Data Center Program Manager - Water / Civil

GAI Consultants, Inc.•Columbus, TX

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

We are seeking a strategic and experienced Data Center Project/Program Manager to lead the delivery of complex, multidisciplinary data center and mission-critical projects across Texas and Columbus, OH. This role combines technical leadership, client engagement, and team development with a forward-thinking approach to innovation—leveraging a comprehensive service offering from our Transportation & Infrastructure and Power & Energy Business Units to provide complete solutions for our clients. The candidate will be responsible for managing all phases of project execution, from site planning and entitlement through design, construction, and commissioning, while integrating advanced digital tools to drive smarter, faster, and more sustainable solutions. The candidate must be able to establish contacts within the industry, source leads, write proposals, and lead multidisciplinary projects in the Data Center industry.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related field.
Minimum 5 years of experience in data center or mission-critical project delivery.
At least 2 years of direct project management experience.
Strong organizational, communication, and leadership skills.
Ability to travel as needed to client sites and project locations.
B.S. or M.S. Engineering, Master's Degree or Equivalent Experience Preferred
Driver's License

Nice To Haves

Experience with hyperscale or colocation data center projects.
Familiarity with Newforma, ProjectWise, or similar project management tools.
Experience integrating CAD, BIM, and AI tools into design or project workflows.
Professional Engineer (P.E.) License, reciprocity in multiple states.

Responsibilities

Lead the full lifecycle of data center projects, ensuring alignment with client goals, technical standards, and budgetary constraints.
Develop and manage scopes, schedules, budgets, and deliverables.
Coordinate internal and external resources to meet project milestones.
Lead sales and marketing efforts for Data Center / Mission-critical efforts
Build and maintain strong client relationships through consistent communication and delivery excellence.
Support proposal development, fee negotiations, and strategic growth initiatives.
Represent the firm in client meetings, industry events, and thought leadership forums.
Mentor and manage multidisciplinary teams, fostering a collaborative and inclusive work environment.
Support recruiting and retention efforts for mission-critical staff.
Promote career development and technical excellence across the team.
Lead the development of services across the project lifecycle, including site planning, zoning, plus site, water and power engineering for the facilities.
Collaborate with internal GAI specialists and digital transformation teams to pilot new tools and workflows.
Stay current with emerging technologies and standards in the mission-critical sector.
Makes decisions with broad influence on activities of their practices.
Makes authoritative decisions and recommendations that are conclusive and have a far-reaching impact on the practice and the industry.
Demonstrates a high degree of creativity, foresight, and mature judgment in planning, organizing, and guiding projects and activities of major consequence.
Provides leadership and develops and engages others to create a common vision for their projects and the practice.
Assesses the acceptability of engineering economic analyses and the risks associated with solutions to complex engineering problems.
Evaluates solutions to complex problems that involve multiple specialty areas of engineering.
Advocates for ethical behavior in the practice of engineering and assesses courses of resolution to ethical dilemmas in complicated situations.
Frequently performs advisory or consulting work for the practice across broad project areas or within a specialized area with innovative/complex aspects.
Assesses practices and requirements to achieve sustainable performance of complex engineering projects from a systems perspective.
Evaluates project management plans for complex engineering projects.
Develops risk mitigation plans to address project risks.
Evaluates effectiveness of leaders and teams.
Leads an entire project of critical importance.
Develops projects needed for accomplishing the objectives of the practice.
Develops practice strategy for staff development through mentored experience, continuing education, and self-development.
Instills and fosters professional attitudes within the practice.
Negotiates critical and controversial issues with leadership of other practices.
Represents their practice at important functions and conferences.