Commissioning Manager - Data Center Construction

Cedar Rapids, IA

The Commissioning Manager serves as the Owner’s Representative responsible for oversight and coordination of the full commissioning lifecycle on large-scale, mission-critical data center projects. This role leads coordination among the General Contractor, commissioning agents, MEP subcontractors, design teams, and Owner personnel to ensure systems are installed, started up, and tested in accordance with Owner specifications and project requirements. The Commissioning Manager develops and maintains the Commissioning Plan and Schedule, tracks readiness, deficiencies, and documentation, and reports on commissioning progress and KPIs to protect turnover milestones and support a clean, timely handover.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, or a related field preferred, but not required with equivalent trade or superintendent experience
• 7–10+ years of construction or commissioning experience, with at least 5 years in data center projects
• Proven experience supporting commissioning of mission-critical facilities such as data centers, semiconductor facilities, or laboratories
• In-depth understanding of MEP systems, controls integration, and commissioning standards (ASHRAE, NEBB, etc.)
• Ability to read and interpret multi-disciplinary construction drawings and specifications
• Strong written and oral communication skills with the ability to coordinate with stakeholders at all levels
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel and Power Point
• Familiarity with commissioning and project software tools such as CxAlloy, Bluebeam, and Procore

Tasks and Responsibilities:

• Serve as the Owner’s Representative overseeing the full commissioning lifecycle of large-scale, mission-critical data center projects
• Lead coordination with all commissioning stakeholders, including the General Contractor, commissioning agents, MEP subcontractors, design teams, and Owner personnel
• Develop and maintain the project Commissioning Plan and Commissioning Schedule, ensuring alignment with construction and turnover milestones
• Collaborate with technical and subject matter experts to draft and review commissioning process documentation in compliance with company and project standards
• Review multi-disciplinary construction drawings and specifications to anticipate and mitigate commissioning-related issues
• Work with the General Contractor and subcontractors to verify that systems are installed and tested in accordance with Owner specifications, state and local codes (UMC, UBC, UPC, NFPA), SMACNA, ASME, and relevant international standards
• Support development of detailed start-up sequences and ensure alignment with the project schedule, developing workarounds and recovery plans where required
• Administer and maintain the commissioning software platform (e.g., CxAlloy), tracking issues, checklists, test results, and closeout documentation
• Coordinate and manage the sequencing of equipment and system start-up activities
• Monitor and track commissioning-related RFIs, submittals, deficiency items, and action items across all active systems
• Conduct and document routine site walks (minimum twice daily) to confirm field readiness for commissioning activities and verify completion of corrective actions
• Interface with General Contractor Cx Managers, engineers, system owners, and vendor technicians to ensure readiness and alignment on testing protocols and responsibilities
• Lead and participate in oversight of Factory Acceptance Tests (FATs), Site Acceptance Tests (SATs), and Integrated Systems Testing (IST), ensuring responsible parties complete required testing and documentation
• Manage and report on commissioning Key Performance Indicators…