Controls Project Manager recruiters who bring you a focused shortlist
Data Center Headhunters are Controls Project Manager recruiters for data center owners, operators and builders. Send us the open role and we find working Controls Project Manager candidates, qualify each one live and give you a short list to interview. No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
On a build, the controls scope touches every trade, and a project manager who treats it as a line item will cause delays that nobody sees coming.
This is what we do all day: recruit data center professionals.
No postings. No stacks of resumes. No chasing. You interview a short list.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
- No upfront fee
- Pay only if you hire
- Data centers only, construction to operations
- Local and 100% travel candidates
- Replacement guarantee on standard searches
- Controls Project Manager
- BAS Project Manager
- Integration PM
What does this hire really come down to?
A controls project manager runs the part of a construction project that makes mechanical and electrical systems talk to each other. They manage submittals, track point lists, coordinate with the other trades and support testing at the end. The job is about sequence, documentation and persuading people who do not report to them.
The tradeoff is technical against organizational. A technician who moved into project management knows what the points mean but may lose track of submittals and contracts. A career project manager keeps schedules tidy but may not catch a flawed sequence. If your design team is strong, lean organizational. If the design is thin, hire technical.
The role also has a hard edge at testing. Controls arrive at the end of construction when the schedule is tight. A manager who has been through that squeeze knows what to protect and what to give up.
Think about when this person is hired. A controls manager brought in before design is complete can influence point counts, sequences and trade boundaries. One brought in at submittal stage can only manage the result. Most owners pay for this timing error without noticing it.
Pay attention to how the candidate talks about other trades. A manager who blames them for every delay will struggle to get cooperation. One who describes what they offered in return, such as early point lists or flexible access, tends to get further.
What do we check before you see anyone?
Ask for the size and type of controls scopes they ran, including contract value range and points count if they know it. Ask how they managed submittals when other trades changed equipment late. Ask how they verified point-to-point checks and who signed off.
- Ask for the size and type of controls scopes they ran, including contract value range and points count if they know it.
- Ask how they managed submittals when other trades changed equipment late.
- Ask how they verified point-to-point checks and who signed off.
- Ask what they did when controls were blamed for a delay they did not cause.
- Ask about their role in integrated systems testing and what they documented.
- Ask how they handle scope gaps between controls and mechanical or electrical contractors. Experienced managers can name the usual gaps and say how they close them before pricing.
- Ask how they kept operators involved. Projects where operators first see the system at turnover often need rework.
- Ask how they track open items at the end. A clear punch list habit is worth more than a long résumé.
Where do we find these candidates?
These managers come from controls contractors, integrators, general contractor project teams and owner engineering groups. Contractors know the scope in detail. General contractor people know schedule pressure. Owner side people see the long term cost of a poor handover. Some want a stable base.
- These managers come from controls contractors, integrators, general contractor project teams and owner engineering groups. Contractors know the scope in detail. General contractor people know schedule pressure. Owner side people see the long term cost of a poor handover.
- They move when travel from project to project wears them down, when a contractor is too small to take on large builds or when they want to move to the owner side. Some want a stable base. Others want bigger projects with more risk. Knowing which helps you offer the right thing.
- Former controls technicians who grew into project roles can be excellent, and they often keep a practical eye on what will work in the field. Check that they have also managed money and paper, since that is where the move is hardest.
Which hiring mistakes should you avoid?
Do not hire a good programmer as project manager and watching documentation slip. Do not start the controls manager after the design is fixed, when they could have flagged problems. Do not ignore how they handle disputes with other trades.
- Hiring a good programmer as project manager and watching documentation slip.
- Starting the controls manager after the design is fixed, when they could have flagged problems.
- Ignoring how they handle disputes with other trades.
Your search in 3 steps
- Understand the build
We ask about size, schedule, other trades and how the controls scope is contracted.
- Check what they truly managed
We ask about submittals, point checks and testing and separate those who led from those who assisted.
- Set expectations for the role
We help you describe authority over schedule, coordination meetings and sign-off.
Where do we fill this role?
What does BLS publish for this role?
The figure below comes from the national OEWS row for Construction Managers. Read the mapping badge before using it in a budget. A broader occupation can include jobs outside data centers. Compare your seat’s responsibilities and pay basis with the published occupation rather than treating the median as an offer quote.
Broader occupation. Construction Managers is a broader occupation based on the work described, not a separate data center wage series. BLS does not distinguish this title, experience level, shift, credentials or data center employers. Confirm the actual duties before using this comparison.
| Area | Median annual wage | BLS occupation |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $114,990 | Construction Managers (SOC 11-9021) |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 11-9021 Construction Managers, United States. View this release at BLS.
Not ready to start a search?
We tell you where qualified Controls Project Manager are working in your area and what it takes to move them. No fee, no obligation.
Paste or upload your JD. We flag what will put strong candidates off. No fee, no obligation.
Open roles
Questions
How do you judge a controls project manager shortlist ready to send?
Each person has named the scope they bought and the change orders they negotiated. Managers who only tracked schedules are labeled that way.
Our controls project manager candidate may be offered a program role to stay. What should we do?
Ask whether the program role includes people and budget. A title alone is not usually enough.
Will a controls project manager move to a site far from the integrators?
Many will if the program is long. Describe how many jobs follow the first one.
Who sets travel for a controls project manager running several jobs?
Your allowance rule governs it. State the number of sites per month and the allowance so candidates can compare it with current roles.
Is a controls project manager needed when our engineer already runs small jobs?
Only when jobs overlap or vendors multiply. A single engineer can handle one job at a time.
If the controls project manager seat is tied to one large program, how is fee scope written?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. We name the program and its end condition in writing before search begins.
Start your search
Which related roles might you also need?
Related hiring situations
How a search runs
How does The Six-Step Search work?
Every search runs the same six steps. We agree the brief with you, map where the people work, find direct contact routes, reach out personally and repeatedly, then qualify each candidate live. You only see a short list of people who fit, with notes on each, and we stay with you through offer and start.
- 01
Search Calibration
You get: A written brief you sign off on: scope, must-haves, pay band and who not to approach.
- 02
Market Mapping
You get: A map of the companies and projects where your future hire is working today.
- 03
Professional Contact Intelligence
You get: Verified direct contact routes to the people on that map, not job board replies.
- 04
Persistent Personalized Outreach
You get: Repeated, role-specific outreach to people who are not looking, in your words.
- 05
Live Candidate Qualification
You get: Each candidate is screened live against your brief before you hear their name.
- 06
Candidate Intelligence and Process Support
You get: A short list with candidate briefs, then support through interviews, offer and start.
What should you know before you send a role?
How do you handle counteroffers?
We talk through motivation, pay and counteroffer risk with each candidate during live qualification and again before an offer, so you hear about the risk before it surprises you.
Is there a guarantee?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
What don't you do?
We do not post your job on boards, send stacks of unscreened resumes or charge an upfront fee. We do not approach candidates for your search before the brief is agreed with you.
Need this person?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.