Project Manager - Data Center Construction

Project Manager - Data Center Construction

System One is seeking an experienced Project Manager to lead the successful execution of complex, fast-paced mission critical and data center construction projects. This position is responsible for managing projects from preconstruction and mobilization through construction, commissioning support, turnover, and closeout while maintaining client expectations for safety, quality, schedule, cost control, communication, and client service. The Project Manager serves as a primary point of coordination between the Owner, design team, trade partners, vendors, field leadership, and management. The ideal candidate understands that mission critical construction requires disciplined planning, exceptional documentation, rapid problem solving, schedule accountability, and proactive communication. This is not a remote, work-from-home position. Projects may be located in remote areas of West Texas and other markets, and the successful candidate must be willing and able to maintain a consistent presence where the work is happening. This individual must be comfortable operating in an environment where project conditions evolve quickly and where problems are identified early, communicated clearly, and driven to resolution before they affect the project.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage assigned mission critical and data center projects from preconstruction and mobilization through construction, commissioning support, turnover, and closeout.
• Develop a thorough understanding of contract documents, project scope, owner requirements, specifications, schedule, and commercial obligations.
• Establish and maintain project execution plans, responsibility matrices, communication protocols, and project controls.
• Coordinate closely with the Superintendent and field leadership to align project management and field execution.
• Lead project meetings and ensure decisions, commitments, action items, responsible parties, and due dates are clearly documented and tracked.
• Maintain strong working relationships with clients, design professionals, trade partners, vendors, authorities having jurisdiction, and other project stakeholders.
• Identify project risks early and develop practical mitigation plans before they affect safety, quality, schedule, or cost.
• Escalate significant issues early and provide recommended solutions rather than simply identifying problems.

Schedule Management

• Participate in the development, maintenance, and execution of the project Critical Path Method (CPM) schedule.
• Work with the Superintendent, scheduling team, subcontractors, vendors, and project stakeholders to maintain realistic and executable schedules.
• Monitor critical and near-critical activities and identify potential schedule impacts before they become delays.
• Manage look-ahead planning, procurement milestones, design deliverables, inspections, energization, commissioning, and turnover activities.
• Evaluate schedule recovery plans when activities fall behind and drive agreed corrective actions to completion.
• Ensure schedule commitments made during project meetings are documented and followed through.

Financial & Commercial Management

• Maintain responsibility for assigned project financial performance and accurate forecasting.
• Develop and manage project budgets, commitments, cost forecasts, change management, and projected final costs.
• Review subcontractor and vendor proposals for completeness, scope alignment, and commercial reasonableness.
• Prepare, negotiate, document, and manage owner and subcontractor change orders.
• Maintain accurate cost-to-complete forecasts and identify financial risks early.
• Review subcontractor applications for payment and support preparation of owner billing.
• Monitor contingency usage, allowances, procurement exposure, cash flow, and unresolved commercial issues.
• Protect client's contractual and financial interests while maintaining professional relationships with clients and trade partners.

Procurement & Trade Partner Management

• Develop and maintain procurement logs identifying long-lead materials and equipment, submittal requirements, release dates, fabrication durations, and required-on-site dates.
• Coordinate procurement of critical mission critical equipment and infrastructure.
• Track submittals, approvals, fabrication, shipping, delivery, installation, startup, and commissioning milestones.
• Manage subcontractor performance against contractual scope, schedule, quality, safety, manpower, and documentation requirements.
• Identify scope gaps and coordination conflicts before subcontract award whenever possible.
• Ensure subcontractors understand project-specific expectations before mobilization.

Design & Technical Coordination

• Coordinate with owners, architects, engineers, commissioning agents, utilities, vendors, and subcontractors to resolve design and constructability issues.
• Manage RFIs, submittals, design clarifications, drawing revisions, and field changes.
• Evaluate design changes for potential schedule, procurement, quality, and cost impacts.
• Participate in design reviews, constructability reviews, pull planning, coordination meetings, and lessons-learned sessions.
• Maintain disciplined document control so project teams are building from current and approved information.
• Support BIM/VDC coordination and clash-resolution activities where applicable.

Safety & Quality

• Demonstrate visible leadership supporting client expectations for safe, high-quality execution.
• Partner with field leadership and safety personnel to maintain a proactive safety culture and reinforce Stop Work Authority.
• Participate in preconstruction safety planning, project safety meetings, audits, and corrective-action processes.
• Support development and implementation of project-specific quality control plans, first-work inspections, testing, deficiency management, and punch-list activities.
• Ensure subcontractors meet client and project-specific safety and quality requirements.
• Promote a build-it-right-the-first-time approach and drive root-cause resolution of recurring issues.

Commissioning & Turnover

• Incorporate commissioning and turnover requirements into project planning from the beginning of the project.
• Coordinate with commissioning agents, vendors, subcontractors, and field teams regarding startup, testing, documentation, and turnover requirements.
• Track prerequisites for energization, equipment startup, functional testing, and Integrated Systems Testing (IST).
• Maintain closeout documentation throughout construction rather than waiting until project completion.
• Drive completion of punch lists, as-builts, O&M manuals, training documentation, warranties, and final turnover packages.

People Leadership & Team Development

• Provide day-to-day direction and task coordination to Assistant Project Managers, Project Engineers, and project administrative staff assigned to the project.
• Clearly communicate priorities, deadlines, and expectations and follow through on assigned commitments.
• Support the development of less-experienced team members through coaching, knowledge sharing, and constructive feedback.
• Collaborate with the Senior Project Manager and Mission Critical leadership on staffing needs, workload, and team performance.

Mission Critical Systems

• Medium- and low-voltage electrical distribution
• Utility and substation interfaces
• Transformers and switchgear
• Generators and standby power systems
• UPS systems
• Busway and power distribution
• Mechanical and electrical equipment
• Cooling systems
• Building automation and controls
• Fire alarm and life-safety systems
• Security and low-voltage systems
• Fuel systems
• Equipment startup and energization
• Integrated Systems Testing (IST)
• Commissioning and turnover

Project Controls & Reporting

Overall project status, CPM schedule performance and milestone achievement, critical and near-critical activities, procurement status, RFI and submittal status, change management, budget, forecast, and cash flow, safety and quality performance, staffing and manpower, commissioning and turnover readiness, key risks, mitigation actions, and client decisions required.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, or related field preferred; or 8 years of equivalent construction experience in lieu of a degree.
• 5+ years of commercial, industrial, mission critical, or technically complex construction experience.
• Previous Project Manager, Assistant Project Manager, Project Engineer, or similar project-management experience with increasing responsibility.
• Demonstrated experience managing subcontractors, project controls, and multiple project stakeholders.
• Strong knowledge of construction drawings, specifications, contracts, RFIs, submittals, change orders, procurement, and project closeout