Datacentre Shift Supervisor - Assistant Manager at Equity Bank Kenya

The Datacenter Shift Supervisor is responsible for leading and coordinating datacenter operations during assigned shifts to ensure continuous availability of critical systems and services. This includes supervising Shift Engineers, managing incidents, performing inspections, ensuring that all operational activities align with established SOPs, and providing accurate reporting and analytics to support operational visibility and decision-making. The role serves as the first line of escalation during shifts and ensures seamless handover to maintain the operational integrity of the datacenter.

Key Responsibilities / Accountabilities

• Shift Supervision & Leadership
• Supervise and coordinate Shift Engineers to ensure all monitoring, maintenance, and incident response tasks are executed effectively.
• Act as the primary point of escalation for complex incidents during the shift and coordinate with senior management and technical teams.
• Ensure thorough shift handovers through detailed reports and briefings to incoming teams.
• Monitoring & Operations
• Oversee continuous monitoring of datacenter infrastructure, including power, cooling, and network systems, using BMS/DCIM and other monitoring tools.
• Respond to alarms and alerts, troubleshoot escalated issues, and initiate incident workflows.
• Conduct regular walkthrough inspections to verify system health and adherence to environmental parameters.
• Incident Response & Resolution
• Lead the response to incidents during shifts following established SOPs/EOPs, escalating as appropriate.
• Oversee root cause analysis for incidents and recommend preventive actions.
• Ensure accurate incident documentation, timelines, and corrective measures are logged.
• Maintenance & Support
• Oversee routine maintenance tasks, including backup power checks, environmental control system verification, and rack-level checks.
• Coordinate preventive maintenance activities during shifts and ensure they are properly supervised and documented.
• Support asset tracking and ensure updates are accurately recorded.
• Shift Administration & Ticket Management
• Maintain accurate logs of shift activities, incidents, and maintenance tasks.
• Ensure smooth handover between shifts, highlighting ongoing issues and pending tasks.
• Supervise ticket logging and closure by Shift Engineers, ensuring SLA adherence and completeness of records.
• Escalate unresolved or delayed tickets and track trends to recommend process improvements.
• Reporting & Analytics
• Compile and submit shift-based reports covering incidents, alarms, maintenance activities, and environmental status.
• Track and analyze key operational metrics such as incident response times, alarm frequencies, and SLA adherence.
• Identify recurring issues and operational patterns from ticketing and monitoring data, and provide insights to the Datacenter Operations Manager for continuous improvement.
• Contribute to weekly and monthly operational dashboards, audits, and management reports.
• Ensure all reporting follows standardized formats and is accurate, timely, and audit-ready.

Essential Knowledge

• Excellent understanding of low-voltage power infrastructures, operational standards, and optimal operating parameters.
• Working knowledge of HVAC systems, air handling units, computer-grade cooling systems, building monitoring/control systems, and generators.

Key Competencies

• Strong organizational and leadership skills
• High availability and commitment to shift work
• Excellent communication and escalation discipline
• Analytical mindset and reporting accuracy
• Professionalism under pressure
• Self-motivation and accountability

Qualifications and Experience  

• Education: University degree in Electrical Engineering, Power Systems, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience: Proven track record in datacenter operations with hands-on experience managing critical facility incidents.
• Strong understanding of datacenter power, cooling, and network systems.
• Demonstrated leadership ability in supervising shift-based technical teams.