Sr. Manager, Data Center Cost Strategy & Operations

Job-ID: 348693Category: Technology OperationsLocation: Nashville, TN, United StatesSchedule: Full timePosted: 2026-10-23Role: People ManagerJob Type: Regular EmployeeDoes this position require a security clearance?: NoYears: 6 to 10+ yearsApplicants: Less than 10 applicantsAdditional Info: Visa / work permit sponsorship is not available for this positionApplicants are required to read, write, and speak the following languages: EnglishThis Position is based in Nashville, TN Role Summary Lead the Finance & Planning (F&P) and business operations capability supporting Data Center Operations within Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI). This role is accountable for building and managing a team of five IC3 professionals, establishing a scalable operating model, and translating data center operating requirements into disciplined plans, reliable forecasts, controlled purchasing execution, and decision-ready leadership insights.As the primary business partner to Data Center Operations leadership, the Senior Manager owns the team’s priorities, service delivery, talent development, and continuous improvement. The role connects portfolio economics with daily execution across purchase requisitions (PRs), purchase orders (POs), invoicing, onboarding, and escalations, while partnering with Finance, Accounting, Procurement, Accounts Payable, Supply Chain, Construction, and Capacity Planning.QualificationsDisclaimer:Certain U.S. based or U.S. customer or client-facing roles may be required to comply with applicable requirements, such as immunization/occupational health mandates, and/or drug testing requirements.Range and benefit information provided in this posting are specific to the stated locations onlyUS: Hiring Range in USD from: $126,200 to $264,100 per annum. May be eligible for bonus, equity, and compensation deferral.Oracle maintains broad salary ranges for its roles in order to account for variations in knowledge, skills, experience, market conditions and locations, as well as reflect Oracle's differing products, industries and lines of business.Candidates are typically placed into the range based on the preceding factors as well as internal peer equity.Oracle US offers a comprehensive benefits package which includes the following:1. Medical, dental, and vision insurance, including expert medical opinion2. Short term disability and long term disability3. Life insurance and AD&D4. Supplemental life insurance (Employee/Spouse/Child)5. Health care and dependent care Flexible Spending Accounts6. Pre-tax commuter and parking benefits7. 401(k) Savings and Investment Plan with company match8. Paid time off: Flexible Vacation is provided to all eligible employees assigned to a salaried (non-overtime eligible) position. Accrued Vacation is provided to all other employees eligible for vacation benefits. For employees working at least 35 hours per week, the vacation accrual rate is 13 days annually for the first three years of employment and 18 days annually for subsequent years of employment. Vacation accrual is prorated for employees working between 20 and 34 hours per week. Employees working fewer than 20 hours per week are not eligible for vacation.9. 11 paid holidays10. Paid sick leave: 72 hours of paid sick leave upon date of hire. Refreshes each calendar year. Unused balance will carry over each year up to a maximum cap of 112 hours.11. Paid parental leave12. Adoption assistance13. Employee Stock Purchase Plan14. Financial planning and group legal15. Voluntary benefits including auto, homeowner and pet insuranceThe role will generally accept applications for at least three calendar days from the posting date or as long as the job remains posted.As part of Oracle's onboarding process and consistent with applicable law, US-based employees are required to complete identity verification, which involves the collection and processing of their biometric information. Accommodations to this requirement may be granted following an individualized assessment.ResponsibilitiesKey ResponsibilitiesBuild and Lead the TeamStand up and directly manage five professionals: define roles, hire and onboard talent, set individual objectives, coach performance, conduct reviews, and build development and succession plans.Design the team’s service catalog, intake process, workload allocation, service-level expectations, quality checks, and backup coverage. Balance transactional demand with planning, analysis, and improvement priorities.Delegate execution with clear accountability; review throughput, accuracy, backlog aging, and stakeholder experience. Address performance gaps and build independent judgment within the team.Create an onboarding and knowledge-management program covering finance processes, procurement workflows, systems access, data center cost drivers, and escalation protocols. Maintain procedures, training, and cross-training.Own Planning, Forecasting, and Business PartnershipLead annual operating plans, long-range plans, rolling forecasts, and business reviews for the assigned data center portfolio in partnership with Finance. Hold operating owners accountable for assumptions, submissions, and corrective actions.Connect site and regional operating plans to capacity delivery, service readiness, staffing, maintenance, and supplier requirements. Advise leaders on tradeoffs among cost, reliability, capacity, execution timing, and growth.Maintain an integrated view of actuals, open commitments, accruals, uncommitted forecast spend, and cash timing. Reconcile these views with Finance to prevent double counting and identify funding gaps early.Data Center Finance & PlanningTranslate Operating Drivers into Financial DecisionsBuild driver-based expense and capital forecasts by site, region, cost center, project, and spend category. Explain changes in price, volume, utilization, scope, timing, foreign exchange, and one-time versus recurring costs.Apply working knowledge of utility tariffs, energy consumption, demand charges, power usage effectiveness (PUE), contracted versus consumed power, colocation charges, lease escalators, and operating service agreements to assess financial exposure.Model the financial impact of critical facilities maintenance, electrical and cooling infrastructure, spares, repairs, vendor services, labor, security, network connectivity, and equipment lifecycle decisions. Account for redundancy, resilience, and service requirements when evaluating cost opportunities.Understand how power availability, rack density, cooling requirements, and capacity ramp schedules affect operating costs, capital deployment, and readiness. Evaluate high-density and AI infrastructure impacts with engineering and capacity partners.Partner with Accounting on expense versus capital treatment, accrual support, prepayments, asset in-service timing, depreciation assumptions, and construction-to-operations handoffs under applicable policies.Develop business cases using total cost of ownership, payback, net present value, and scenario analysis as appropriate. Quantify investment, recurring cost, implementation dependencies, and reliability implications; validate realized benefits with Finance.Establish comparable portfolio metrics, including cost per provisioned or utilized kW/MW, cost per rack, maintenance cost, and vendor spend. Define denominators and normalize for site maturity, utilization, redundancy, and geography before drawing comparisons.Manage the Procurement and Invoice Operations TeamOwn the team’s operational delivery from intake through PR preparation, approval tracking, PO coordination, changes and renewals, receipt confirmation, invoice exception resolution, and closure. Ensure Procurement and authorized approvers retain their designated decision rights.Require complete business justification, approved funding, accurate cost-center/project coding, supporting contracts or statements of work, and appropriate authorization before requests advance. Track procurement lead times against service and project milestones.Oversee open-PO reviews, remaining balances, consumption, renewal dates, and stale commitments. Coordinate PO adjustments and closeout with requestors, Procurement, and Finance to maintain a dependable commitments view.Direct resolution of invoice discrepancies, missing receipts, pricing or quantity mismatches, holds, credits, and disputed charges. Coordinate required PO/receipt/invoice matching and payment readiness with Accounts Payable and receiving owners.Coordinate supplier and service-provider onboarding with Procurement and relevant control functions, including required documentation, supplier setup, and operational readiness. Manage employee onboarding into the team’s workflows and approved systems access.Governance, Qualifications & OutcomesLead Controls, Reporting, and EscalationsEstablish approval and escalation matrices, segregation of duties, evidence standards, and documented handoffs across Operations, Finance, Procurement, and Accounts Payable. Exercise spending authority only within delegated limits.Own the quality and timeliness of operating reviews, reporting, PAQ responses, audit support, and leadership inquiries. Maintain consistent definitions, accountable data owners, reconciliations, and a single action-and-risk register.Act as the senior business escalation lead for blocked purchasing, invoice disputes, supplier onboarding delays, funding gaps, and material forecast risks. Assess financial and operational impact, assign owners and deadlines, present decisions to the appropriate authority, and drive closure.Prioritize escalations that threaten critical maintenance, service continuity, capacity milestones, or supplier performance. Turn recurring issues into root-cause improvements, stronger controls, and updated training.Lead process standardization, dashboards, and workflow automation with system owners. Establish baselines and demonstrate improvements in cycle time, accuracy, control effectiveness, and team capacity.Required QualificationsBachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, Economics, or a related discipline, or equivalent practical experience.8+ years of progressively responsible experience in finance, planning, business operations, or procurement operations, including 3+ years of direct people management with accountability for hiring, coaching, performance management, and team outcomes.Demonstrated finance or business operations experience supporting data centers, cloud infrastructure, colocation, or similarly capital-intensive operations, with a strong understanding of data center operating cost drivers.Experience owning planning and forecasting cycles, variance analysis, executive reviews, and investment decision support, with practical knowledge of commitments, accruals, expense/capital distinctions, and cash-flow timing.Experience managing PR/PO workflows, invoice exceptions, supplier onboarding, and internal controls across a matrixed organization; evidence of building or scaling a team or shared operating capability.Strong financial modeling, data analysis, executive communication, prioritization, and conflict-resolution skills. Ability to translate operational ambiguity into clear decisions and accountable execution.Preferred QualificationsMBA, CPA, CMA, or equivalent advanced qualification; experience supporting multi-site or global infrastructure portfolios; familiarity with Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP/Procurement, Oracle Cloud EPM Planning, and analytics tools such as Oracle Analytics or Power BI; experience improving workflows through automation.Success MeasuresSuccess is measured through a fully staffed and productive five-person team; dependable service coverage and employee development; improved forecast accuracy and timely close inputs; shorter PR-to-PO and invoice-exception cycles; lower aged backlog and stale commitments; timely onboarding and escalation closure; consistent control compliance; and Finance-validated improvements in cost, productivity, and decision quality. Establish baselines and agree measurable targets with leadership during the first 90 days.About the companyOnly Oracle brings together the data, infrastructure, applications, and expertise to power everything from industry innovations to life-saving care. And with AI embedded across our products and services, we help customers turn that promise into a better future for all. Discover your potential at a company leading the way in AI and cloud solutions that impact billions of lives.True innovation starts when everyone is empowered to contribute. That’s why we’re committed to growing a workforce that promotes opportunities for all with competitive benefits that support our people with flexible medical, life insurance, and retirement options. We also encourage employees to give back to their communities through our volunteer programs.We’re committed to including people with disabilities at all stages of the employment process. If you require accessibility assistance or accommodation for a disability at any point, let us know by emailing View email address on click.appcast.io or by calling View phone number on click.appcast.io in the United States.Oracle is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability and protected veterans’ status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Oracle will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records pursuant to applicable law.