Senior Project Manager - Data Centers Development

Turner & Townsend • Dallas, TX

1d

About The Position

Turner & Townsend is seeking a 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 Senior Project Manager leads project teams, manages client relationships, and delivers services across a portfolio of data center developments. The position also supports client account growth and the expansion of Turner & Townsend’s Data Center practice across North America. The role requires a trusted, client-facing advisor who can guide developers, investors, colocation providers, hyperscale operators, and enterprise clients through development complexities while balancing project delivery, client satisfaction, and business growth. Travel up to 25% may be required. On-site presence and requirements may change based 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 proficiency with Microsoft 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 general contractors, and deliver project/program status reports.
• 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 and identify opportunities to expand service delivery within client accounts.
• Build 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 project milestones.
• Oversee feasibility studies, site evaluations, due diligence, and technical assessments.
• Coordinate site selection, land acquisition support, utility assessments, capacity and infrastructure evaluations, environmental due diligence, zoning and entitlements, permitting strategies, and infrastructure planning.
• Track development risks and develop mitigation strategies, ensuring activities align with client business objectives, schedules, and investment criteria.
• Support development of the Minimum Functionality Case and identify enhancements.
• Support value engineering, including selection, coordination, comment follow-up, and verification.
• Assist with identifying long-lead procurement items and researching construction market conditions.
• Assist with requests for proposals 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 and developers on site development matters, including utility tie-ins and permitting.
• Participate in product data submittal reviews in coordination 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 construction work reviews.
• Attend daily construction status meetings and scheduled owner, architect, and 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 loaded into the client system of record.
• Support observation, issue tracking and resolution, punch-list coordination with the architect/engineer, and in-process and final inspection and testing conducted by the general contractor and commissioning agent.

Benefits

• Flexible working environment that respects work-life balance
• Opportunity to have a voice and affect change

What This Job Offers

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