Senior Project Manager

Job Description

Senior Project Manager – Data Center Construction

About the Role

JLH Consulting & Construction is looking for an experienced Senior Project Manager to lead delivery of a large-scale data center project in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area. You will own the project from preconstruction through commissioning and turnover, managing scope, schedule, budget, safety, and quality for a mission-critical facility. You'll be the primary point of contact for the owner and will lead a team of project managers, engineers, superintendents, and trade partners.

What You'll Do

• Lead all phases of project delivery, including preconstruction, procurement, construction, commissioning, and closeout, for a 2.5M sq ft data center.
• Serve as the main client contact, building strong relationships with owner representatives, design teams, utilities, and local authorities having jurisdiction.
• Develop and manage project budgets, cost forecasts, and change orders, keeping financial performance on target.
• Build and maintain the master schedule, coordinating long-lead equipment such as generators, switchgear, UPS systems, transformers, and cooling infrastructure.
• Oversee subcontractor buyout, contract negotiation, and performance management.
• Drive a strong safety culture, with zero-incident goals and compliance with OSHA and site-specific requirements.
• Coordinate integrated systems testing and Level 1–5 commissioning with the commissioning agent and owner.
• Manage risk, resolve issues quickly, and escalate when needed.
• Mentor and develop project managers, project engineers, and field staff.
• Report regularly on project status to senior leadership and the client.

What You Bring

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• 10+ years of commercial construction project management experience, including at least 5 years on mission-critical projects (data centers, hospitals, labs, or similar).
• A track record of delivering projects valued at $500M or more.
• Strong working knowledge of electrical and mechanical systems typical of data centers, including medium-voltage distribution, redundancy configurations (N+1, 2N), and cooling systems.
• Experience managing budgets, schedules, and contracts in fast-paced environments.
• Proficiency with project management and scheduling tools such as Procore, Primavera P6, or Microsoft Project.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and client-facing skills.

Preferred:

• PMP, DBIA, or LEED AP certification.
• OSHA 30 certification.
• Experience with hyperscale or colocation clients.
• Familiarity with Wisconsin building codes and local permitting.
• Experience with design-build and fast-track delivery methods.