Senior Project Manager, Data Center for General contractors (mission critical divisions)
You need a senior project manager who can speak for your mission critical division to owners, and who can also stand behind the numbers when a job goes sideways.
This is what we do all day: recruit data center professionals.
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
- Senior Project Manager, Data Center
- Senior Construction Manager
- Senior PM Mission Critical
- Project Director (UK)
What does this hire really come down to?
What changes from the project manager is accountability across jobs. A senior manager usually carries the owner relationship, signs off on buyout strategy, and answers for margin on more than one project or on a particularly heavy one. They also coach the managers below them.
Ask whether your division wants a mentor, a closer for difficult jobs, or a client lead, since few people are equally good at all three. Inside a general contractor, this person also deals with the parent company: insurance, bonding, legal review of owner contracts and the division's share of overhead. A candidate from a pure mission critical firm may never have defended a division's resources to a corporate finance group. Ask how they argued for staffing and what they conceded.
Do not confuse the senior manager with a director. A director sets division strategy and hiring plans. The senior manager is still close to jobs, visits them and can be pulled into a dispute at short notice.
What do we check before you see anyone?
Ask how they decided which subcontractors to bring to an owner for approval, and what happened when the owner disagreed. Ask for a job where margin slipped and what they changed, including a conversation they did not enjoy having. Ask who they trained to run a job, and what that person does now without them.
- Ask how they decided which subcontractors to bring to an owner for approval, and what happened when the owner disagreed.
- Ask for a job where margin slipped and what they changed, including a conversation they did not enjoy having.
- Ask who they trained to run a job, and what that person does now without them.
- Ask how they handled an owner's request that the contract did not clearly cover.
How we help you hire
- 01
Tell us who you need
Tell us about the role, experience, location and pay. We talk through what matters to you.
- 02
We find and speak with candidates
We approach suitable people directly, including people who are not applying to job ads.
- 03
You meet the strongest matches
We explain their background, interest in the job and our view. You decide who to interview.
- 04
We help you complete the hire
We help with feedback, the offer and start arrangements, and stay in touch as you make your decision.
Where do we find these candidates?
Senior managers at other builders' mission critical groups are the direct pool, though many are tied by retention arrangements. Senior managers from healthcare, laboratory or pharmaceutical construction bring owner scrutiny and can learn power and cooling detail. Owner representatives and program managers sometimes cross to the builder side, with strong client skills but less buyout experience.
- Senior managers at other builders' mission critical groups are the direct pool, though many are tied by retention arrangements.
- Senior managers from healthcare, laboratory or pharmaceutical construction bring owner scrutiny and can learn power and cooling detail.
- Owner representatives and program managers sometimes cross to the builder side, with strong client skills but less buyout experience.
Which hiring mistakes should you avoid?
Do not promote a strong project manager without testing whether they can coach others. Do not hire for client charm and discover weak cost control. Do not leave the reporting line unclear, so the senior manager and the division head disagree about who owns the owner relationship.
- Promoting a strong project manager without testing whether they can coach others.
- Hiring for client charm and discovering weak cost control.
- Leaving the reporting line unclear, so the senior manager and the division head disagree about who owns the owner relationship.
Questions we settle before outreach
- Choose the senior seat's purpose
We ask whether you need a client lead, a recovery specialist or a developer of managers.
- Search across firm types
We approach other builders first, then adjacent critical construction sectors.
- Probe the hard conversations and check the fit with leadership
We ask for real stories about margin, disputes and difficult owners. We prepare notes on how each finalist would work with your division head and the parent company's finance group.
Questions for the hard conversations
Ask what they said to an owner when the schedule could not be met. Ask what they said to a subcontractor who was owed money but had caused delay. Ask what they told their own boss about margin. The detail and tone of the answers tell you more than any credential.
Margin and the parent company
Ask how they forecast margin on a job and who saw the forecast first. A senior who shares bad news early with the division head usually keeps freedom to fix it. One who waits for the monthly report often loses it.
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Questions
How long until I see a shortlist for a senior seat?
We discuss timing once we know the role and location. We keep you updated rather than promising a date before the search starts.
How likely are counteroffers for senior managers?
We talk about why the person wants to move and whether they might stay. If that changes, we let you know.
Is relocation expected at this level?
Senior managers often have established homes and families, so relocation depends on the role. Define whether the person needs to be based near the division office or can cover jobs from home.
How should I treat travel and per diem?
Senior managers often visit multiple jobs and clients, so travel is part of the role. Agree on how nights away are reimbursed and whether any are expected to be unreimbursed. Be explicit about it early.
How do I judge fit with my division head?
Have the candidate meet the division head and ask for a disagreement they once had with a boss and how it ended. Notice whether they describe it with respect and detail.
How do your fees apply to senior searches?
Fee terms are in the agreement signed before work begins, and we explain them in plain terms. Ask any question about how they apply to a senior seat.
Start your search
Related hiring resources
- Senior Project Manager, Data Center recruiting
- General contractors (mission critical divisions)
- Hiring guide: Construction & Project Delivery
- Every Construction & Project Delivery title
- How long a search takes
- Interview questions for Senior Project Manager, Data Center
- Superintendent versus general superintendent on a data center build
- Per diem travelers or local hires for field roles
What should you know before you send a role?
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.