Project Director - Data Centre

The Opportunity

A leading international Data Centre contractor is looking to appoint an experienced Project Director to take overall responsibility for the delivery of a major turnkey Data Centre project in the Île-de-France region.

This is a senior leadership position, overseeing the successful delivery of a technically complex, large-scale Data Centre project from design development through construction, testing, commissioning and final handover.

Your Responsibilities

Reporting to the senior leadership team, you will have overall responsibility for the TCE / turnkey delivery of the project.

You will be responsible for:

• Overall project delivery, ensuring the project is delivered safely, on time and within budget.
• Leading a large multidisciplinary project team.
• Managing the relationship with the client and key project stakeholders.
• Overseeing the programme across design, construction, testing and commissioning.
• Managing project budgets, commercial performance and contractual obligations.
• Managing subcontractors, suppliers and procurement activities.
• Coordinating design, technical teams and BIM activities.
• Managing project risks and implementing appropriate mitigation strategies.
• Ensuring compliance with contractual, regulatory, quality, health, safety and environmental requirements.
• Establishing and maintaining the Project Management Plan and project control processes.
• Monitoring project progress and providing regular reporting to senior management and the client.
• Managing change orders, variations and associated commercial and programme impacts.
• Overseeing procurement strategy, subcontractor appointments and supplier performance.
• Directing construction activities and coordinating the delivery of the works.
• Leading project coordination meetings and maintaining strong communication across all project disciplines.
• Overseeing testing and commissioning activities.
• Managing pre-handover inspections, punch-list completion and final handover.
• Managing the defects liability period and ensuring outstanding issues are resolved.
• Driving continuous improvement and capturing lessons learned throughout the project lifecycle.

Contract & Commercial Management

You will play a key role in managing the commercial and contractual aspects of the project, including:

• Maintaining strong contractual relationships with the client and project stakeholders.
• Reviewing contractual obligations and associated project risks.
• Managing variations and change orders.
• Preparing cost estimates and assessing the impact of changes on programme and resources.
• Supporting contractual negotiations and correspondence.
• Monitoring project financial performance and ensuring appropriate cost control.

Project Management

You will be responsible for establishing and maintaining effective project controls, including:

• Project Management Plan and project objectives.
• Project programme and schedule.
• Risk management and mitigation plans.
• Financial control and reporting.
• Resource planning and project organisation.
• Design and construction progress monitoring.
• Weekly and monthly reporting.
• Client and stakeholder meetings.
• Project governance and management reviews.
• Lessons learned and post-project review.

You will oversee the procurement and management of subcontractors and suppliers, including:

• Developing and managing the procurement strategy.
• Defining subcontracted versus directly procured scopes.
• Selecting and appointing subcontractors and suppliers.
• Managing procurement schedules and progress.
• Reviewing commercial terms and subcontract agreements.
• Monitoring subcontractor performance.
• Approving payment applications and final accounts.
• Ensuring subcontractors comply with project health and safety requirements.

Design & Construction

You will provide overall leadership across the design and construction phases, including:

• Coordinating technical design activities and BIM.
• Managing design documentation and information flow.
• Coordinating design development with construction requirements.
• Establishing the methods, resources and logistics required to deliver the works.
• Directing and controlling construction activities.
• Coordinating multidisciplinary site teams.
• Managing site logistics and facilities.
• Overseeing testing and commissioning.
• Managing pre-handover inspections and completion activities.
• Ensuring defects and outstanding works are closed within the required timeframe.

Health, Safety & Environment

Health, safety and environmental performance will be a key responsibility of the role.

You will:

• Lead the project's health, safety and environmental approach.
• Ensure compliance with all relevant legislation and project requirements.
• Promote a strong safety culture across the project.
• Monitor site safety performance.
• Oversee environmental management and waste management.
• Ensure Data Centre-specific health and safety requirements are maintained.

Quality

You will be responsible for maintaining high standards of quality throughout the project, including:

• Approving and monitoring the project Quality Control Plan.
• Monitoring quality performance across design and construction.
• Reviewing non-conformances and ensuring corrective actions are implemented.
• Ensuring the completed works meet contractual and client requirements.

The Candidate

We are interested in speaking with experienced senior professionals with a strong background in Data Centre, Mission Critical or other technically complex construction projects .

Relevant backgrounds may include:

• Project Director
• Construction Director
• Senior Project Manager

Candidates should ideally have experience of:

• Large-scale Data Centre or Mission Critical projects.
• Leading large multidisciplinary teams.
• Client-facing project leadership.
• Commercial and contractual management.
• Managing major subcontractors and suppliers.
• Design, construction, testing and commissioning.
• Delivering complex projects within demanding programme and budget constraints.