Data Center Snr Construction Project Manager

Site Senior Project Manager - Construction

 

Introduction

This section outlines the role and expectations for the Verne Site Senior Project Manager - Construction. The role provides senior site leadership and is accountable for the safe, timely, commercially controlled and quality-driven delivery of construction, commissioning and handover activities, while upholding Verne's standards and representing Verne with contractors, customers and key stakeholders.

 

Project & Construction Management

• Has full ownership and a clear understanding of the Project Scope, Contractual Obligations, Employer's Requirements, programme, budget and key project deliverables.
• Provides senior site leadership across all construction activities and manages the day-to-day operational, technical, scheduling, commercial and tactical aspects of the Project.
• Leads and coordinates Managers, Supervisors, consultants, contractors, subcontractors and vendors engaged in project delivery, reviewing high-level deliverables and intervening where performance is below required standards.
• Owns the integrated construction programme at site level, ensuring that design, procurement, construction, testing, commissioning and handover activities are appropriately sequenced and aligned with key milestones.
• Drives constructability reviews, design coordination and resolution of technical interfaces to minimise rework, delay and disruption during construction.
• Implements engagement review and quality assurance procedures in accordance with Verne methodology to support successful project execution against contractual goals and stakeholder expectations.
• Implements and ensures compliance with all VERNE HSE policies and procedures and actively promotes a strong safety culture across the site.
• Minimizes Verne's exposure and risk across the Project through early identification, escalation and mitigation of construction, programme, commercial and technical risks.
• Manages scope and ensures changes are identified, assessed, documented and controlled.
• Oversees established key performance indicators (KPIs) for safety, quality, programme, cost, contractor performance, commissioning readiness and project close-out.
• Encourages a culture of continuous improvement by capturing lessons learned and ensuring relevant improvements are implemented during the Project and shared for future projects.
• Ensures compliance with all applicable health, safety and environmental requirements and maintains a safe working environment for all parties involved.
• Maintains and actively manages the project risk management plan throughout the project lifecycle

 

Contractor Management

• Provides senior oversight of main contractors, subcontractors, consultants and vendors, ensuring clear accountability for scope, programme, quality, HSE and commercial performance.
• Sets clear expectations for contractor performance and holds contractors accountable for agreed deliverables, milestones, reporting requirements and recovery actions.
• Reviews contractor programmes, look-ahead schedules, resource plans, method statements and progress reports, challenging assumptions and identifying emerging constraints.
• Leads regular contractor performance and coordination meetings and ensures actions are assigned, tracked and closed in a timely manner.
• Ensures interfaces between contractors, subcontractors, designers, vendors and operational stakeholders are actively managed to prevent gaps, duplication and delay.
• Escalates material contractor performance issues to the Project Director and Verne Senior Management, with clear recommendations and corrective action plans.
• Project Accounting

• Assists in integrating accurate project and financial data for the benefit of the Accounting Department and senior project reporting

Financial & Commercial Management

• Effectively allocates resources to ensure project milestones are achieved safely, on time, within scope and within approved budget.
• Tracks and manages the project budget, forecasts and committed costs, ensuring expenditures remain within approved limits and emerging cost pressures are identified early.
• Oversees review of financial and commercial reports and drives corrective action where required to maintain project financial performance.
• Oversees change requests and change control processes, ensuring appropriate documentation, technical and commercial assessment, approval and incorporation into the project baseline.
• Works with the commercial team to ensure contractor claims, variations, compensation events and potential disputes are identified and managed in a timely and contractually appropriate manner.

Communication & Stakeholder Management

• Acts as a senior Verne site representative and key participant in team, contractor, customer and stakeholder meetings.
• Ensures continuous, accurate and transparent communication with stakeholders on project progress, safety, quality, cost, programme, commissioning readiness, risks and emerging challenges.
• Proactively identifies and resolves conflicts or issues between project teams, contractors, clients and other stakeholders and attends key stakeholder meetings as VERNE's representative.
• Confronts issues openly and quickly, ensuring appropriate escalation where resolution is outside delegated authority.
• Effectively communicates relevant project and construction information to the Project Director and Verne Senior Management.
• Tactfully communicates sensitive information and handles difficult personnel or contractor situations with appropriate discretion, HR advice where applicable, and respect for individuals

Technical, Quality & Construction Assurance

• Possesses a thorough understanding of Verne's service offerings, technical preferences, project requirements and technical direction.
• Ensures quality control and construction assurance processes are followed and that completed works and deliverables meet required standards, specifications and customer expectations.
• Regularly assesses construction quality and drives corrective action when deviations, defects or non-conformances are identified.
• Ensures technical queries, RFIs, design changes, non-conformances and site instructions are managed through appropriate project controls and closed without avoidable impact to programme.
• Ensures inspection and test plans, quality records and completion documentation are progressively maintained to support commissioning and handover.

 

Commissioning, Completion & Handover

• Provides senior oversight of commissioning strategy, planning, readiness and execution, ensuring commissioning requirements are integrated into the construction programme from an early stage.
• Ensures clear transition from construction completion through pre-commissioning, testing, commissioning, integrated systems testing where applicable, and final handover.
• Coordinates contractors, commissioning teams, vendors, consultants, customer representatives and operational stakeholders to ensure systems are available, safe and ready for testing in accordance with the agreed sequence.
• Monitors commissioning progress, constraints, defects and dependencies and drives timely resolution of issues that could affect energisation, testing, acceptance or handover milestones.
• Ensures snagging, punch-list management and defect close-out are actively managed and that outstanding items have clear owners and completion dates.
• Ensures all required commissioning records, test certificates, as-built information, O&M documentation, training records and handover documentation are complete and appropriately controlled.
• Supports a structured handover to Operations and/or the customer, ensuring acceptance criteria are understood and that residual risks and outstanding works are formally documented and managed.

 

PROFESSIONAL QUALITIES

Leadership

• Provides visible senior leadership on site and establishes clear standards of accountability, ownership, collaboration and professional conduct.
• Encourages others to develop leadership skills while clarifying roles, responsibilities and decision-making authority.
• Pursues excellence in all aspects of the business and leads by example in safety, quality, delivery and stakeholder management.
• Possesses the expert knowledge to identify opportunities for change and the ability to convey and implement the need for change.
• Builds expert knowledge in the industry and actively shares knowledge, lessons learned and best practice with others.

Teamwork

• Evokes creative and innovative thinking from team members while helping them bring ideas and career plans to fruition.
• Determines effective ways to deploy project teams, clarify interfaces and distribute responsibilities according to project priorities.
• Works across the wider business to share lessons learned, construction knowledge and best practices.

Customer Management

• Manages senior day-to-day customer interaction and expectations throughout construction, commissioning and handover.
• Builds trusted customer relationships through transparent communication, reliable delivery and timely resolution of issues.
• Continually seeks opportunities to increase customer satisfaction while ensuring commitments remain aligned with the approved project scope and contractual obligations.

ORGANISATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Internal Operations

• Recognizes areas for internal improvement and develops practical plans for implementation.
• Lends expertise to internal teams, reviews and task forces.
• Reviews team and contractor status reports, challenges performance where required and ensures issues are addressed appropriately.
• Complies with and enforces standard policies and procedures across all facets of the Project.
• Generates clear, concise internal reports to keep Verne Senior Management informed of safety, construction progress, programme, cost, quality, contractor performance, commissioning and key project risks.
• Immediately reports any Safety breaches to Verne Senior Management and ensures appropriate investigation and corrective action is initiated.