Critical Environment Technician (Night Shift)

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Date posted

Sep 23, 2025

Job number

1878049

Work site

Fully on-site

Travel

0-25%

Role type

Individual Contributor

Profession

Data Center

Discipline

Critical Environment Ops

Employment type

Full-Time

Overview

As a Critical Environment Technician (CET) in Microsoft’s Cloud Operations & Innovation (CO+I) team, you will maintain the critical infrastructure that keeps our Datacenters up and running. This could be anything from coordinating with supplier/vendors, recognizing safe versus unsafe work environment, having a hands-on understanding of how critical environment equipment works, performing various types of maintenance, responding to onsite incidents while coordinating with other critical facilities professionals, and using telemetry and other platforms to monitor equipment performance and operations.

Microsoft’s Cloud Operations & Innovation (CO+I) is the engine that powers our cloud services. As a CO+I Critical Environment Technician, you will perform a key role in delivering the core infrastructure and foundational technologies for Microsoft's online services including Bing, Office 365, Xbox, OneDrive, and the Microsoft Azure platform. As a group, CO+I is focused on the personal and professional development of all employees and offers training and opportunities including Career Rotation Programs, Diversity & Inclusion training and events, and professional certifications.

Our infrastructure is comprised of a large global portfolio of more than 200 datacenters in 32 countries and millions of servers. Our foundation is built upon and managed by a team of subject matter experts working to support services for more than 1 billion customers and 20 million businesses in over 90 countries worldwide.

With environmental sustainability and optimization at the forefront of our datacenter design and operations, we continue to grow and evolve as we meet the ever-changing business demands that hold Microsoft as a world-class cloud provider.

Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond.

In this environment, you may be asked to go on business travel to support other metros periodically, 0-25% of the time.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

High School Diploma, GED, or equivalent.
1+ year(s) mission critical services work/applied learning experience (e.g., high availability assembly/manufacturing/critical infrastructure environments such as data centers, oil and gas refineries, hospitals, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, or related fields) OR equivalent experience.
Ability to work 12 hours shifts, including shift assignments during non-standard business hours that may include evening, weekends, and/or holidays.
As indicated, in the job description, this role has a travel requirement of up to 25% which means you may be required to travel, from time to time, as part of this role

Other Requirements:

Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements are required for this role. These requirements include, but are not limited to the following specialized security screenings:

Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud background check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.
Citizenship Verification: This position requires verification of citizenship due to citizenship-based legal restrictions. Specifically, this position supports United States federal, state, and/or local government agency customers and is subject to certain citizenship-based restrictions where required or permitted by applicable law. To meet this legal requirement, and as a condition of employment, the successful candidate’s citizenship will be verified with a valid passport.

Preferred Qualifications:

Associate's Degree or technical trade certification (e.g., military, trade school), or higher-equivalent education AND 2+ years mission-critical services experience (e.g., high-availability assembly/manufacturing/critical infrastructure environments such as data centers, oil and gas refineries, hospitals, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, or related fields) OR High School Diploma, GED, or equivalent AND 3+ years mission critical services experience (e.g., high-availability assembly/manufacturing/critical infrastructure environments such as data centers, oil and gas refineries, hospitals, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, or related fields) OR equivalent experience.

Critical Environment Ops ATR-C - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $26.92 - $47.60 per hour. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $37.98 - $52.79 per hour.

Critical Environment Ops ATR-D - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $33.46 - $55.67 per hour. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $44.23 - $62.21 per hour.

Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here: https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay .

Microsoft will accept applications and processes offers for these roles on an ongoing basis.

Responsibilities

Critical Environment Culture

Understands, follows, and ensures safety and security requirements (e.g., job hazard assessments [JHAs], toolbox talks), and business processes and procedures are met, to properly perform work in a safe, quality, and reliable manner in accordance to applicable Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) regulations, and Microsoft requirements. Recognizes safe versus unsafe working conditions and responds accordingly (e.g., stop/pause tasks, stand down vendors where necessary). Escalates immediately when unsafe working conditions are observed and promotes a safe working culture to empower less experienced team members. Participates in required meetings, trainings, and necessary handoffs. Assesses and identifies appropriate resources and equipment necessary to fully support environmental health and safety (EHS) objectives. Actively maintains safe working conditions at all times. Proactively ensures safety and security requirements are followed and met for the work of themselves and others.

Equipment and Systems Maintenance

Prepares and submits required reports (e.g., turnover, preventative maintenance [PM]) as assigned following preexisting scripts and templates, or using ad hoc methods required to support trending and analysis (e.g., Maintenance data, equipment trending data). Develops methods of operating procedure (MOPs), standard operating procedures (SOPs), and/or digital methods of operating procedures (DMOPs) for devices and disciplines within their coverage and expertise to ensure safe and reliable execution. Documents completed work using approved tools and procedural templates for more experienced technician review. Completes and provides coaching to support less experienced technicians for mandatory, technical, and procedural training assignments. Analyzes findings from reports and documents observations.
Performs various types of maintenance (e.g., planned, predictive, corrective) and repairs following methods of procedure (MOPs), standard operating procedures (SOPs), and digital methods of operating procedures (DMOPs) for multiple disciplines and one or more types of equipment (e.g., electrical, mechanical, cooling systems) with minimal supervision - in consideration of Task Hazard Analysis (THA), Method Statement of Work (MSOW), or varying permit requirements. Communicates and/or escalates maintenance activities per established process and procedure. Prioritizes maintenance activities as required and/or appropriate. Documents tasks or issues during maintenance activities within appropriate systems per process and procedure as needed. Performs maintenance tasks and repairs that can be performed with minimal oversight. Follows recommended maintenance schedules. Oversees maintenance tasks within a single discipline or area of expertise. Maintains all systems and equipment in a safe and professional manner and understands levels of risk (LORs) associated with varying types of maintenance with established mastery of maintaining systems of a specific discipline.
Provides necessary escort to third-party contractors, sub-contractors, vendors, and service providers on site based on the appropriate procedure levels of risk (LOR). Takes part in getting third-party work underway (e.g., making sure systems are properly energized/deenergized), ensuring the work is started and completed in a safe manner in accordance with standard practices, procedures, and Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) regulations. Ensures work performed by suppliers/vendors is performed to scope, all documentation is performed correctly, and escalates as appropriate. Recognizes circumstances when to stop supplier/vendor work to address potential and/or identified concerns. Coordinates per appropriate LOR applicable to preventative and/or corrective maintenance. Identifies and recommends procedure corrections if/when errors are detected or when appropriate. Coordinates and schedules supplier/vendor on-site activities. Reviews and completes appropriate work orders to support approval of vendor supplier field service reports or invoices.
Processes method statement of work (MSOW) documents. Coordinates activities and associated schedules with contractors. Performs inspections of equipment in a facility. Participates in testing and commissioning activities.
Documents issues found in troubleshooting process within appropriate systems per process and procedure as needed. Ensures equipment and system settings are consistent with established parameters and designs. Determines when troubleshooting efforts are deemed adequate and communicates or escalates to suppliers, engineers, or more experienced colleagues as needed. Has a hands-on understanding of how equipment works within disciplines they have been trained and how to troubleshoot to a subsystem level. Provides consultation to less experienced colleagues with troubleshooting systems and problems. May lead efforts to troubleshoot issues and identify root causes.

Equipment and Systems Operations

Works on advanced tasks (e.g., vendor contact, escalations) independently. Serves as a subject matter expert in critical environments-related systems within the data center, and advises less experienced colleagues on such topics. Possesses an understanding of and operates equipment and systems within a set discipline (e.g., electrical, mechanical, controls) with knowledge of the interactions between them and overall operation of a data center. Operates all systems and equipment in a safe and professional manner.
Inspects and supervises critical environment-related facility equipment (e.g., controls, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning [HVAC], mechanical systems), building, and grounds for unsafe or abnormal conditions to develop and analyze trends. Understands critical system alarms for single discipline(s) of equipment, their meanings, and engages with appropriate escalation processes or procedures. Recognizes circumstances where execution would be considered safe to proceed. Performs various inspections and validations of equipment performance. Monitors the performance from central monitoring locations (i.e., Facility Operations Centers) of maintenance and operations of equipment (e.g., electrical, mechanical, fire/life safety) within the data center. Escalates per applicable policies and standards. Utilizes telemetry, control systems, and other platforms to monitor site status, analyze past and current events, as well as other processes, and can identify all alarms. Uses technical expertise, prior experience, and device analytics to recognize trends with equipment behavior and checks potential issues as they arise. Advises less experienced colleagues on issues found while monitoring applicable CE systems. Performs all monitoring equipment repair, replacement, and maintenance work, which meets or exceeds Microsoft Service Level Agreement (SLA) requirements.
Utilizes internal computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) to track all equipment assets and to complete work order requests for maintenance work. Tracks hours for performed tasks within applicable task management systems. Adds required data, documents, logs changes, and upkeeps procedures related to building management systems and reports. Properly signals spare equipment and parts utilization within maintenance work orders.
Safety and quickly responds to and leads an onsite incident response team for all abnormal conditions that impact operations, and coordinates with other critical facilities professionals to perform corrective repairs, without supervision. Gathers necessary information and creates incident timelines/data, root-cause analyses, and/or action items following an abnormal condition as required. Identifies and contacts/engages appropriate parties to mitigate incidents as they occur. Develops new or follows preexisting emergency operating procedures (EOPs), methods of procedure (MOPs), standard operating procedures (SOPs), and digital methods of operating procedures (DMOPs) in relation to incidents. Directly provides emergency monitoring response to irregular or malfunctioning conditions.

Physical Requirements

Applies to but is not limited to US-based Data Center roles: Occasional climbing of ladders. Frequent climbing of stairs and/or ramps. Prolonged standing. Occasional lifting 50lbs / 22.5kg. Occasional push or pull 50-75 lbs / 22.5-34kg. with assistive device. Normal visual acuity (near, far and peripheral with correction), defined via standard medical terms and applicable criteria. Normal color vision for electrical work, defined via standard medical terms and applicable criteria.

Working Conditions

Applies to but is not limited to US-based Data Center roles: Working for extended periods under elevated levels of ambient noise, heat, and light due to necessary equipment and ventilation systems.
As indicated above, this role has a travel requirement of up to 25% which means you may be required to travel, from time to time, as part of this role.

Other

Embody our culture and values

Benefits/perks listed below may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Microsoft and the country where you work.

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Industry leading healthcare

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Educational resources

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Discounts on products and services

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Savings and investments

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Maternity and paternity leave

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Generous time away

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Giving programs

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Opportunities to network and connect

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.

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