(Photo from Amazon Web Services)
- The company offers a wealth of job opportunities thanks to its $10 billion investment to bring their modern data centers to life in Mississippi.
When Amazon announced January 25th its $10 billion investment in the Magnolia State, creating more than 1,000 jobs, Mississippians were thrilled.
Soon, curiosity-seekers began to ask: Exactly how many jobs? When? What kinds of jobs? At what annual average wage?
“When all is said and done, those 1,000 jobs will be more than that,” Governor Tate Reeves told WJTV in June. “But even if they’re not, they’re going to be averaging somewhere in the neighborhood of $78,000 a year.”
Roger Wehner, director of economic development at Amazon Web Services (AWS), said AWS is “proud … (to) create at least 1,000 new jobs.”
“Our (planned $10 billion) investment will support another estimated 2,700 Mississippians on an annual average basis to bring this modern data center campus to life and operating at world-class standards,” he said.
Nick Lee-Romagnolo, AWS principal for economic and workforce development, at a May 22 workshop at Hinds Community College in Jackson, emphasized the company offers a wealth of potential jobs and job categories, noting many of the roles at the Madison County data center campuses will focus on supporting cloud infrastructure, such as constructors, electricians, and other technicians.
Sample Job Postings
An overview:
“AWS is the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud platform. We pioneered cloud computing and never stopped innovating — that’s why customers from the most successful startups to Global 500 companies trust our robust suite of products and services to power their businesses. We’re continuously raising our performance bar as we strive to become Earth’s Best Employer.
“AWS Infrastructure Services owns the design, planning, delivery, and operation of all AWS global infrastructure. In other words, we’re the people who keep the cloud running. We support all AWS data centers and all the servers, storage, networking, power, and cooling equipment that ensures our customers have continual access to the innovation they rely on. We work on the most challenging problems, with thousands of variables impacting the supply chain — and we’re looking for talented people who want to help.”
Specifically, “you’ll join a diverse team of software, hardware, and network engineers, supply chain specialists, security experts, operations managers, and other vital roles. You’ll collaborate with people across AWS to help us deliver the highest standards for safety and security while providing seemingly infinite capacity at the lowest possible cost for our customers. And you’ll experience an inclusive culture that welcomes bold ideas and empowers you to own them to completion.”
AWS values work-life harmony. “Achieving success at work should never come at the expense of sacrifices at home, which is why we strive for flexibility as part of our working culture. When we feel supported in the workplace and at home, there’s nothing we can’t achieve in the cloud.”
A couple of job postings provide a glimpse into opportunities at AWS data centers being built in Madison County, the first one representing an early career opportunity, and the second one representing a mid-career role.
Job Posting 1: Data Center Controls Technician, Mississippi
The Data Center Controls Engineering (DCCE) team is seeking a controls technician for service and construction of the Building Management Systems (BMS) and Electrical Power Monitoring System (EPMS) within Amazon data centers.
The mission of the DCCE team is to manage the design, deployment, and service of an exceptionally reliable electrical and mechanical control system for the life cycle of an AWS data center.
The ideal candidate will possess a technical background and experience in installation, troubleshooting, operations and/or maintenance of field sensors, controllers, wiring, networking and programming associated with the industrial controls systems. The candidate may also have relevant experience operating and maintaining mission critical electrical and mechanical systems. A Controls Technician shall be responsible for participating in the installation, testing, troubleshooting and startup of equipment and controls system associated with the BMS and EPMS system deployment in the data centers, and is expected to actively innovate on behalf of their customers in data center building automation.
A couple of key job responsibilities include primarily working in and supporting multiple data centers by deploying, servicing, and upgrading BMS and EPMS systems, and performing first-line diagnostics, troubleshooting and maintenance of programming code and hardware associated with the BMS and EPMS in data centers.
The candidate must be able to understand electrical schematics, control panel drawings, and understand close loop controls, field sensors scaling, and functions typically performed by industrial controllers.
Qualifications include a minimum year of experience working with computer components and operating systems, and a year of experience with mission critical low and medium voltage electrical and/or mechanical systems, and an understanding of industrial controls system, controllers, and programming. Preferred qualifications include an electrical engineering or mechanical engineering degree, and an International Society of Automation (ISA) Certified Controls System Technician (CCST) Level I or higher certification.
Job Posting 2: DCEO Facility Manager, DCC Communities
A day in the life of a facility manager involves overseeing all aspects of the data center’s critical physical infrastructure, maintaining high availability and performance while ensuring that all work performed within the site is done to high quality without impact to internal/external customers and maintain service level agreements. The job involves managing teams of 24×7 engineering technicians; and prioritizing and assigning tasks to data center technicians and operators; managing projects. The role represents the second level escalation point for data center facilities related issues/failures, and acts as an escalation point for all facilities-related issues. It involves overseeing the operation and management of routine and emergency services on a variety of critical systems such as switchgear, generators, UPS systems, power distribution equipment, chillers, cooling towers, computer room air handlers, and building monitoring systems.
Importantly, the job requires walking job sites in uneven terrain, maintaining balance and performing construction tasks while on a ladder; routinely lifting up to 39 pounds independently and participating in group lifts for more than 40 pounds; and working in noisy environments.
Basic qualifications include a high school or equivalent diploma, more than five years of relevant work experience in a data center or other critical environment, or more than nine years of technical (military/trade school) training and/or experience, or more than two years of Amazon experience. The role also calls for six years of experience with Microsoft Excel, Word, and Outlook, and at least a year of experience managing diverse teams.
Preferred qualifications include an associate or bachelor’s degree and six years of experience with an advanced understanding of the electrical or mechanical systems involved in critical data center operations such as feeders, transformers, generators, switchgear, UPS systems, ATS units. PDU units, pumps, air handling units and CRAC units.
Even though salary isn’t mentioned for either position, Amazon offers competitive compensation packages that include comprehensive healthcare benefits starting on Day 1, a matching 401(k) program, and up to 20 weeks of paid parental leave.
AWS was quick to point out, “Even if you don’t meet all the preferred qualifications and skills listed in the job description, we encourage candidates to apply. If your career is just starting, hasn’t followed a traditional path, or includes alternative experiences, don’t let it stop you from applying.”
Workforce Training After the Fact
“Our goal for Mississippi is that workforce and academics get blurred together and give people the skills they need to get great jobs, and that we do that in really highly effective, flexible ways where skills are permeable … and people have lots of options as they move through our programs,” said Lee-Romagnolo. “We need people to have (tech) skills … to do these jobs effectively.
Kevin Heard, a Mississippi sports legend from Eupora, and leader of the AWS infrastructure delivery deployment team at AWS’s Oregon data center, said an applicant doesn’t need “a lot of tech experience to work at an AWS data center.”
“Just apply and jump outside your comfort zone,” encouraged Heard. “AWS will provide all the training for a person to be successful.”
AWS job postings may be found at the Madison County Economic Development Authority website Job search | Amazon.jobs.
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NOTE: Part 5 of this series will continue Wednesday, July 31, with a daily look at a data center technician at an AWS data center in Oregon.
Lynne Jeter
