Principal Engineer, Data Center

At DigitalOcean, Senior Deployment Engineer IIs play a critical role in building and scaling the physical infrastructure that powers our cloud platform. Our Deployment team is responsible for new data center builds, infrastructure expansions, hardware deployments, cabling validation, site readiness, and repeatable execution standards that enable DigitalOcean to grow quickly and reliably.

This role is for a senior technical deployment owner who can lead complex onsite execution, drive cross-functional alignment, resolve high-impact blockers, improve scalable deployment standards, and support the successful transition of new infrastructure into steady-state operations. You’ll join a collaborative, fast-moving team with opportunities to influence large-scale deployments, new data center expansions, and next-generation infrastructure across DigitalOcean’s global footprint.

This role requires significant onsite deployment support and requires very high levels of domestic and international travel based on project needs.

• Acting as a senior technical owner for complex deployment programs, new data center builds, large-scale expansions, rack buildouts, cluster deployments, and high-density compute infrastructure
• Serving as an onsite technical lead or execution owner for major deployment phases, ensuring continuity, quality, schedule alignment, and successful handoff
• Driving end-to-end onsite deployment execution across vendors, contractors, logistics, schedules, internal teams, dependencies, blockers, and readiness milestones
• Coordinating cross-functional execution with Data Center Operations, Network Engineering, Infrastructure Engineering, Logistics, Facilities, Security, Procurement, hardware vendors, and deployment partners
• Defining, validating, and improving deployment standards for rack layouts, cabling, labeling, hardware placement, validation workflows, readiness checks, and operational handoff
• Leading complex troubleshooting across physical infrastructure, server hardware, GPU platforms, liquid-cooled infrastructure, cabling, optics, network connectivity, Linux OS, tooling, and provisioning workflows
• Identifying systemic deployment risks and driving mitigation plans before they impact schedule, quality, availability, or operational readiness
• Validating site readiness across power, cooling, rack elevations, redundancy, load balancing, physical layout, cabling, labeling, DCTrack, NetBox handoff requirements, and deployment documentation
• Overseeing contractor and vendor execution models, including work sequencing, task assignment, quality validation, issue correction, and performance feedback
• Establishing repeatable deployment workflows that reduce errors, improve build consistency, accelerate validation, and improve handoff quality across sites
• Driving daily deployment status, escalation handling, risk communication, blocker resolution, and leadership updates for assigned projects or programs
• Mentoring Senior Deployment Engineers, Deployment Engineers, local Data Center Operations teams, vendors, and contractors
• Creating, reviewing, and approving deployment runbooks, MOPs, SOPs, validation workflows, checklists, training materials, and operational handoff documentation
• Partnering with architecture, network, infrastructure, and operations teams to ensure deployment execution aligns with design intent and long-term scalability
• Evaluating deployment outcomes, incidents, defects, and lessons learned to identify recurring issues and drive durable improvements
• Supporting planning and preparation for future deployments, including resourcing, sequencing, tooling, documentation, validation workflows, and lessons learned
• Contributing to metrics and reporting that measure deployment quality, efficiency, readiness, defect rates, vendor performance, and handoff success
• Helping define scalable operating models for deployment rotations, contractor support, tertiary escalation, and cross-site execution

• 6 to 8+ years of experience deploying, operating, or supporting infrastructure within large-scale data center, cloud, infrastructure engineering, network, or technical operations environments
• Deep understanding of data center infrastructure, including compute, networking, storage, GPU hardware, liquid-cooled infrastructure, power, cooling, rack layouts, cabling, and deployment architecture
• Experience leading large-scale infrastructure deployments, new data center builds, data center expansions, rack buildouts, cluster deployments, or high-density compute rollouts
• Strong technical troubleshooting skills across hardware, cabling, optics, Linux OS, network connectivity, provisioning workflows, deployment tooling, and site-level infrastructure issues
• Strong Linux command-line experience and familiarity with bash scripting, automation workflows, diagnostic tooling, logs, and validation scripts
• Strong understanding of data center cabling plans, front-end and back-end network patterns, port mapping, LLDP validation, labeling standards, and deployment best practices
• Ability to operate as a senior technical lead in ambiguous, high-pressure, high-cadence deployment environments
• Ability to lead through influence across contractors, vendors, peers, cross-functional teams, and leadership stakeholders
• Experience coordinating vendors and contractors in a project capacity, including work sequencing, quality validation, task management, issue correction, and escalation
• Ability to communicate deployment status, risks, tradeoffs, blockers, and recommendations clearly to leadership and cross-functional partners
• Ability to identify systemic deployment issues and drive scalable improvements in process, tooling, documentation, training, vendor execution, and operational handoff
• Ability to create, review, approve, and standardize deployment documentation, runbooks, procedures, MOPs, validation workflows, and training materials
• Ability to define and use key performance metrics to drive deployment quality, efficiency, consistency, and readiness
• Ability to support planning, resourcing, and prioritization for future deployment projects and initiatives
• Strong mentorship skills with the ability to train and develop junior engineers, senior engineers, local site teams, vendors, and contractors
• Strong ownership mindset with the ability to drive complex deployment issues from identification through resolution and prevention
• The ability to travel domestically and internationally based on deployment needs
• Support deployment schedules that include extended onsite periods, non-standard hours, or project-based rotations
• Valid driver’s license and comfort with driving as needed
• Ability to remain on your feet throughout the workday
• Ability to lift objects up to 50 lbs

• $153,600 - $192,000

*This is a hybrid role

JR: 2026-7833

#LI-Hybrid