Project Director - Data Centres

Navartis Ltd; City Of London; On-site; GBP 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Navartis Ltd. is seeking a Project Director to lead the construction and delivery of major data centre developments in London. The role requires strategic leadership over planning, design coordination, procurement and construction execution, with accountability for programme, cost, quality and safety.

You will oversee Project Managers, external consultants and contractors, ensuring governance and robust reporting while driving health and safety compliance and successful handover to operations.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience leading large-scale construction programmes, ideally in data centres.
• Experience overseeing Tier 1/2 General Contractors and contractors.
• Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary project teams across design, engineering and commercial functions.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership across planning, execution and delivery of large-scale data centre developments in London.
• Lead and develop a team of Project Managers and manage external consultants and partners.
• Own construction delivery, manage General Contractors, and ensure safety, cost and quality targets.
• Oversee pre-construction activities including design coordination and procurement.
• Drive contractor management to meet programmes and contractual requirements.
• Manage multidisciplinary teams across design, engineering, procurement, commercial and construction.
• Be senior point of contact for internal stakeholders, customers and supply chain partners.
• Oversee commercial performance including variations, claims and risk management.
• Ensure project controls, cost reporting and risk mitigation across developments.
• Champion health and safety, QA and regulatory compliance throughout lifecycle.
• Ensure projects meet operational requirements and handover to operations teams.

Skills

Data centres construction

Senior project leadership

Contract management

Pre-construction planning

Design coordination

Procurement & negotiations

Health and safety leadership

Job description

Project Director - Data Centres Construction

Location: Hayes, West London (site-based)

The Opportunity

A leading global data centre developer and operator is looking to appoint an experienced Project Director to lead the construction and delivery of major data centre developments at its London campus.

This is a senior leadership opportunity, taking responsibility for two significant developments at different stages of the project lifecycle. The successful candidate will initially focus on the construction delivery of an upcoming development, overseeing General Contractors, managing key project stakeholders and ensuring the project is delivered safely, commercially and to the required standards.

The Project Director role will sit within the UK Real Estate and Development function, reporting into the UK Country Manager, with responsibility for leading Project Managers and managing a wider team of external consultants, contractors and commercial stakeholders.

The business is particularly interested in Project Directors with a strong construction delivery background, ideally gained within data centres or other complex, mission-critical infrastructure environments.

Key Responsibilities of the Project Director position

• Provide strategic leadership across the planning, execution and delivery of large-scale data centre developments in London.

• Lead and develop a team of Project Managers, ensuring consistency in project delivery, governance and reporting.

• Take ownership of construction delivery, managing General Contractors and holding them accountable for programme, cost, quality and safety.

• Oversee pre-construction activities, including design coordination, procurement, tendering and construction readiness.

• Drive effective contractor management, ensuring construction activities are delivered against agreed programmes and contractual requirements.

• Manage multidisciplinary teams across design, engineering, procurement, commercial and construction.

• Act as the senior point of contact for internal stakeholders, customers, consultants, contractors and key supply chain partners.

• Oversee commercial performance, including contract negotiations, major variations, claims and risk management.

• Ensure effective project controls, programme management, cost reporting and risk mitigation across all developments.

• Champion health and safety, quality assurance and regulatory compliance throughout the project lifecycle.

• Ensure projects meet operational requirements, customer expectations and agreed delivery milestones.

• Lead commissioning, operational readiness and formal handover to operations teams.

Skills & Experience

• Extensive experience leading large-scale construction programmes within the UK, ideally across data centres, mission-critical infrastructure or other complex technical environments.

• Proven experience operating at Project Director or equivalent senior project leadership level.

• Strong construction delivery background, with demonstrable experience managing and overseeing Tier 1 or Tier 2 General Contractors.

• Experience managing complex Design & Build contracts and commercial negotiations.

• Strong understanding of pre-construction, design coordination, procurement and construction delivery.

• Demonstrable experience leading multidisciplinary project teams and managing multiple concurrent developments.

• Strong understanding of UK construction regulations, buildin