SpaceXAI’s mission is to create AI systems that can accurately understand the universe and aid humanity in its pursuit of knowledge. Our team is small, highly motivated, and focused on engineering excellence. This organization is for individuals who appreciate challenging themselves and thrive on curiosity. We operate with a flat organizational structure. All employees are expected to be hands-on and to contribute directly to the company’s mission. Leadership is given to those who show initiative and consistently deliver excellence. Work ethic and strong prioritization skills are important. All employees are expected to have strong communication skills. They should be able to concisely and accurately share knowledge with their teammates.
ABOUT THE ROLE:
SpaceXAI is building and operating one of the world’s most demanding AI training campuses in Memphis, including Colossus and site facilities that support it. The people who work here—and the buildings and grounds they occupy—have to keep up with that tempo.
The Sr. Manager of Facilities Maintenance owns building and grounds maintenance across the Memphis campus. This role leads a multi-layered organization of managers, supervisors, and technicians responsible for offices, industrial support buildings, and site infrastructure: work orders and preventive maintenance, building HVAC, plumbing, electrical and transformers, carpentry and building envelope, janitorial, landscaping, waste, and pest control. Facility care is a direct reflection of our values, and the impact is immense.
This is facilities maintenance, not data center facilities operations. You will not own the central utility plant, rack-level cooling, or white-space infrastructure. You will own the campus around it— air handlers that fail, transformers that need attention, grounds that have to stay presentable, leaks, and a work-order system that has to close tickets fast—so the site can operate without distraction.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Lead and develop a multi-layered organization of managers, supervisors, and technicians across the Memphis campus to deliver reliable building and grounds maintenance with minimal disruption to site operations.
- Set campus-wide strategy, budgeting (CapEx/OpEx), and resource forecasting for facilities maintenance; drive ownership of execution, safety culture, and work quality.
- Own the campus work-order and preventive maintenance programs: ticketing, staffing, response times, backlog, and closeout for break/fix and scheduled work across offices, support buildings, and grounds.
- Oversee building systems maintenance—HVAC, plumbing, electrical and transformers, fire/life safety as building systems, and general repairs—so occupied facilities stay safe, functional, and presentable.
- Own soft services across the campus, including janitorial, landscaping and grounds, waste, and pest control; manage third-party vendors to corporate standards, SLAs, and cost.
- Partner with construction, EHS, and site operations to plan and execute office, grounds, and building improvement projects without impacting ongoing operations.
- Conduct ongoing assessment of resource needs, life-cycle costs, and staffing for multiple buildings; own long-term capital planning for building and grounds assets.
- Define, track, and communicate key performance indicators (safety, response time, work-order backlog, quality, labor productivity, and operating expenses) and drive accountability across the organization.
- Provide oversight of emergency response and on-call coverage for building emergencies (leaks, HVAC failures, power issues, safety conditions); ensure a robust after-hours support model.
- Lead talent development, succession planning, and organizational design for a high-performing facilities maintenance team.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering, facilities management, architecture, construction management, business, or a related field.
- 8+ years of progressive experience in facilities maintenance or building operations (offices, industrial, or campus environments), including at least 3 years leading supervisors or managers.
- Demonstrated experience leading teams responsible for work orders, preventive maintenance, building systems, and vendor-delivered soft services.
PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
- Proven track record managing budgets, capital projects, and a complex vendor ecosystem across multiple buildings.
- Experience with computerized maintenance management (CMMS) / work-order systems and building management systems for HVAC, plumbing, electrical, fire/life safety, and related building equipment.
- Knowledge of building electrical and transformers, plumbing, HVAC, and general construction/maintenance practices.
- Experience negotiating contracts and comparing service costs to achieve maximum value.
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to articulate operational issues to senior leadership and cross-functional stakeholders.
- Strong leadership presence with a track record of building high-performing teams and delivering results in a fast-paced, high-tempo environment.
- Highly organized, self-driven leader capable of operating with significant autonomy while aligning to company priorities.
- Experience managing large-scale work under aggressive timelines with frequent changes in scope and priority.
- Proficiency in Microsoft applications such as Excel, Outlook, Word, and PowerPoint.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Based at the Memphis, TN campus; travel across the site as needed and occasionally to other xAI or SpaceX locations.
- Must be able to work extended hours and/or weekends as needed.
- Ability to provide 24/7 on-call support for building emergencies and critical facility issues.
- Comfort operating in a high-stress, high-tempo environment while balancing multiple priorities and rapidly adapting to changing business needs.
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