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PROJECT DIRECTOR – DATA CENTRE
Position Overview
The Project Director will provide strategic leadership and oversight for data centre development projects during the pre-construction phase, ensuring optimal project outcomes from concept through construction readiness. This senior leadership role requires deep expertise in data centre infrastructure, pre-construction planning, stakeholder management, and large-scale project delivery.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
- Lead and oversee multiple concurrent data centre development projects from initial feasibility through construction handover
- Establish project vision, strategic objectives, and success criteria aligned with client business requirements
- Develop comprehensive pre-construction strategies encompassing design, procurement, risk management, and stakeholder engagement
- Interface with C-suite executives, investors, and key stakeholders to ensure alignment on project direction and deliverables
Pre-Construction Management
- Direct feasibility studies, site selection analysis, and preliminary design development for data centre facilities
- Oversee development of detailed project scopes, budgets (typically $50M-$500M+), and master schedules
- Lead coordination between architects, engineers, consultants, and client teams during design phases
- Ensure technical specifications meet data centre industry standards (Uptime Institute Tier requirements, LEED, energy efficiency targets)
- Drive value engineering initiatives and constructability reviews to optimize project outcomes
Team Leadership & Coordination
- Build and lead high-performing pre-construction teams including planning, civil, MEP, structural disciplines
- Mentor and develop direct reports including Head Planning, Head Civil, and other discipline leads
- Foster collaborative environment across internal teams and external consultants
- Allocate resources effectively across multiple projects and manage team capacity planning
Risk & Compliance Management
- Identify, assess, and develop mitigation strategies for technical, commercial, and regulatory risks
- Ensure compliance with local building codes, zoning regulations, environmental requirements, and industry standards
- Oversee permitting strategies and coordinate with regulatory authorities
- Implement quality assurance processes and design review protocols
Commercial & Contractual Oversight
- Lead procurement strategy development and consultant/contractor selection processes
- Negotiate and manage pre-construction service agreements, design contracts, and early contractor involvement (ECI) arrangements
- Monitor project financial performance against budgets and forecasts
- Prepare and present comprehensive reports, business cases, and recommendations to senior leadership
Required Qualifications
Education & Certification
- Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Construction Management, Mechanical/Electrical Engineering, or related field required
- Master's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, or MBA preferred
- Professional Engineering (PE) license, Project Management Professional (PMP), or equivalent certification highly desirable
Experience
- Minimum 15+ years of experience in project management, with at least 10 years specifically in data centre or mission-critical facility development
- Proven track record managing pre-construction phases for large-scale data centre projects ($100M+ project values)
- Demonstrated experience leading multidisciplinary teams through complex technical design and planning processes
- Experience with hyperscale, colocation, and/or enterprise data centre development models
Technical Expertise
- Deep understanding of data centre infrastructure systems: power distribution, cooling systems, fire suppression, building management systems
- Knowledge of Uptime Institute Tier standards (Tier II through Tier IV design requirements)
- Familiarity with sustainability frameworks (LEED, Energy Star) and energy-efficient data centre design principles
- Understanding of electrical load calculations, redundancy configurations (N, N+1, 2N), and critical infrastructure design
Skills & Competencies
- Exceptional strategic thinking and problem-solving capabilities
- Outstanding leadership and team development abilities
- Superior communication and stakeholder management skills with ability to influence senior executives
- Strong commercial acumen and contract negotiation experience
- Proficiency with project management software (Primavera P6, MS Project) and design coordination tools (BIM/Revit, Navisworks)
- Data-driven decision-making approach with strong analytical skills
Preferred Attributes
- Established network within data centre development industry
- Experience with Design-Build, IPD (Integrated Project Delivery), or ECI procurement models
- International project experience
- Understanding of hyperscaler requirements (AWS, Azure, Google, Meta, etc.)
HEAD OF PLANNING – DATA CENTRE
Position Overview
The Head of Planning will lead all planning, scheduling, and program management activities for data centre pre-construction projects, ensuring coordinated delivery across design phases, regulatory approvals, and construction preparation. This role requires exceptional organizational capability, technical planning expertise, and the ability to coordinate complex interdependencies across multiple workstreams.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Planning Leadership
- Develop and maintain comprehensive master schedules for data centre projects from inception through construction readiness
- Establish planning standards, methodologies, and best practices for pre-construction phases
- Create integrated project schedules that coordinate architectural design, engineering design, permitting, procurement, and mobilization activities
- Lead planning team members and provide direction on schedule development, monitoring, and reporting
Schedule Development & Management
- Create detailed design phase schedules (concept, schematic, design development, construction documents)
- Develop critical path analyses and identify key project milestones and decision gates
- Coordinate scheduling inputs from multiple design disciplines: architectural, structural, civil, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, IT infrastructure
- Establish realistic duration estimates based on historical data and industry benchmarks for data centre projects
Coordination & Integration
- Facilitate schedule coordination workshops with design teams, consultants, regulatory authorities, and client stakeholders
- Identify and resolve scheduling conflicts and interface issues between workstreams
- Coordinate permitting timelines with local authorities and track regulatory approval processes
- Integrate procurement schedules for long-lead equipment (generators, switchgear, UPS systems, chillers, CRAC units)
Risk & Opportunity Management
- Conduct schedule risk assessments and develop contingency plans
- Identify opportunities for schedule compression and fast-track strategies where appropriate
- Monitor early warning indicators and proactively communicate potential delays
- Develop recovery plans when schedule deviations occur
Monitoring & Reporting
- Implement schedule monitoring processes and establish regular update cycles
- Produce comprehensive progress reports, dashboard metrics, and KPI tracking
- Conduct earned value analysis and schedule performance assessments
- Present schedule status, risks, and recommendations to Project Director and senior stakeholders
Technology & Tools Management
- Maintain enterprise planning tools and software platforms (Primavera P6, MS Project)
- Develop and maintain schedule templates and standard schedules for data centre project types
- Explore and implement innovative planning technologies (4D BIM scheduling, AI-powered analytics)
Required Qualifications
Education & Certification
- Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Construction Management, Architecture, or related field required
- Master's degree in Project Management, Construction Management, or Engineering preferred
- Professional certifications highly valued: Planning & Scheduling Professional (PSP), Project Management Professional (PMP), or equivalent
Experience