Preconstruction Manager

Preconstruction Manager

Austin, Texas, United States

Fleet Data Centers designs, builds and operates mega-scale data center campuses. Fleet provides its customers flexibility and predictability to meet their upside demand forecasts, addressing a key need in the market as traditional leased models are struggling to keep pace with the demand for new Cloud and AI infrastructure. Fleet is led by a team of industry veterans that have already made a lasting imprint on the evolution of global digital infrastructure and are committed and uniquely capable of upleveling data center development scale and operations in the face of rising demand. Fleet is well positioned to bring in-house design, engineering and operational capabilities to collaborate with customers on tailored solutions for campuses of 500MW+. This unique model enables Fleet to provide the world's largest and most sophisticated customers a seamless extension of their own data center fleets with constant access to design innovation.

Role Summary

Reports to: Preconstruction Director

Experience: 10+ years · 2 Positions (site-assigned)

The Preconstruction Manager is an owner-side leader responsible for developing and de-risking the full scope of a Fleet data center campus — civil/structural/architectural and sitework, MEP and mission-critical systems, and power (BTM/substation/BESS) — from concept through Notice to Proceed (NTP). This role is site-assigned rather than discipline-limited: it owns end-to-end preconstruction for its assigned campus, including design management, estimating, procurement strategy, long-lead equipment, and buyout, so that when the project transitions to the construction team, the scope, budget, schedule basis, procurement status, and trade partners are set up for predictable execution.

Two Preconstruction Managers, each carrying full campus scope, are together sized to independently handle a 400MW campus; assignments flex by campus and concurrency as the portfolio scales. This is a partnership-oriented role that works closely with in-house design and engineering, real estate/development, Supply Chain, commissioning, the serving utility, and the future construction team.

Key Responsibilities

Design Management & Constructability

• Design Development Oversight: Serve as the owner's preconstruction point of contact to the A/E and engineering teams across all disciplines — civil/structural/architectural, MEP, and power — driving completeness, coordination, and alignment with Fleet standards and Fleet's high-availability, mission-critical resiliency requirements.
• Constructability & Value Engineering: Lead constructability reviews and value-engineering studies across earthwork, foundations, structure, envelope, and sitework as well as electrical distribution, mechanical cooling, controls/BMS, substation, BTM generation, and BESS, capturing cost and schedule efficiencies before construction.
• Site, Logistics & Integration Planning: Develop early site logistics, phasing, and laydown strategy, and coordinate energization sequencing and systems integration across disciplines, in partnership with the future construction team.

Estimating & Budget Development

• Full-Scope Estimating: Own conceptual through control-level estimates for the entire campus scope, developing and maintaining the campus budget across design milestones.
• Benchmarking & Cost Trending: Benchmark against Fleet's historical campus cost data and market conditions; track and communicate cost trends, risks, and contingency needs, with particular attention to volatile electrical and power-equipment markets.
• Basis of Design & Assumptions: Maintain clear estimate basis, inclusions/exclusions, and assumptions for owner decision-making.

Procurement Strategy, Long-Lead & Buyout

• Long-Lead Equipment Strategy: Own the procurement roadmap for long-lead OFCI power and mechanical equipment (main power transformers, switchgear, generators, chillers, UPS, BESS units), coordinating with Supply Chain to protect the energization critical path.
• Bid Packaging & Selection: Develop bid packages and scope-of-work documents across all trade packages; lead RFP processes, prequalification, bid leveling, and award recommendations for trade packages, the GC, and EPCs.
• Contracting Strategy: Support the Preconstruction Director on delivery-method and contract-structure decisions (including GMP, lump sum, design-build, and EPC where applicable); drive buyout to a bought-out scope at NTP.

Utility, Entitlements, Risk & Handoff

• Utility & Interconnection Support: Coordinate with the serving utility and interconnection consultants to align interconnection, energization, and permitting with the preconstruction schedule.
• Permitting & Entitlements Support: Coordinate with entitlement, permitting, geotechnical, and environmental consultants to align approvals with the preconstruction schedule.
• Risk Identification: Identify cost, schedule, supply-chain, and scope risks across all disciplines early and develop mitigation and contingency strategies.
• Construction Handoff: Deliver a clean, documented transition of the bought-out campus scope, long-lead procurement status, budget basis, and open risks to the construction team at NTP.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, or a related technical field, OR equivalent practical preconstruction/estimating experience.
• 10+ years of preconstruction, estimating, or delivery experience on large-scale, fast-tracked projects, with exposure across both CSA and MEP/power scopes. Owner/operator or developer experience preferred; a strong general contractor preconstruction/estimating background is also considered.
• Proven ability to independently run full-scope preconstruction for a major project — estimating, procurement strategy, long-lead, and buyout.
• Strong command of constructability, value engineering, cost benchmarking, and long-lead equipment markets.
• Proficiency with estimating and document tools, Procore (or equivalent), and Microsoft Office Suite.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience on data center, utility-scale power, or mission-critical facilities.
• Familiarity with utility interconnection, high-voltage permitting, entitlements, geotechnical coordination, and commissioning planning.
• Strong communication skills and a collaborative, problem-solving mindset.

Fleet Data Centers employees enjoy comprehensive benefits, including 100% employer-covered medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401K program, standard paid holidays, and unlimited PTO. As these are on-site positions, there is limited travel associated with the roles.