Data Center -Project Manager IV

AFL•Houston, TX

About The Position

The Data Center Project Manager leads data center infrastructure projects from initiation through closeout, using structured project-management frameworks to deliver work on time, within scope and budget. The role develops project charters, work breakdown structures, and integrated baselines for scope, schedule, cost, quality, resources, and risks. It serves as the primary liaison among customers, internal engineering teams, and field crews, overseeing installation of critical facility technologies, including structured cabling and fiber infrastructure, while maintaining safety, documentation, and continuous-improvement standards. The role plans and controls projects, coordinates technical and site work, tracks vendors and materials, reports project performance, and manages risks and changes. It also supports site surveys, quality inspections, troubleshooting, and project closeout, including lessons learned, stakeholder sign-offs, resource releases, and financial settlements. The position champions environmental, health, and safety practices in a construction environment.

Requirements

At least 5 years of experience in technical leadership or project management within data centers or critical facilities.
Proven use of project-management tools and methods.
Deep knowledge of low-voltage infrastructure, ISP/OSP fiber networks, grounding and bonding, and pathway systems.
Familiarity with TIA/EIA, BICSI, and NEC codes.
Ability to interpret blueprints, specifications, and financial data.
Expertise with MS Project or similar scheduling tools, risk software, and BI dashboards.
Ability to adapt to shifting priorities in high-uptime environments.
Must be authorized to work in the United States.
Must be capable of meeting the physical demands of a construction environment.

Nice To Haves

Associate degree in a technical field; equivalent field experience is highly valued.
PMP or CAPM certification is strongly preferred.
Manufacturer-specific certifications are highly preferred.
B.A. or equivalent experience is listed as preferred.

Responsibilities

Develop project charters and obtain stakeholder approval for scope, objectives, deliverables, success criteria, risks, and milestones.
Create project management plans, including Gantt charts, critical-path schedules, resource plans, and cost-loaded baselines using MS Project, Primavera, or similar tools.
Conduct kickoff meetings, initial risk assessments, and establish communication protocols aligned with RACI matrices.
Lead data center infrastructure project execution to meet approved scope, schedule, budget, technical standards, and customer requirements.
Oversee installation, termination, and testing of structured cabling and fiber systems, maintaining traceability through as-built documentation.
Coordinate with network, facilities, security, construction, and operations teams to sequence work and maintain site readiness.
Ensure compliance with design standards, change-control procedures, and site-access protocols; verify as-built drawings, test reports, labeling records, inventory updates, and turnover packages.
Assist with onsite troubleshooting of connectivity and infrastructure issues, implement corrective and preventive actions, and update change-control logs.
Identify delivery risks, technical coordination gaps, and execution issues; analyze root causes, evaluate options, and coordinate timely resolutions across technical teams, vendors, and stakeholders.
Validate, track, and report vendor and subcontractor productivity for cabling, splicing, labeling, testing, validation, and documentation.
Track material availability, equipment readiness, inventory, delivery dates, shortages, substitutions, and potential schedule impacts.
Provide daily and weekly performance metrics and status updates, and prepare comprehensive closeout packages.
Assist with site surveys, quality inspections, and progress audits; use control charts for quality metrics.
Monitor project health using dashboards and earned-value-management trends, and manage changes through integrated change control.
Maintain the project risk register, conduct regular risk reviews, and escalate issues according to governance thresholds.
Facilitate project closure, including lessons-learned sessions, stakeholder sign-offs, resource releases, and financial settlements.
Serve as the primary customer contact and manage expectations through reporting, steering committee updates, and issue and escalation logs.
Champion environmental, health, and safety practices, integrate safety into the project management plan, track daily briefings and near-miss reports, and lead safety audits toward zero-incident targets.
Mentor crews and apply servant leadership and situational leadership approaches.