Construction Project Manager

Project Manager, Data Center Construction

Company type: Data center general contractor / developer

Location: Chicagoland-based, with projects across the United States

Type: Full-time, direct hire

Travel: Regular travel to project sites nationwide

About the Company

Our client is a Midwest-based data center general contractor and developer building hyperscale, colocation, and mission critical facilities for leading technology and data center operators across the country. The company delivers projects from early planning through commissioning and turnover, with a focus on schedule certainty, quality, and clear communication. The team is growing alongside a strong pipeline of national work, with room for project managers to take on larger and more complex projects.

The Role

The Project Manager is responsible for the commercial and administrative leadership of a data center project, working closely with the superintendent team, the design and commissioning teams, and the client. You will manage subcontractors, cost, schedule, procurement, and documentation from buyout through closeout, and serve as a primary point of contact for the owner. The role is based in Chicagoland, with time on project sites around the country.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage day-to-day delivery of a data center project, including cost, schedule, quality, safety, and client satisfaction
• Lead subcontractor and vendor management, including scopes of work, buyout, subcontracts, change orders, pay applications, and performance
• Track and forecast project costs, manage the budget and change management process, and report status to leadership and the client
• Procure and track long-lead equipment, including switchgear, generators, UPS systems, chillers, CRAH/CRAC units, transformers, and prefabricated assemblies
• Own the RFI, submittal, and document control processes, and keep them ahead of field needs
• Coordinate with design teams, owner's representatives, and commissioning agents, and support Levels 1 through 5 commissioning and integrated systems testing
• Partner with superintendents on sequencing, look-ahead schedules, manpower, and trade coordination
• Develop and maintain project schedules and recovery plans in coordination with the scheduler and field team
• Manage coordination across electrical, mechanical, structural, civil, fire protection, and low voltage scopes
• Support preconstruction as needed, including estimating, constructability reviews, and value engineering
• Lead owner meetings and provide clear written updates on progress, risks, and decisions
• Manage closeout, punch lists, documentation, and turnover
• Maintain a strong safety culture and support site safety planning
• Mentor and develop project engineers and assistant project managers

Qualifications

• 7+ years of project management experience on large commercial, industrial, or mission critical construction, with general contractor or developer experience strongly preferred
• Data center, hyperscale, or other mission critical experience strongly preferred
• Experience managing projects over $50M, including subcontractor buyout, budgets, and change orders
• Working knowledge of MEP systems, power distribution and cooling, and construction sequencing
• Experience with long-lead procurement and prefabrication a plus
• Familiarity with commissioning and turnover processes
• Proficiency with Procore (or a comparable platform), Microsoft Office, Bluebeam, and scheduling tools such as Primavera P6 or MS Project
• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, or a related field preferred; equivalent experience considered
• PMP, OSHA 30, or similar credentials are a plus
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to work directly with clients, design teams, and trades
• Willingness to travel to project sites across the U.S. as needed

Nice to Have

• Experience with hyperscale or AI data center clients
• Experience on both ground-up and retrofit or live-environment data center projects
• Experience working with a developer or owner's representative
• Familiarity with liquid cooling or high-density design

What the Company Offers

• The opportunity to work on large, high-profile data center projects across the country
• A growing company with a strong national pipeline
• A direct line to project and executive leadership
• A competitive compensation and benefits package
• Room to grow into Senior Project Manager and Project Executive roles