Data Center Program Manager

The role is remote based, there will be 15-30% travel.

Full time W- 2

New Build Deployment Enablement Manager (DEM)

Position Summary

The Data Center New Build Deployment Enablement Manager (DEM) serves as the central coordination point for network infrastructure deployment at new data center builds — from cable start through Production Ready (PR). This role is \"the glue\" between Design, Engineering, Construction and Network Deployment teams and all cross-functional partners, ensuring milestones are tracked, dates are committed, and teams are aligned across every phase of the network build.

The DEM heavily influences cross-functional teams to provide and commit to dates, serves as the single source of truth for deployment milestones, and drives accountability when timelines slip. This is not a passive tracking role — it requires deep technical fluency in Data Center network infrastructure, the ability to navigate complex multi-team political dynamics, and the confidence to escalate blockers to senior leadership.

Key Responsibilities

Milestone Coordination & Tracking

• Own and maintain the New Build Deployment Tracker for assigned buildings — tracking milestones from Cable Ready to Production Ready (PR)
• Drive weekly New Build coordination calls with cross-functional and internal teams
• Track dependencies across multiple network layers
• Integrate with construction and network schedules and maintain alignment between multiple schedule sources

Cross-Functional Leadership & Communication

• Lead or co-lead New Build calls starting at cable start for data centers being built
• Post weekly program updates — highlighting new/changed risks, milestone achievements, and upcoming milestone dates
• Serve as the bridge between Construction Managers, Deployment Engineers, Connectivity Engineers, and all supporting teams
• Influence cross-functional partners to provide and commit to dates
• Facilitate SEV creation and escalation for schedule risks and cross-team blockers

Site Deployment Execution

• Coordinate network infrastructure deployment across multiple concurrent buildings (typically 2–4 simultaneous sites)
• Track hardware delivery SLAs, material logistics (warehouse locations, shipping from nearest facility), and upstream dependencies
• Understand and manage differences between building types
• Monitor and drive resolution of deployment blockers

Risk Management & Escalation

• Identify schedule risks early by understanding SLA back-off calculations and hardware delivery timelines relative to project milestones
• Create and manage SEVs for deployment blockers
• Proactively communicate timeline impacts — provide specific information about expected impacts and revised timelines
• Escalate to leadership when cross-functional commitments are not being met

Process Development & Continuous Improvement

• Contribute to template standardization across building types
• Conduct lessons-learned reviews to identify recurring gaps in the deployment process
• Mentor and train incoming DEMs through reverse shadow model and milestone sessions

Required Skills & Qualifications

Technical & Domain Knowledge

• Strong understanding of data center network infrastructure and production network layers
• Familiarity with network deployment processes: rack & stack, provisioning, circuit audits, device scanning, and activation/undrain workflows
• Understanding of material logistics: hardware delivery SLAs, BOM management, warehouse operations, and vendor coordination
• Proficiency with project tracking tools
• Hands-on experience with AI tools and agentic frameworks for workflow automation and reporting

Leadership & Interpersonal Skills

• Proven ability to influence without authority across cross-functional teams simultaneously
• Comfort navigating political dynamics between organizations — diplomatically asserting ownership of network deployment milestones
• Ability to operate independently in ambiguous, high-pressure environments where schedules are aggressive and remediation cycles are frequent
• Outstanding communication skills — ability to distill complex multi-site status into clear leadership readouts
• Track record of driving accountability: following up, not accepting \"we'll get to it next week\" when milestones are at risk

Experience

• 5–8 years of progressive experience in project/program management within data center construction, network infrastructure, telecommunications, or critical facility deployment
• Experience managing projects in the $1M–$10M range with multiple concurrent workstreams and cross-functional dependencies
• Direct experience with data center construction phases: foundation, cable start, TFO, commissioning, and network turn-up
• Experience working with MSPs (Managed Service Providers) and field operations teams in a data center environment
• Prior experience in hyperscale data center environments (Google, AWS, Microsoft, or similar) strongly preferred

Education & Certifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Telecommunications, Computer Science, or related technical field — or equivalent professional experience (8+ years in data center/network deployment)
• PMP, CAPM, or CSM certification preferred but not required
• BICSI RCDD, CDCDP, or similar data center/cabling certifications are a plus

Additional Requirements

• Travel required: 15–30% to data center campuses for site visits and/or workshops
• Ability to obtain site access badges and pass background checks for data center facilities
• Flexibility to support critical deployment milestones outside standard hours (energization events, SEV response)
• Strong commitment to fostering an inclusive, collaborative work environment