Senior Project Manager - Data Centers Development

Turner & Townsend • Dallas, TX

1d • $130,000 - $165,000

About The Position

Turner & Townsend is seeking an experienced Senior Project Manager to support a key client’s large-scale data center development program. The role represents developer clients through the front-end lifecycle of major data center projects, from site identification and acquisition through development, entitlement, utility coordination, due diligence, and construction. The position leads project teams, manages client relationships, and delivers services across a portfolio of data center developments. It also contributes to client value creation, expansion of existing engagements, and growth of Turner & Townsend’s Data Center practice across North America. The successful candidate will provide strategic guidance to developers, hyperscale operators, investors, and enterprise clients, while balancing project delivery, client satisfaction, and business growth.

The role spans development management, design services, and construction-phase services, including commissioning and handover to operations. Responsibilities include coordinating multidisciplinary teams and stakeholders; managing schedules, budgets, risks, and milestones; supporting design and procurement activities; overseeing construction progress; and providing project reporting. Travel of up to 25% may be required. On-site presence and requirements may change depending on client needs.

Requirements

• At least 8 years of project management experience, with significant focus on data center development projects.
• Degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Real Estate Development, Architecture, Project Management, or equivalent.
• Demonstrated experience leading projects from land acquisition through handover to construction or delivery teams.
• Strong financial, commercial, and risk management capabilities.
• Expert-level experience using Microsoft tools, including MS Project, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
• Strong understanding of data center development, entitlement, and pre-construction processes.
• Ability to lead, coordinate, and organize multiple stakeholders, including the general contractor, and deliver project or program status reports as required.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Tenacity and drive to create value and solutions.
• Ability to develop good working relationships with project teams and clients.
• Ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced consulting environment.
• Ability to travel up to 25% as required by clients.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary day-to-day client representative and trusted advisor for assigned data center development projects.
• Manage client relationships through proactive communication, issue resolution, and strategic guidance.
• Lead project governance, reporting, stakeholder management, and executive-level presentations.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary consultant teams and align project stakeholders.
• Support business development initiatives and identify opportunities to expand service delivery within client accounts.
• Build and maintain relationships with developers, investors, landowners, utility providers, consultants, and local authorities.
• Lead data center projects from site screening and acquisition through development and readiness for construction execution.
• Manage development schedules, budgets, risks, and key project milestones.
• Oversee feasibility studies, site evaluations, due diligence activities, and technical assessments.
• Coordinate site selection, land acquisition support, utility assessments, capacity and infrastructure evaluations, environmental due diligence, zoning and entitlement processes, permitting strategies, and infrastructure planning.
• Track development risks and develop mitigation strategies, ensuring development activities align with client objectives, schedule requirements, and investment criteria.
• Support development of the Minimum Functionality Case and identify enhancements.
• Support value engineering selection, coordination, comment follow-up, and verification.
• Identify long-lead procurement items and provide input, feedback, and research on construction market conditions.
• Assist with requests for proposal for general contractor and commissioning agent procurements.
• Help establish project construction success criteria, including schedule, cost, technical, and quality performance parameters.
• Review design and construction drawings for project requirements and constructability, with follow-up and verification with the general contractor and architect/engineer.
• Participate in cost and schedule risk identification and mitigation planning.
• Assist in developing the baseline schedule and provide regular progress updates.
• Participate in criticality assessment workshops to identify design and construction aspects requiring owner witness or hold points and oversight of inspection, testing, and acceptance.
• Interface with local authorities, developers, and other parties on site development matters such as utility tie-ins and permitting.
• Participate in review of product data submittals with technical reviewers.
• Coordinate with the commissioning agent on development and execution of the commissioning plan.
• Review project submittals and requests for information.
• Review general contractor and key subcontractor schedules for alignment with contract requirements.
• Oversee general contractor construction activities, including regular site visits and review of construction work.
• Attend daily construction status meetings and scheduled Owner, Architect, Contractor meetings.
• Review and report on overall construction effort and progress, and evaluate schedules against actual field production.
• Coordinate with cost and scheduling representatives on project reporting and dashboard updates.
• Coordinate with the document controller to ensure project documentation is uploaded to the client’s system of record.
• Support observation and issue tracking and resolution, punch lists, and coordination with the architect/engineer.
• Support in-process and final inspection and testing conducted by the general contractor and commissioning agent.

Benefits

• Healthy, productive, and flexible working environment that respects work-life balance.
• Opportunity for each employee to have a voice and affect change.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior