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Mission-Critical Data Center Construction | Senior Project Manager

LOCATION

Chicago Metropolitan Area, IL (US) 

TRAVEL

Weekly on-site at project site

EXPERIENCE

10+ years, data center delivery

Compensation:

$130k - $180k Annual base salary, dependent on experience and location

Position Summary

Vertex Innovations is seeking a Senior Project Manager to lead the delivery of two concurrent, mission-critical data center construction projects in the Chicago metropolitan area on behalf of our client, in an Owner’s Representative and Construction Management capacity. This is an executive-level assignment: you are the senior point of accountability for scope, budget, schedule, quality, and safety, and you report project status directly to our client’s Chief Operating Officer and Chief Executive Officer.

This role is deliberately scoped for a project executive who has done the hard version of this job before — someone who has recovered a program from an underperforming general contractor, has negotiated a stalled permit or inspection sequence with an Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ), and can walk into an executive review with numbers that hold up. You will own the daily reporting cadence, run the Procore environment as the single source of truth, and lead the on-site team and consultant group across both assignments.

Program Overview

The successful candidate will manage two active projects concurrently, both within the Chicago market:

Project 1 — New Data Center Construction (approximately $450 million) A ground-up, large-scale data center construction program for a leading colocation and interconnection operator. Full lifecycle delivery from preconstruction and design coordination through construction, Levels 1–5 commissioning, integrated systems testing, turnover, and closeout. This project currently requires active general contractor performance management and sustained coordination with the local Authority Having Jurisdiction.

Project 2 — 5 MW Capacity Upgrade, Existing Carrier Facility A 5 megawatt electrical and mechanical capacity upgrade within an existing, fully operational carrier-owned data center. Work is performed in a live, revenue-producing environment, requiring rigorous method of procedure (MOP) discipline, tight coordination with facility operations, phased tie-ins, and zero tolerance for unplanned downtime.

Key Responsibilities

Executive Reporting & Client Leadership

• Report directly to the client’s COO and CEO delivering executive-level briefings on scope, cost, schedule, risk, and recovery status with the clarity and defensibility that a board-visible capital program demands.
• Produce and own the daily project report covering manpower, production against plan, critical path movement, open risks, safety, inspections, and decisions required — issued consistently and on time across both projects.
• Serve as the senior owner’s representative acting as the primary point of contact for the client and representing the owner’s interests across all phases of delivery on both assignments.
• Lead and mentor the project team directing project managers, engineers, field staff, and consultants, and developing talent across the delivery organization.

General Contractor Performance & Recovery

• Hold the general contractor accountable to contract, scope, schedule, quality, and staffing commitments — identifying performance shortfalls early and documenting them rigorously.
• Lead recovery efforts on underperforming work developing and enforcing recovery schedules, corrective action plans, manpower loading requirements, and escalation paths, and driving measurable return to plan.
• Manage contractual remedies and disputes coordinating with legal and client leadership on notices, backcharges, claims exposure, and, where warranted, contractor replacement or scope reassignment.
• Validate contractor reporting independently verifying pay applications, percent-complete claims, and schedule updates against observed field conditions rather than accepting them at face value.

Permitting, AHJ & Jurisdictional Approvals

• Own the relationship with the Authority Having Jurisdiction across permitting, plan review, inspections, and certificate of occupancy — anticipating requirements rather than reacting to them.
• Drive resolution of code, plan review, and inspection issues coordinating the design team, GC, and specialty consultants to close comments and prevent AHJ-driven schedule impact.
• Maintain a permit and inspection register with owner-level visibility into every open approval, its responsible party, and its impact on the critical path.

Cost, Schedule & Risk

• Own the project budget and cost controls managing estimates, change orders, invoice review, contingency, and forecasts, and protecting the owner’s financial interests throughout delivery.
• Drive the master project schedule establishing milestones, monitoring critical path, and holding the general contractor and project team accountable to the plan.
• Identify, track, and mitigate project risk maintaining risk and issues registers and escalating decisions with clear recommendations and quantified impact analysis.
• Lead change management evaluating scope changes for cost, schedule, and quality impact and securing appropriate approvals before proceeding.

Construction Oversight, Quality & Safety

• Administer Procore as the system of record for RFIs, submittals, daily logs, change orders, punch, inspections, and turnover — keeping the environment disciplined, current, and auditable, and configuring reports and dashboards that feed executive reporting.
• Oversee construction execution monitoring the general contractor’s performance against scope, schedule, quality, and contract requirements on both sites.
• Protect the live facility reviewing and approving methods of procedure (MOPs), tie-in plans, and shutdown sequences for the 5 MW upgrade so that critical load is never placed at risk.
• Coordinate the commissioning effort integrating the Levels 1–5 commissioning and integrated systems testing (IST) program into the overall delivery plan and turnover sequence.
• Champion quality and QA/QC ensuring installation and documentation meet specifications and that nonconformances are tracked to closure.
• Enforce a safety-first culture verifying that the general contractor and all trades comply with site safety requirements and reinforcing Vertex’s commitment to safe execution.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, or a related field — or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum of 10 years of project management experience in commercial or industrial construction, with at least 5 years delivering mission-critical or data center projects.
• Demonstrated executive-level project management, including direct reporting to C-suite stakeholders (COO / CEO level) on capital programs of significant scale.
• Proven, documented track record of managing and recovering an underperforming general contractor — including recovery scheduling, corrective action, and contractual remedies.
• Demonstrated success working directly with Authorities Having Jurisdiction on permitting, plan review, inspection, and occupancy for complex construction projects.
• Procore proficiency is required, including configuring and issuing reports and dashboards for executive audiences.
• Experience establishing and sustaining a daily reporting cadence to owners and executive stakeholders.
• Ability to manage multiple concurrent projects, including work executed inside an occupied, fully operational data center environment.
• Strong command of project controls — budgeting, scheduling, change management, and risk — and the ability to manage large capital budgets.
• Vast understanding of complex electrical and mechanical systems, with the ability to read and interpret MEP drawings; working knowledge of civil and structural construction.
• Working knowledge of the data center delivery process, including the Levels 1–5 commissioning and integrated systems testing (IST) sequence.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to brief executive and ownership-level audiences.
• Based in or willing to relocate to the Chicago metropolitan area, with daily on-site presence across both project locations.

Preferred Qualifications

• PMP (Project Management Professional) certification or equivalent industry certification.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license, or LEED accreditation.
• Prior experience in an Owner’s Representative, program management, or third-party delivery capacity.
• Familiarity with hyperscale and colocation data center delivery standards and Uptime Institute Tier topologies.
• Experience delivering capacity upgrades or retrofits within live carrier or telecommunications facilities.
• Working knowledge of Chicago-area permitting and inspection processes and local trade labor conditions.

Compensation & Benefits

• Annual base range: $130,000 to $180,000 annually. Actual compensation within the range is determined by experience, certifications, demonstrated track record on comparable mission-critical programs, and internal equity.
• Health Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, LTD/STD, Life-AD&D
• Retirement: 401(k), discretionary Pension & Profit sharing, subject to Plan documents
• 15 days paid time off (prorated based on start date) and 8 holidays
• Company credit card for qualified travel expenses

Working Conditions & Physical Requirements

• Work is performed in a combination of office and active data center construction site environments, including a live, operational facility.
• Must be able to traverse construction sites, climb ladders and stairs, and access equipment rooms; capable of lifting up to 25 pounds occasionally.
• Required to wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and comply with all site and client safety protocols.
• Extended hours, and occasional night or weekend work, may be required to support critical milestones, tie-ins, and commissioning activities.
• Weekly travel to data center Project sites

Pre-Employment Requirements

• Successful completion of a background check, including drug screen.
• Must have a valid US driver’s license.
• Must have permanent residence in CONUS with access to a primary airport for weekly travel

About Vertex Innovations

Vertex Innovations has supported mission-critical and data center deployments nationwide for more than two decades. Our teams provide construction oversight, QA/QC, commissioning support, and technical program management for hyperscale, enterprise, and telecom clients. We deliver quality, reliability, and trusted partnership on every project.

Vertex Core Values

• Integrity – To move through the world with honesty and truth empowering our employees, clients and communities through our words and actions.
• Accountability – To take full ownership and responsibility in our roles as we serve our company, clients and communities.
• Commitment – To stand behind our word and our promises
• Respect – To embrace and honor the individuals, clients, and companies in their contribution to the work that we create together through our interactions, conversations and our way of being.
• Performance – To allow ourselves to be measured by our commitments and be accountable for every action to our employees, clients, and communities.

Vertex Innovations, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. To apply, submit a resume and a brief summary describing your mission-critical project delivery experience