Head of Data Centre Lab

Job Title: Head of Data Centre Lab

Location: Bangalore

About GSD, Rakuten Symphony:

Rakuten Symphony is at the forefront of revolutionizing the telecommunications industry, delivering a new generation of cloud-native, software-centric mobile networks. As a global leader in innovation, we are committed to pushing the boundaries of what's possible, driving efficiency, and creating unparalleled value for our partners and customers worldwide.

Our Global Innovation Lab is the beating heart of this transformation. It's a dynamic, state-of-the-art environment where we not only pioneer the future of RAN (Radio Access Network), Cloud Infrastructure, and OSS (Operations Support Systems), but also redefine how these critical domains interact and evolve.

Within this lab, we go beyond merely providing infrastructure; we engineer comprehensive solutions. We are deeply invested in leveraging advanced automation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to build intelligent, self-optimizing networks. Our focus extends to developing innovative services that drive operational excellence, unlock new revenue streams, and ensure our infrastructure is not just robust, but also highly agile, secure, and sustainable.

Here, a relentless pursuit of innovation meets practical application. We are a hub for cutting-edge research, rapid prototyping, and rigorous validation of technologies that will power the next generation of global connectivity. Join us in shaping the future of telecommunications, where every challenge is an opportunity to innovate and lead.

The Opportunity:

We are seeking a visionary and highly experienced Head of Data Centre Lab to lead our newly established, state-of-the-art lab environment. This is a pivotal leadership role responsible for defining the strategic direction, driving innovation, and overseeing the technical execution across critical data center domains: IP Transport/Networking, Infrastructure Cloud, Automation, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Infrastructure.

You will be instrumental in shaping the future of our data center capabilities, ensuring our infrastructure remains cutting-edge, efficient, scalable, and secure. This role offers a unique opportunity to lead a diverse team of subject matter experts, evaluate disruptive technologies, and translate groundbreaking research into tangible strategic advantages for our business. You will engage with internal stakeholders, external partners, and industry leaders to position our data center infrastructure at the forefront of technological advancement.

What You Will Do:

Strategic Vision & Roadmap:

Define and articulate a clear, long-term technical vision and strategic roadmap for the Data Centre Lab, aligning with overall business objectives and anticipating future technological needs.

Identify, evaluate, and champion emerging and disruptive technologies across IP Transport, Infrastructure Cloud, Automation, and AI domains, assessing their applicability and potential for competitive advantage.

Drive the exploration and prototyping of next-generation data center architectures, solutions, and operational models.

Technical Leadership & Innovation:

Act as the ultimate technical authority and design lead for complex data center solutions, guiding the team from ideation through to proof-of-concept and successful handover to production.

Oversee the research, evaluation, and certification of new hardware, software, platforms, and frameworks across all lab domains (e.g., advanced networking protocols, hybrid/multi-cloud platforms, IaC tools, AIOps, specialized AI hardware).

Lead initiatives to apply AI/ML to optimize data center operations, including predictive maintenance, resource allocation, anomaly detection, and energy efficiency.

Drive the adoption of robust automation frameworks and CI/CD pipelines for infrastructure, enhancing operational efficiency and reliability.

Team Leadership & Development:

Build, lead, mentor, and inspire a high-performing team of engineers, architects, and specialists, fostering a culture of innovation, technical excellence, and continuous learning.

Support the career growth and professional development of team members, ensuring the lab maintains world-class technical capabilities.

Manage resource allocation, project prioritization, and operational efficiency within the lab environment.

Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement:

Serve as a key technical liaison and trusted advisor, effectively communicating lab findings, strategic recommendations, and project progress to senior leadership, cross-functional teams (e.g., Production Operations, Development, Security), and external partners.

Forge strategic partnerships with technology vendors, research institutions, and cloud providers to co-design and validate next-generation data center capabilities.

Represent the company as a thought leader in relevant industry forums, conferences, and publications.

Operational Excellence & Governance:

Ensure all lab activities adhere to internal security policies, industry best practices, and regulatory compliance standards.

Oversee the management of lab budgets, procurement, and resource optimization, ensuring maximum return on investment.

Establish and maintain robust documentation, knowledge transfer processes, and technical specifications for all lab outputs.

What You Will Bring:

Experience:

12+ years of progressive experience in data center infrastructure engineering, architecture, or research, with at least 7+ years in a senior leadership or management role overseeing technical teams.

Proven track record in driving significant technological transformations and delivering innovative solutions in complex enterprise environments.

Extensive experience with the full lifecycle of technology evaluation, prototyping, and eventual deployment strategy.

Deep Technical Expertise (across multiple domains):

IP Transport/Networking: Advanced knowledge of network architectures (e.g., DCI, spine-and-leaf), routing protocols (BGP, OSPF), SDN/NFV, and high-performance interconnects (e.g., 400GbE+).

Infrastructure Cloud: Expertise in private, hybrid, and multi-cloud platforms (e.g., Kubernetes, OpenShift, VMware, OpenStack, AWS/Azure/GCP), containerization (Docker), and virtualization technologies.

Automation: Strong background in infrastructure automation, Infrastructure as Code (IaC) principles, and tools (e.g., Ansible, Terraform, Puppet, Python scripting, CI/CD pipelines).

Artificial Intelligence: In-depth understanding of AI/ML concepts, AIOps, data science principles, and their application to infrastructure optimization, anomaly detection, and resource management. Familiarity with AI hardware acceleration (GPUs/TPUs) and frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch) is highly desirable.

Leadership & Management Skills:

Exceptional leadership capabilities with a proven ability to build, motivate, and develop high-performing technical teams.

Strong strategic acumen, with the ability to translate complex technical concepts into business value and actionable plans.

Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, capable of engaging effectively with all levels of the organization and external partners.

Demonstrated experience in budget management, vendor negotiation, and managing complex projects.

Proficiency in Agile/Scrum methodologies.

Education:

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline. A PhD or relevant professional certifications (e.g., AWS/Azure/GCP Architect, Kubernetes, VMware VCDX) are a strong plus.

Nice-to-Haves:

Experience working with large-scale data center operations at a major cloud provider or tech company.

Familiarity with data center sustainability initiatives and energy-efficient infrastructure design.

Knowledge of specific security frameworks (e.g., Zero Trust) and compliance standards.

Hands-on experience with specialized AI compute infrastructure.

What's in it for You:

The opportunity to shape the future of our data center infrastructure at a critical juncture of technological evolution.

Work with a dynamic, collaborative, and highly skilled team passionate about innovation.

Competitive compensation package, comprehensive benefits, and opportunities for professional growth and development.

A culture that values progressive thinking, challenges you to be your best, and supports a healthy work-life balance.