Head of Data Center Practice - Global Markets India / Singapore

Skills this role screens for

About the role

Head of Data Center Practice - Global Markets

Location: India OR Singapore, ​​​

Function: Data Center Infrastructure, Engineering & Managed Services for Global Markets.

The work

About the Role

Sutherland is looking for a highly experienced, entrepreneurial leader to establish, build, and scale its Data Center Practice across the United States.

This is a strategic leadership role for someone who combines deep technical and operational expertise in data center infrastructure with the commercial acumen to build a profitable, growing business. The individual will own the practice end to end—from market strategy, solution development, and business development to engineering, deployment, operations, maintenance, and decommissioning.

The ideal candidate has hands-on experience across the data center lifecycle, including hyperscale, colocation, enterprise, and AI infrastructure environments. They understand traditional data center infrastructure as well as evolving technologies such as GPU clusters, high-density compute, liquid cooling, and next-generation AI infrastructure.

The successful candidate will build the team, ecosystem, delivery capabilities, operating model, and customer relationships required to position Sutherland as a trusted end-to-end data center infrastructure services partner.

The work

Key Responsibilities

Lead and develop capabilities across the complete data center lifecycle, including:

The practice leader must understand how to integrate these services into repeatable, commercially viable offerings for enterprise and hyperscale customers.

• Build and Lead the Data Center Practice
• Develop and execute the US Data Center Practice strategy, defining target markets, service offerings, investment priorities, and a scalable growth roadmap.
• Build the practice from the ground up, including technical leadership, engineering, project management, field operations, quality assurance, and managed services capabilities.
• Establish the delivery organization, operating model, processes, governance, and performance metrics required to execute complex customer engagements.
• Build strategic relationships with data center operators, hyperscalers, colocation providers, OEMs, equipment manufacturers, engineering firms, contractors, and specialist service providers.
• Own practice performance, including revenue growth, pipeline, bookings, gross margin, delivery performance, customer satisfaction, and profitability.
• End-to-End Data Center Lifecycle Expertise
• Planning and readiness: Site readiness assessments, infrastructure surveys, deployment planning, capacity planning, implementation schedules, and risk assessments.
• Installation and deployment: Rack installation, server and network hardware deployment, power distribution, structured cabling, fiber installation, labeling, connectivity, and infrastructure integration.
• Commissioning and validation: Installation verification, connectivity testing, power and thermal validation, documentation, acceptance testing, and operational handover.
• Operations and maintenance: Preventive and corrective maintenance, break-fix services, hardware replacement, infrastructure monitoring, incident management, root-cause analysis, and service-level management.
• Expansion and modernization: Capacity expansion, hardware refreshes, infrastructure upgrades, migrations, reconfiguration, and technology transitions.
• Decommissioning and asset lifecycle management: Safe equipment removal, asset tracking, data-bearing equipment handling, redeployment, recycling, disposal, and audit-ready documentation.
• Advanced and Emerging Data Center Technologies
• Develop solutions for rapidly evolving AI and high-performance computing infrastructure, including GPU deployments and high-density compute environments.
• Understand the implications of increased rack power density, thermal loads, and next-generation cooling requirements.
• Build capabilities around liquid cooling, including direct-to-chip and other applicable cooling architectures, cooling distribution infrastructure, and associated deployment and maintenance requirements.
• Develop expertise in power and thermal infrastructure, including UPS systems, power distribution, cooling systems, monitoring, and environmental controls.
• Evaluate emerging technologies, industry standards, automation opportunities, and new service models to keep Sutherland competitive.
• Translate evolving technical requirements into practical, scalable, customer-ready solutions, supported by qualified engineering and technology partners.
• Solution Development and Technical Pre-Sales
• Partner with sales and account leadership to identify opportunities, shape customer requirements, and develop differentiated solutions.
• Lead technical discovery, infrastructure assessments, solution architecture, statements of work, proposals, RFP/RFI responses, and solution presentations.
• Develop standard service offerings, implementation methodologies, pricing models, staffing approaches, and delivery playbooks.
• Build solutions that combine Sutherland’s delivery capabilities with specialist partners and OEM ecosystems where required.
• Assess feasibility, delivery risks, resource requirements, service levels, and commercial assumptions before committing to customer engagements.
• Serve as the senior technical authority in customer discussions, executive briefings, solution workshops, and deal negotiations.
• Business Development and Commercial Ownership
• Build and maintain a qualified pipeline of data center infrastructure opportunities across the United States.
• Work with sales teams to pursue new logos, expand existing accounts, establish strategic partnerships, and convert opportunities into long-term engagements.
• Identify opportunities across hyperscalers, cloud providers, colocation operators, technology companies, and large enterprises.
• Own the commercial model for the practice, including pricing, cost estimation, resource utilization, margin management, and delivery economics.
• Develop recurring revenue opportunities through managed services, maintenance contracts, lifecycle support, and multi-site infrastructure engagements.
• Build a strong partner ecosystem to extend capabilities, accelerate market entry, and support large or geographically distributed deployments.
• Delivery Excellence, Quality Assurance and Safety
• Establish rigorous quality assurance and quality control standards across installation, cabling, equipment deployment, testing, commissioning, and maintenance.
• Implement standard operating procedures, checklists, acceptance criteria, documentation standards, and audit mechanisms.
• Drive consistent execution across sites, ensuring adherence to customer requirements, applicable codes, safety standards, and contractual service levels.
• Establish program governance, risk management, escalation processes, and performance reporting.
• Drive continuous improvement through root-cause analysis, defect prevention, productivity improvements, and lessons learned.
• Ensure appropriate controls for change management, access, asset handling, data security, and work performed in mission-critical environments.
• Organization Building and Leadership
• Recruit, develop, and lead a high-performing team of engineers, technical architects, project managers, field technicians, quality specialists, and operations leaders.
• Develop workforce planning, certification, training, and capability-building programs to support growth.
• Establish relationships with subcontractors and regional delivery partners while maintaining consistent quality and accountability.
• Create a culture of safety, customer focus, technical excellence, ownership, and disciplined execution.
• Provide executive leadership with transparent reporting on pipeline, delivery performance, profitability, investments, risks, and growth opportunities.…