Senior Project Manager - Data Center

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Senior Project Manager - Data Centers

What this job involves:

Lead the end-to-end delivery of the program's most complex, highest-value, and highest-profile mission-critical and data-center infrastructure projects. This is a project-level leadership role for the largest and most technically demanding engagements - projects where the technical scope, financial exposure, schedule risk, and client profile demand the deepest level of experience and commercial command. The Senior Project Manager owns performance across cost, schedule, scope, procurement, and client outcomes for their assigned projects, directs APMs and Project Coordinators supporting those projects, and operates as the primary point of accountability to the client and internal leadership on every engagement they carry.

Your day-to-day tasks will include:

• Lead full project delivery on the program's most complex and highest-value engagements, owning all performance outcomes across cost, schedule, scope, quality, and client satisfaction.
• Coordinate and direct the work of APMs and Project Coordinators assigned to support their projects, maintaining delivery standards, documentation integrity, and workstream alignment.
• Lead pre-design and feasibility efforts alongside engineering, including due diligence, constructability review, capacity validation, and value engineering, to establish viable design paths and ROM estimates with the highest confidence possible given compressed timelines.
• Drive the compressed, parallelized delivery methodology required for speed-to-market commitments, adapting conventional pre-planning sequencing and contractor coordination norms for projects of the greatest scale and technical complexity.
• Own strategic procurement and commercial execution, including RFP development, vendor qualification, negotiation, and direct contracting of vendors and suppliers under NTE/GMP arrangements.
• Administer prime and trade contracts (electrical, mechanical, controls, fire protection, structural, and general trades) through complex, phased, and overlapping delivery.
• Own full-cycle financial management at the project level, including GMP/NTE budgets, ROM development, change orders, forecasts, pay applications, and variance analysis, exercising the greatest degree of commercial discipline on projects where cost risk is highest.
• Serve as the primary client and executive-level stakeholder interface on assigned projects, translating complex technical requirements into actionable plans and delivering rigorous, data-driven reporting to demanding clients.
• Drive risk identification, mitigation, and recovery planning on projects with the greatest technical, schedule, and commercial risk exposure, exercising independent judgment on high-stakes decisions where ambiguity is high and consequences are significant.
• Ensure quality assurance and commissioning of critical power, cooling, life-safety, and control systems within active, energized environment.
• Enforce site safety protocols, including lockout-tagout (LOTO) and safe work practices; lead safety stand-downs and corrective actions when incidents occur on assigned projects.
• Oversee contract administration, compliance, insurance documentation, and governance on all assigned engagements.

Desired experience and technical skills:

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 8+ years of construction project management experience in data center, industrial, or other mission-critical environments, with demonstrated ownership of full project delivery on large, complex, high-value projects.
• Proven track record delivering projects at scale: $50M+ total project cost, high schedule intensity, and technically complex MEP scopes.
• Direct oversight of trade contractors (electrical, mechanical, generator, controls, structural) in active, energized construction settings.
• Proven commercial and contract leadership, including RFP development, negotiation, and administration of GMP, NTE, or similar contract structures on large, consequential project scopes.
• Advanced proficiency with project management, scheduling, and financial management software.
• Deep working knowledge of MEP systems, critical power/cooling infrastructure, and commissioning standards (NFPA, ASHRAE) across the full range of data center system types.
• Exceptional communication, negotiation, and executive-level presentation and reporting skills; comfortable as the primary face of the project to the most demanding clients.
• Demonstrated ability to operate with high autonomy and decisive judgment in ambiguous, high-pressure, fast-track environments where conventional sequencing does not apply.
• Availability to travel up to 40% overall (approximately 20-25% per active project across up to two concurrent projects).

Preferred:

• Professional certifications such as PMP, CCM, CDCP, or DCDC.
• Experience with design-build, EPC, or accelerated/parallelized schedule delivery models on large-scale projects.
• Experience leading speed-to-market delivery for colocation operators or hyperscale clients where aggressive timelines are a core business requirement.
• Familiarity with UPS systems, generators, chillers, CRAC/CRAH units, BMS networks, and alternative cooling technologies across a broad range of capacity scales.
• Strong understanding of electrical and mechanical systems, testing, and commissioning protocols for 24/7 mission-critical operations.
• Experience managing multiple concurrent or geographically distributed sites at the highest complexity and financial exposure.
• Demonstrated ability to manage and recover projects under significant financial, schedule, or technical stress.
• Commitment to professional development and continuous improvement in mission-critical construction delivery.

This position does not provide visa sponsorship. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship.

Estimated compensation for this position:

116,900.00 - 153,000.00 USD per year

This range is an estimate and actual compensation may differ. Final compensation packages are determined by various considerations including but not limited to candidate qualifications, location, market conditions, and internal considerations.

Location:

On-site -Ashburn, VA, Boston, MA, Denver, CO, Sterling, VA

If this job description resonates with you, we encourage you to apply, even if you don't meet all the requirements. We're interested in getting to know you and what you bring to the table!

Personalized benefits that support personal well-being and growth:

JLL recognizes the impact that the workplace can have on your wellness, so we offer a supportive culture and comprehensive benefits package that prioritizes mental, physical and emotional health. Some of these benefits may include:

• 401(k) plan with matching company contributions

• Comprehensive Medical, Dental & Vision Care

• Paid parental leave at 100% of salary

• Paid Time Off and Company Holidays

• Early access to earned wages through Daily Pay

At JLL, we harness the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to efficiently accelerate meaningful connections between candidates and opportunities. Using AI capabilities, we analyze your application for relevant skills, experiences, and qualifications to generate valuable insights about how your unique profile aligns with the specific requirements of the role you'repursuing.

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