Brian Arndt
Bloomingdale,IL
Summary
Results-driven Data Center Operations Leader with 17 years of experience in managing mission-critical infrastructure and large-scale data center builds. Expertise in leading cross-functional teams, vendor management, and root cause analysis ensures zero-downtime execution and effective team development.
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Senior Operations Lead (IC4)
Oracle
Elk Grove Village, IL
09.2022 - 04.2026
- Led Operational management for the buildout of 200+ MW of data center capacity through three Availability Domains across the Chicagoland region in support of over 100 OCI Cloud services, from initial construction through full production readiness.
- Managed and maintained a 250,000 sq' 32 MW facility (T5 Chicago) as a home base with 100% uptime. Oversaw the deployment of 2,100+ server racks and subsequent expansion phases through vendor management and colocation coordination
- Managed critical infrastructure change events, including UPS/generator testing and power cutover, ensuring full redundancy and zero unplanned downtime through effective rack sourcing and HVAC failure mitigation.
- Developed and implemented standardized Change management documentation that was adopted region-wide. Change documentation lowered service downtime to less than 1%, based on new pre-change risk assessment checks, safety reviews and execution coordination across cross-functional teams.
- Coordinated on-site escalation across internal teams, colocation partners, and vendors for structured cabling, rack and stack, fiber optics testing, HAC, and power and grounding, fitting out 40+ data center rooms and providing 400+ new network blocks of storage.
- Led the region's Metro dark fiber deployment testing and turn up. 26 new spans, connecting 19 sites. Documented and worked with Oracle's internal Optical team to create a virtual class that was implemented and made mandatory company wide for OTDR, light meter and scope testing.
- Delivered training sessions for 80+ technicians on change management, cabling standards, data center best practices, and safety standards; coordinated with Exfo for multi-day technical certification sessions for regional teams.
- Conducted 50+ technical and behavioral interviews influencing hiring decisions
Edge Team Project Lead
AWS
Chicago, IL
03.2017 - 09.2022
- Managed 70+ POP sites across North America, ensuring timely vendor management and successful cabling installations.
- Collaborated with vendors on large-scale structured cabling installs, cage build-outs, and rack stacking.
- Oversaw colocation power installations and conducted failover testing to maintain service reliability.
- Coordinated energizing of racks with service providers to ensure system readiness.
- Configured and upgraded network switches for various platforms to enhance performance.
- Troubleshot critical backbone circuits for metro connectivity, ensuring uninterrupted services.
- Executed large-scale decommission events across U.S., directing server removals while ensuring compliance with AWS safety guidelines.
- Conducted 75+ technical and behavioral interviews to influence hiring decisions.
Operations Technician
CoreSite
Chicago, IL
05.2008 - 03.2017
- Led daily data center operations including remote hands support, troubleshooting, and work order execution in a 24/7 environment.
- Troubleshot network and hardware issues across cabling, servers, routers, and optical transport systems for 70+ customers, ensuring reliable service delivery.
- Managed installation, testing, and maintenance of fiber and copper circuits, including rack and stack and decommissioning of equipment. Installed five data center rooms of ladder rack and cable raceways. Ran trunk cabling to patch panels and single strand fiber out to customers.
- Coordinated project planning, budgeting, and vendor management for infrastructure builds, including ladder rack grids, containment, and raised floor systems, to support operational efficiency.
- Constructed basement Meet Me Room by assembling 4-post racks, installing patch panels, racking loose gear, running cabling, and powering up devices to enhance connectivity.
- Maintained 9-year on-call record with 100% response compliance, achieving high levels of customer satisfaction.
Education
Moraine Valley Community College
Palos Hills, ILSkills
- Data center operations
- Incident management
- SLA and KPI management
- Disaster Recovery Planning
- Capacity & Space Planning
- Operational Efficiency
- 24/7 Mission-Critical Operations
- Network Design
- Process development
- (RCA) Root Cause Analysis
- Vendor & Stakeholder Management
- Vendor oversight
- Team Leadership & Mentorship
- Talent Acquisition
Certification
- OTDR Certified
- Light Brigade - Fiber Splicing & Termination
- Fluke Test Equipment Certification
Timeline
Senior Operations Lead (IC4)
Oracle
09.2022 - 04.2026
Edge Team Project Lead
AWS
03.2017 - 09.2022
Operations Technician
CoreSite
05.2008 - 03.2017
Moraine Valley Community College