Lead Data Center Technician

About Backblaze

Backblaze is the object storage leader in the open cloud movement, fueling customer success with cloud storage built purposefully to unlock budgets, unburden administrators, and unleash innovators. Together with our partners, we’re helping customers break free from the restrictive, overpriced legacy solutions that hold them back and blaze forward with the full power of the open cloud in their hands.

Founded in 2007, we scaled the business with less than $3 million in outside funding until 2021, when we did a traditional IPO on the Nasdaq stock exchange. Today, Backblaze generates over $125m in revenue and is the leading specialized storage cloud, managing over three billion gigabytes of data storage for 500K+ customers in 175+ countries, including businesses, developers, IT professionals, and individuals.

But while there is a lot to celebrate in our past, there is almost as much opportunity ahead of us. We are seeking a Lead Data Center Technician to join our team!

About the Role

Backblaze is seeking a Lead Datacenter Technician to help guide, coordinate, and contribute directly to our datacenter operations. This role combines hands-on technical work with leadership, planning, and collaboration across engineering and operations. You’ll be joining a team of individuals with a wide range of talents, experience, and backgrounds—so strong communication and respect for team dynamics are essential. As a lead, your influence sets the tone: helping the team stay productive, stay aligned, and keep morale high—even when the unexpected hits.

What You'll Do:

Team Leadership & Coordination

• Lead and delegate daily tasks among datacenter technicians, ensuring effective execution of fallout remediation, server deployments, and ongoing projects.
• Adapt to shifting priorities and unexpected incidents with calm direction and clear communication.
• Serve as an escalation point and act on behalf of the Datacenter Technician Manager when needed.
• Participation in an on-call rotation, and availability for expedited project work or maintenance windows as required.
• Contribute to a positive, supportive team environment where respect, trust, and humor go a long way.

Technical Operations

• Oversee storage vault and core server deployments, hardware upgrades, and network infrastructure setup.
• Monitor and address fallout (e.g., drive replacements, pod repairs, server anomalies) in a timely, organized fashion.
• Maintain server cabinet layouts for optimal power, airflow, and scalability.
• Manage hardware receiving, inventorying, and lifecycle tracking from delivery through deployment or decommissioning.

Incident Response & Problem Management

• Lead incident response efforts from the datacenter side, coordinating hands-on troubleshooting and clear cross-team communication.
• Participate in post-incident reviews and root cause analysis, proposing practical corrective actions.
• Collaborate with NOC and Engineering teams on monitoring improvements and tooling feedback.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with Engineering and Operations teams to plan infrastructure rollouts and validate readiness during transition-to-operations.
• Test new hardware and workflows, sharing feedback to improve automation and deployment practices.
• Help document and refine best practices and processes for scalable, repeatable execution.

Environmental & Inventory Oversight

• Ensure a clean, safe, and organized datacenter environment.
• Track and replenish inventory of critical supplies—cables, power equipment, components—before they become blockers.
• Oversee asset lifecycle tasks including RMA processing, hardware harvesting, and equipment audits.

The Right Fit:

• 5+ years in datacenter operations or infrastructure hardware support, including team leadership responsibilities.
• Strong knowledge of server hardware, physical deployments, cable management, and power systems.
• Experience coordinating technical teams and adapting to real-time operational changes.
• Calm, methodical approach to incident response and troubleshooting.
• Excellent communication skills, with an emphasis on clarity, collaboration, and team morale.
• Ability to lift up to ~50 lbs and work in rack-based physical environments.
• Willingness to work flexible or off-hours in support of the team and critical issues.

Bonus Points For:

• Solid understanding of IP networking fundamentals; familiarity with con