Senior Project Manager

Mission-Critical Data Center Construction | Senior Project Manager

LOCATION:

Chicago Metropolitan Area, IL (US)

TRAVEL:
Weekly on-site at project site

EXPERIENCE:

10+ years, data center delivery

Compensation: $150k - $200k Annual base salary, dependent on experience and location

Position Summary

Vertex Innovations is seeking a Senior Project Manager to lead the delivery of two concurrent, mission-critical data center construction projects in the Chicago metropolitan area on behalf of our client, in an Owner's Representative and Construction Management capacity. This is an executive-level assignment: you are the senior point of accountability for scope, budget, schedule, quality, and safety, and you report project status directly to our client's Chief Operating Officer and Chief Executive Officer.

This role is deliberately scoped for a project executive who has done the hard version of this job before — someone who has recovered a program from an underperforming general contractor, has negotiated a stalled permit or inspection sequence with an Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ), and can walk into an executive review with numbers that hold up. You will own the daily reporting cadence, run the Procore environment as the single source of truth, and lead the on-site team and consultant group across both assignments.

Program Overview

The successful candidate will manage two active projects concurrently, both within the Chicago market:

Project 1 — New Data Center Construction (approximately $450 million) A ground-up, large-scale data center construction program for a leading colocation and interconnection operator. Full lifecycle delivery from preconstruction and design coordination through construction, Levels 1–5 commissioning, integrated systems testing, turnover, and closeout. This project currently requires active general contractor performance management and sustained coordination with the local Authority Having Jurisdiction.

Project 2 — 5 MW Capacity Upgrade, Existing Carrier Facility A 5 megawatt electrical and mechanical capacity upgrade within an existing, fully operational carrier-owned data center. Work is performed in a live, revenue-producing environment, requiring rigorous method of procedure (MOP) discipline, tight coordination with facility operations, phased tie-ins, and zero tolerance for unplanned downtime.

Key Responsibilities

Executive Reporting & Client Leadership

• Report directly to the client's COO and CEO delivering executive-level briefings on scope, cost, schedule, risk, and recovery status with the clarity and defensibility that a board-visible capital program demands.
• Produce and own the daily project report covering manpower, production against plan, critical path movement, open risks, safety, inspections, and decisions required — issued consistently and on time across both projects.
• Serve as the senior owner's representative acting as the primary point of contact for the client and representing the owner's interests across all phases of delivery on both assignments.
• Lead and mentor the project team directing project managers, engineers, field staff, and consultants, and developing talent across the delivery organization.

General Contractor Performance & Recovery

• Hold the general contractor accountable to contract, scope, schedule, quality, and staffing commitments — identifying performance shortfalls early and documenting them rigorously.
• Lead recovery efforts on underperforming work developing and enforcing recovery schedules, corrective action plans, manpower loading requirements, and escalation paths, and driving measurable return to plan.
• Manage contractual remedies and disputes coordinating with legal and client leadership on notices, back charges, claims exposure, and, where warranted, contractor replacement or scope reassignment.
• Validate contractor reporting independently verifying pay applications, percent-complete claims, and schedule updates against observed field conditions rather than accepting them at face value.

Permitting, AHJ & Jurisdictional Approvals

• Own the relationship with the Authority Having Jurisdiction across permitting, plan review, inspections, and certificate of…