Your role
The Digital Realty Construction Director is responsible for the planning, coordination, and oversight of the construction of our facilities which range from full builds to fit-outs, upgrades, landing stations or infrastructure. This includes managing budgets, schedules, and resources, as well as ensuring that projects are completed on time, within budget, and to the highest Safety & Quality standards. People management responsibilities can also be added subject to the size of the project/market.
What you'll do
- Be a safety thought leader - Implement and enforce a robust safety culture to maintain a safe work environment and work closely with the dedicated Health and Safety Manager promote a safe working environment
- Plan and manage the construction of our facilities from inception to completion and handover to operations teams.
- Develop budgets and schedules, and track progress against them
- Collaborate with stakeholders and general contractors to develop project plans, schedules, and budgets for our construction projects.
- Coordinate with internal stakeholders to define project goals, objectives, and performance criteria.
- Ensure that projects are completed on time, within budget, and to our quality standards
- Oversee all phases of the construction process, from design development and procurement to construction and closeout.
- Manage the selection and negotiation process with contractors, subcontractors, and vendors to ensure compliance with project requirements and specifications.
- May be based full time on site to monitor progress, address any issues, and ensure compliance with safety protocols and quality standards.
- Review and approve construction documents, change orders, and other project-related documentation.
- Develop and monitor project budgets, tracking expenditures and ensuring adherence to approved budgets.
- Analyse project costs, identify cost-saving opportunities, and recommend value engineering options without compromising quality and functionality.
- Review and approve contractor payment applications and invoices.
- Manage financial project control using standardised tracking sheets
- Work closely with the Project Controls Lead for the Sub-Region and ensure all reporting is accurate and up to date.
- Manage and report on Risk using the Risk Management system
- Prepare and implement risk mitigation plans
- Report on impact events and escalate risk as required
- Serve as the primary point of contact for operations, customers, providing regular project updates, addressing concerns, and managing expectations.
- Foster effective communication and collaboration among project team members, ensuring timely resolution of issues and conflicts.
- Participate in project meetings, presentations, and progress reports.
- Sets up and manages a governance, communication and reporting structure involving senior stakeholders as well as individual country stakeholders to maintain constant synchronization in order to help efficient and effective project execution.
- Partner with Design Manager to deliver data centre capacity aligned with business unit strategic direction
- Negotiate contracts with contractors, consultants, and suppliers
- Administer contract requirements and escalate any deviation or risk
- Implement and enforce quality control procedures to ensure construction activities align with industry standards and project specifications.
- Conduct inspections and quality audits to verify compliance with design intent and regulatory requirements.
- Identify and resolve any construction-related issues or deficiencies.
What you'll need
- Bachelor's degree in construction management, engineering, or a related field (relevant work experience may be considered in lieu of a degree).
- Proven experience as a construction or project manager/director, preferably with a focus on data centre projects.
- Strong knowledge of construction processes, methodologies, and best practices.
- Familiarity with data centre design, infrastructure, and MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing) systems.
- Proficiency in project management software and tools.
- Excellent communication, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and prioritize tasks effectively.
- Strong attention to detail and commitment to delivering high-quality results.
- Understanding of relevant building codes, regulations, and industry standards.
