Senior Project Manager

Senior Project Manager – Data Centre Construction

Location: Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

Salary: Advertised as $190,000–$225,000 + bonus + package

Employment Type: Full-time, Permanent

Department: Project Management / Construction

If you think you are the right match for the following opportunity, apply after reading the complete description.

About the Role

We are working on behalf of our client, a leading international construction and engineering organisation, to recruit an experienced Senior Project Manager to support the delivery of large-scale data centre construction projects in Indianapolis, Indiana, and across the United States.

Our client specialises in delivering complex construction projects, including hyperscale data centres and other mission-critical facilities. The organisation is focused on delivering projects safely, on schedule, within budget and to the highest standards of quality.

The successful candidate will take responsibility for the planning, management and delivery of large or multi-phase construction projects, overseeing activities from pre-construction through to final project close-out.

This is a senior leadership position requiring strong construction management experience, commercial awareness and the ability to lead multidisciplinary teams. The role will involve managing project programmes, budgets, procurement, subcontractor performance, client relationships and risk, while ensuring that all project activities comply with contractual requirements and relevant safety standards.

The position is based in Indianapolis, with travel to project sites in other states required.

Key Responsibilities

Project Delivery and Management

Lead the planning, coordination and delivery of large-scale or multi-phase construction projects.

Manage project schedules, budgets, procurement activities and cost-control processes.

Ensure construction activities are completed in accordance with approved designs, technical specifications, contractual obligations and company standards.

Monitor project progress against agreed milestones, identifying potential delays and implementing corrective actions where necessary.

Identify, assess and manage project risks that could affect cost, quality, programme or overall delivery.

Coordinate project activities across pre-construction, procurement, site execution and project close-out.

Maintain oversight of project performance, ensuring that objectives are achieved within agreed commercial and operational parameters.

Establish clear lines of communication and accountability across project teams and subcontractors.

Ensure project documentation, reporting and progress information are maintained accurately throughout the project lifecycle.

Commercial and Financial Management

Maintain project budgets, cash flow projections and cost forecasts.

Monitor project expenditure and financial performance against approved budgets.

Administer owner and subcontractor contracts, including change orders, variations and progress payments.

Review contractual commitments and ensure project delivery remains aligned with agreed scopes of work.

Identify and manage commercial risks, implementing appropriate measures to protect project profitability.

Work closely with commercial, procurement and project controls teams to maintain accurate cost reporting and financial forecasts.

Assess the commercial implications of design changes, programme adjustments and additional work.

Support the resolution of contractual and commercial issues while maintaining positive client relationships.

Ensure financial and commercial decisions balance profitability, quality and client expectations.

Team Leadership and Management

Lead, manage and mentor Project Managers, Superintendents and project support teams.

Coordinate project management and field operations teams to ensure consistent delivery across all workstreams.

Establish clear responsibilities, performance expectations and project objectives.

Provide leadership and guidance to resolve technical, operational and programme-related challenges.

Promote collaboration between construction teams, subcontractors, consultants and other project stakeholders.

Monitor team performance and support the development of a strong, accountable project delivery culture.

Ensure sufficient coordination between site activities and project management functions.

Encourage proactive problem-solving and effective decision-making throughout the project lifecycle.

Client and Stakeholder Management

Act as a primary point of contact for clients, consultants and project partners.

Build and maintain effective working relationships with key stakeholders throughout the project lifecycle.

Lead project progress meetings and provide regular updates on programme, cost, quality, safety and risk.

Communicate project challenges, proposed solutions and recovery plans clearly and professionally.

Manage stakeholder expectations and ensure project deliverables remain aligned with contractual requirements.

Coordinate with design teams, subcontractors, suppliers and specialist contractors to support successful project execution.

Resolve issues promptly and escalate significant risks or decisions to the appropriate stakeholders.

Maintain a professional and solutions-focused approach to client engagement.

Health, Safety and Quality

Promote a strong health and safety culture across all project activities.

Ensure construction operations comply with applicable site safety requirements, company procedures and relevant regulatory obligations.

Work with site leadership and safety personnel to identify, assess and mitigate construction risks.

Ensure project teams and subcontractors understand and comply with applicable safety standards.

Oversee the implementation of project quality plans, inspections and corrective actions.

Ensure construction work meets approved specifications, design requirements and quality expectations.

Monitor quality performance and coordinate the resolution of defects, non-conformances and outstanding issues.

Support continuous improvement in safety, quality and construction delivery practices.

Ensure appropriate records are maintained to demonstrate compliance with project and regulatory requirements.

Pre-Construction and Project Planning

Work closely with estimating and pre-construction teams to establish project budgets, delivery strategies and construction programmes.

Contribute to constructability reviews, identifying potential challenges before work commences on site.

Support value engineering initiatives to improve efficiency, manage costs and optimise project outcomes.

Review construction sequencing, procurement schedules and resource requirements.

Identify long-lead materials, critical dependencies and potential programme constraints.

Ensure project plans reflect the scope, complexity and delivery requirements of the construction programme.

Coordinate the transition from pre-construction into site execution, ensuring project teams have the information and resources required.

Monitor planning assumptions and update delivery strategies as project requirements evolve.

Candidate Requirements

Essential Skills and Qualifications

Educational Background: Degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering or a related discipline, or equivalent relevant industry experience.

Senior Project Management Experience: Significant experience managing large or complex construction projects, ideally within data centres, mission-critical facilities or other technically demanding construction environments.

Construction Delivery: Strong knowledge of construction methods, sequencing, scheduling and project execution, with the ability to manage projects from pre-construction through to completion.

Commercial Management: Demonstrable experience managing project budgets, cost control, cash flow forecasts, contractual obligations and commercial risks.

Procurement and Contract Administration: Experience overseeing procurement activities and administering owner and subcontractor contracts, including change orders, variations and progress payments.

Programme Management: Proven ability to develop, monitor and manage project schedules, coordinate multiple workstreams and address potential delays.

Leadership and Team Management: Experience leading multidisciplinary project teams, including Project Managers, Superintendents and site support personnel.

Data Centre or Mission-Critical Experience: Previous experience delivering data centre projects or other mission-critical facilities is highly desirable.

Technical Understanding: Ability to read and interpret construction drawings, technical specifications and contractual documentation.

Health and Safety: Strong understanding of construction site safety requirements and the ability to promote a proactive safety culture.

Quality Assurance: Experience implementing quality plans, coordinating inspections and managing corrective actions to ensure construction work meets required standards.

Communication and Stakeholder Management: Excellent communication, leadership and organisational skills, with the ability to manage relationships with clients, consultants, subcontractors and senior management.

Construction Software: Experience using construction management platforms such as Procore, CMiC, Viewpoint or Bluebeam.

Travel Requirements: Valid driver's licence and willingness to travel to project sites in other states as required.

Desirable Qualifications and Experience

Experience delivering hyperscale data centre construction projects.

Experience managing multi-phase or large-scale mission-critical construction programmes.

OSHA 30 certification or equivalent construction safety qualification. xhyhwjd

Proven experience managing subcontractor performance and complex contractual arrangements.