Senior Project Manager/Associate Director - Data Centres

London Competitive Salary & Benefits Permanent

Job Reference: 10856

Position: Senior Project Manager/Associate Director – Data Centres

Salary: Competitive

Location: London or Manchester, flexible hybrid available plus European travel

This is an excellent opportunity to join an independent specialist project management consultancy, with an established track record and a people-first, client-focused culture.
There is a strong emphasis on sustainability, innovation, and long-term relationships.

You will lead large-scale data centre projects, managing multi-disciplinary teams, stakeholders, contractors, and clients. You’ll play a critical role in delivering technically complex, high-value, mission-critical infrastructure across the UK and Europe.

About the role:

Project Leadership
- Lead full lifecycle data centre construction projects (planning, design, delivery, commissioning, handover).
- Develop and maintain robust project plans, including cost, schedule, resource, risk, and quality management.
- Coordinate internal teams (design, planners, technical specialists) and external contractors / suppliers.
Stakeholder Management
- Build and manage strong relationships with clients, end users, investors, landlords, and operations teams.
- Serve as the primary point of contact for the client, ensuring alignment and transparency at every stage.
- Navigate complex stakeholder structures (e.g., local authorities, regulatory bodies, utility providers).
Technical Oversight
- Oversee design and engineering activities, ensuring compliance with data centre standards (e.g., redundancy, cooling, power, PUE).
- Monitor design reviews, validate deliverables, and ensure constructability and operability.
- Ensure commissioning, testing, and handover meet technical, quality, and operational requirements.
Financial Management
- Manage project budgets, cost forecasting, and financial reporting.
- Develop procurement strategies, lead tendering processes, and evaluate contractor bids.
- Implement cost control measures and change management processes to mitigate financial risk.
Risk & Quality Control
- Identify, assess, and manage project risks proactively, putting mitigating actions in place.
- Establish quality assurance and quality control processes.
- Lead continuous improvement initiatives and lessons-learned reviews.
Sustainability & Innovation
- Champion sustainable design and construction practices (e.g., energy efficiency, circular economy, carbon reduction).
- Stay abreast of industry trends (e.g. latest in data centre cooling, renewable power, net-zero).

About you:

Education & Professional Qualification
- Bachelor’s degree (Construction Management, Engineering, Project Management, or related).
- Professional accreditation ideal (PMP / APM / RICS).
Experience
- Data centre project management experience.
- Proven track record of delivering data centres of significant scale / complexity (e.g., multi-MW load, high resilience).
- Experience of managing cross-border projects, multi-jurisdiction regulation, and international teams.
Technical Competencies
- Knowledge of data centre infrastructure: power systems, cooling, redundancy, commissioning & operations.
- Strong financial acumen — budgeting, cost control, forecasting.
- Excellent risk management and problem-solving skills.
Leadership & Interpersonal Skills
- Excellent communication skills — able to lead stakeholder meetings, present to C-suite, and navigate technical conversations.
- Strong negotiation and influencing skills.
- Proven ability to lead and inspire multidisciplinary teams.