act as the call leader
- Manage and improve the workflows and through-put for data centers operations
- Recommend, document, and oversee policies and procedures to meet industry best practices and to meet required SLAs
- Maintain the on-call schedule coordinating absence and vacations
- Be passionate about the quality and quantity of services being provided, and continuously strive to improve our Customer Experience
This role supports data centers in various operational stages. The position may be assigned to a facility still under development, which could require travel to established locations for training until your designated site becomes fully operational.
Essential Requirements:
- Ability to travel to or commute between data center locations as needed
- Willingness to temporarily work at alternative sites during training periods or until assigned facility is operational
- Travel frequency will vary based on business needs and operational status of assigned facility
Candidates must be able to travel (over 50 miles) or commute (less than 50 miles) to active data center sites as required by business needs.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- 4+ years of Information Technology (IT) experience, or Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, mathematics or equivalent
- 2+ years of people management experience
- 2+ years of operations and on-call support for data center facilities, mission critical plants, or production facilities experience
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- 2+ years of computer hardware experience, including troubleshooting and repairing experience
- Experience in technical writing in a relevant field
- certification in an applicable field like A+, Net+, Sec+, CCNA, LPIC, Linux+, AWS certification, or A+ or CND (Certified Network Defender) or Network+ or Security+
- Experience with system management tools and client/server environments
Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.
Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you’re applying in isn’t listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.
The base salary range for this position is listed below. Your Amazon package will include sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, and location. Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage), 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits.
LOCATION
USA, VA, Manassas - 78,400.00 - 137,300.00 USD annually
DESCRIPTION
Manage a team that maintains cloud infrastructure for global data center operations!
AWS is looking for technology managers with experience in people management, strong technical understanding and the drive and vision to take AWS Data Center Operations to the next level. The successful candidate will have experience creating/devising strategies, mentoring people at all levels, sponsoring projects, and proposing technical solutions. This position involves leading teams in hardware and network diagnostics followed by physical repair and includes participation in an on-call rotation.
AWS Infrastructure Services owns the design, planning, delivery, and operation of all AWS global infrastructure. In other words, we’re the people who keep the cloud running. We support all AWS data centers and all servers, storage, networking, power, and cooling equipment that ensure our customers have continual access to the innovation they rely on. We work on the most challenging problems, with thousands of variables impacting the supply chain — and we’re looking for talented people who want to help.
You’ll join a diverse team of software, hardware, and network engineers, supply chain specialists, security experts, operations managers, and other vital roles. You’ll collaborate with people across AWS to help us deliver the highest standards for safety and security while providing seemingly infinite capacity at the lowest possible cost for our customers. And you’ll experience an inclusive culture that welcomes bold ideas and empowers you to own them to completion.
Effective May 15, 2017, logical access to the AWS GovCloud region will be restricted to Amazon employees who are U.S. Citizens. (GovCloud may NOT be accessed from outside of the United States)
Key job responsibilities
The successful candidate will be operationally responsible for a Data Center. Some high-level responsibilities include:
- Prioritize and assign trouble tickets to data center technicians and operators
- Manage the performance of a diverse team(s) of data center operation professionals with varying skills across different locations
- Developing Career Paths for the employees and making updates in our internal tools.
- Recruit and train data technicians to ensure appropriate staffing levels
- Ensure effective and efficient management of day-to-day data center operations including queue management, 7/24 shift arrangement and hardware logistics
- Fast learn or act as the subject matter expert across all aspects in data center operations
- Ensure all operational KPIs and metrics are being measured and met
- Inspire and guide improvement in team process, technology innovation and automation
- Manage Large Scale Events (outages) and act as the call leader
- Manage and improve the workflows and through-put for data centers operations
- Recommend, document, and oversee policies and procedures to meet industry best practices and to meet required SLAs
- Maintain the on-call schedule coordinating absence and vacations
- Be passionate about the quality and quantity of services being provided, and continuously strive to improve our Customer Experience
This role supports data centers in various operational stages. The position may be assigned to a facility still under development, which could require travel to established locations for training until your designated site becomes fully operational.
Essential Requirements:
- Ability to travel to or commute between data center locations as needed
- Willingness to temporarily work at alternative sites during training periods or until assigned facility is operational
- Travel frequency will vary based on business needs and operational status of assigned facility
Candidates must be able to travel (over 50 miles) or commute (less than 50 miles) to active data center sites as required by business needs.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- 4+ years of Information Technology (IT) experience, or Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, mathematics or equivalent
- 2+ years of people management experience
- 2+ years of operations and on-call support for data center facilities, mission critical plants, or production facilities experience
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- 2+ years of computer hardware experience, including troubleshooting and repairing experience
- Experience in technical writing in a relevant field
- certification in an applicable field like A+, Net+, Sec+, CCNA, LPIC, Linux+, AWS certification, or A+ or CND (Certified Network Defender) or Network+ or Security+
- Experience with system management tools and client/server environments
Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.
Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you’re applying in isn’t listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.
The base salary range for this position is listed below. Your Amazon package will include sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, and location. Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage), 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits.
LOCATION
USA, VA, Manassas - 78,400.00 - 137,300.00 USD annually
How to Get Visa Sponsorship as a Data Center Manager
Emphasize 24/7 operational responsibility
Data center managers who own uptime metrics and incident response are harder to replace. Frame your experience around SLA compliance, mean time to recovery, and infrastructure availability percentages. Operational accountability makes sponsorship conversations much easier to initiate.
Get your certifications in order before applying
CompTIA Server+, CDCP, or Cisco CCNA credentials signal technical depth employers expect at the manager level. Certified candidates reduce employer uncertainty about OPT gaps and demonstrate long-term commitment to the field before the interview even starts.
Target colocation and cloud infrastructure companies
Equinix, Digital Realty, and hyperscale cloud providers run structured sponsorship programs for data center roles. These organizations hire internationally at scale and have established legal and HR processes that make OPT and H-1B transitions significantly more straightforward.
Document your STEM OPT eligibility clearly
Data Center Manager roles almost universally qualify under STEM OPT extension categories tied to computer science and engineering CIP codes. Confirm your degree qualifies, then communicate your 36-month authorization window upfront so employers aren't guessing about your timeline.
Quantify infrastructure scale you've managed
Employers want specifics: rack counts, kilowatt capacity, server counts, or number of technicians supervised. Managers who can articulate the scale of infrastructure they've overseen are taken more seriously and face fewer objections when raising visa sponsorship needs.
Address sponsorship directly in the second interview
Raising visa sponsorship too early can stall conversations, but waiting until an offer creates friction. The second interview, once mutual interest is established, is the right moment to confirm the company sponsors H-1B visas and has done so for similar roles.
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Get Access To All JobsFrequently Asked Questions
Does a Data Center Manager role qualify for STEM OPT extension?
Yes, in most cases. Data Center Manager positions typically fall under computer science, information systems, or electrical engineering CIP codes, all of which qualify for the 24-month STEM OPT extension. To confirm eligibility, verify that your degree program appears on the official STEM Designated Degree Program List and that your employer is E-Verify enrolled, which is required for STEM OPT.
How do I find Data Center Manager jobs that sponsor OPT students?
Browse Migrate Mate to filter Data Center Manager openings by OPT sponsorship willingness. Colocation providers, enterprise IT departments, and cloud infrastructure companies are the most active sponsors for this role. Searching by employer type rather than just job title helps surface companies with established international hiring programs rather than those sponsoring for the first time.
Do employers require prior management experience, or can new OPT graduates qualify?
Most Data Center Manager roles expect two to five years of hands-on infrastructure experience before moving into management. New OPT graduates typically enter as data center technicians or operations analysts first. If you're applying directly after graduation, focus on roles with 'junior manager' or 'team lead' in the title, or target smaller facilities where the management scope is more entry-level.
What happens to my OPT status if I change employers as a Data Center Manager?
You can change employers on OPT, but you must report the change to your DSO within 10 days and update your SEVIS record. For STEM OPT, the new employer must also be E-Verify enrolled and you'll need a new Form I-983 training plan signed by the new employer before you begin work. There is no grace period for working without authorization between jobs.
Are Data Center Manager roles considered specialty occupations for H-1B sponsorship?
Yes, when the position requires a bachelor's degree or higher in a specific technical field such as computer science, information systems, or electrical engineering. Generic management experience alone isn't sufficient for H-1B specialty occupation classification. Employers should ensure the job description specifies the theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge to strengthen the H-1B petition.
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