Associate Director Project Management

AirSearch; England; On-site; GBP 95,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global data centre service provider seeks an Associate Director – Project Manager to lead high-value engineering projects. In this senior leadership role, you will manage multidisciplinary teams ensuring compliance with all technical and safety standards while driving performance. The ideal candidate should possess over 10 years of project management experience in mission-critical environments, with strong leadership and stakeholder management skills. A competitive salary and benefits package is offered, including generous allowances and bonuses.

Benefits

Monthly salary bonus

Car allowance

Travel allowance

Qualifications

• 5+ years working in data centre or mission-critical environments.
• 10+ years’ technical and project management experience.
• Strong commercial awareness with demonstrated vendor management.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop teams for project delivery.
• Manage engineering and construction projects across live environments.
• Ensure compliance with corporate governance and technical standards.

Skills

Leadership capabilities

Excellent communication

Stakeholder management

Commercial awareness

Risk management

Education

Degree in Engineering, Construction, or Project Management

Tools

Microsoft Office

Project management tools

EDMS systems (ASite preferred)

Job description

Associate Director, Projects

Global DC Services Provider

💼 Senior Leadership Role – Data Centre Construction & Engineering

💰 £95,000–£120,000 + 2.5x Monthly Salary Bonus every May

🚗 £5,650 Car Allowance / Paid on monthly salary

🧭 Travel Allowance up to £5,000 / Paid on monthly salary

About the Opportunity

Join one of the world’s leading data centre service providers as an Associate Director – Project Manager , where you will shape the delivery of complex, high-value engineering and construction projects across a mission‑critical global estate.

You will act as a senior leader within the Projects function, driving excellence across Business‑as‑Usual programmes and major capital developments. This role requires deep technical understanding, strong commercial awareness, and the ability to manage multi‑disciplinary teams in high‑resilience environments.

If you thrive in complex engineering settings, enjoy leading people, and take pride in delivering to the highest standards of safety, quality, and performance — this is a career‑defining role.

Your Impact

Strategic Leadership & Team Management

• Lead, coach, and develop the Project Management pod, acting as a senior escalation point throughout all project phases.
• Drive high performance, structured delivery, and technical excellence across a portfolio of data centre projects.
• Mentor emerging talent and ensure consistent application of best practice across the function.

End-to-End Project Delivery

• Plan, manage, and deliver engineering and construction projects across live data centre environments.
• Act as Employer’s Representative for major new‑build and refurbishment schemes, ensuring business objectives are met.
• Guarantee compliance with corporate governance, technical standards, and statutory requirements.

Health, Safety & Risk Control

• Champion a safety‑first culture; identify, manage, and report H&S risks.
• Lead or support incident investigations and ensure lessons learned are embedded into future delivery.
• Maintain risk registers, ensure mitigations are actioned, and drive proactive risk management.

Programme & Resource Coordination

• Monitor progress against master programmes and drive recovery strategies when required.
• Assess resource gaps and secure specialist project support as needed.
• Coordinate internal engineers, design teams, contractors, and suppliers to ensure seamless delivery.

Commercial & Procurement Oversight

• Lead procurement of design teams, specialist equipment, and contractors.
• Prepare and review tender documents, manage clarifications, evaluate bids, and support contract negotiations.
• Oversee budgets, cost plans, forecasting, and cashflows, ensuring robust financial governance.

Technical, Design & Quality Management

• Work closely with internal and external design teams across all RIBA stages.
• Review, challenge, and approve design proposals, ensuring alignment with technical standards and operational needs.
• Conduct inspections, benchmark quality, and ensure compliance with project requirements.

Energy, Environmental & Sustainability Leadership

• Promote energy efficiency and environmental considerations throughout design and construction.
• Support compliance with relevant legislation, sustainability targets, and ISO frameworks.

Change, Contract & Compliance Management

• Implement formal change control procedures for variations in cost, scope, or programme.
• Administer construction and consultant contracts, escalating issues where appropriate.
• Ensure all planning, environmental, and statutory consents are in place and properly managed.

Testing, Commissioning & Handover

• Oversee development and execution of testing and commissioning plans with engineering teams.
• Coordinate attendance, track defects, and ensure all anomalies are resolved.
• Lead Section / Practical Completion processes, manage snagging, and deliver complete documentation packages.
• Ensure a seamless transition to Operations teams, including training and handover support.

Communication & Stakeholder Engagement

• Chair progress meetings, prepare reports, and maintain strong cross‑functional communication.
• Deliver updates and presentations to senior leadership and business stakeholders.
• Foster collaboration across engineering, operations, commercial, and external delivery partners.

What You’ll Bring

Essential

• 5+ years working in data centre or mission‑critical environments (e.g., hyperscale, colocation, critical infrastructure).
• 10+ years’ technical and project management experience.
• Strong leadership capability with experience managing teams across multiple projects.
• Excellent communication, relationship‑building, and stakeholder management skills.
• Proven ability to deliver complex projects in controlled and compliance‑driven environments.
• Strong commercial awareness with demonstrated cost, contract, and vendor management experience.
• Comfortable working in high‑pressure environments with strict deadlines and risk profiles.

Desirable

• Degree in Engineering, Construction, Project Management or related field.
• Membership of a relevant professional institution (APM, PMI, ICE, IMechE, etc.).
• Experience with EDMS systems and workflow management tools (ASite preferred).
• Familiarity with IET MF / 1 and JCT construction contract forms.

Your Strengths & Attributes

Analytical • Methodical • Professional • Honest • Quality‑driven • Focused

Exceptional interpersonal skills • Confident with Microsoft Office & project management tools

How You Work

Customer First

You build trust, communicate with clarity, and resolve issues quickly.

Collaborative

You work well with multi‑disciplinary teams and share knowledge freely.

Ownership & Accountability

You take initiative, challenge inefficiencies, and continuously improve delivery.

Performance Driven

You commit to deadlines, exceed targets, and deliver consistently high outcomes.

Transparent & Courageous

You communicate openly, challenge constructively, and seek better ways of working.

Energy & Enthusiasm

You motivate teams and represent the organisation with pride.

Ready to Lead Mission-Critical Projects?

This is a unique opportunity to influence major programmes across a rapidly growing global data centre portfolio. If you're a project delivery leader who thrives in complex, technical environments, we’d love to hear from you. APPLY NOW!!!!!!!!!!