Project Director

Edison Smart®; Apeldoorn; On-site; EUR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Edison Smart® is seeking an experienced Project Director for a major data centre development in Europe. The role requires leading from the client side, coordinating with the General Contractor, design teams and stakeholders to deliver safely, on schedule and to specification.

The successful candidate will bring a strong GC/Main Contractor background, with proven experience overseeing project delivery from the client perspective and ensuring alignment with technical and commercial objectives.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in a Project Director or Senior PM role.
• Strong track record of leading major construction projects.
• Experience overseeing General Contractors / Main Contractors.
• Good understanding of MEP in mission-critical environments.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide senior client-side leadership and oversight throughout the project lifecycle.
• Act as a key point of contact between client, General Contractor, consultants and project team.
• Manage and challenge GC performance against programme, quality, commercial and contractual requirements.
• Monitor project progress, milestones, risks and critical path activities.
• Lead regular project and progress meetings with the GC and wider project team.
• Review construction programmes and delivery strategies for alignment with client objectives.
• Coordinate with design, engineering, commercial, QA/QC, HSE and commissioning teams.
• Ensure delivery in accordance with client requirements and standards.
• Identify risks and implement mitigation strategies.
• Oversee change management and commercial performance from the client side.
• Monitor quality and ensure issues are tracked and resolved.
• Provide senior-level reporting to the client and leadership team.
• Support the project through construction, commissioning and handover.
• Build strong working relationships across client, GC and consultants.

Skills

Senior leadership

Stakeholder management

Contractor oversight

Programme management

MEP understanding

Commercial awareness

Communication skills

Client-side experience

Job description

Contract Type: Contract

Start Date: ASAP

The Role

We are looking for an experienced Project Director to join the client-side team on a major data centre development in Europe.

The successful candidate will provide senior leadership and oversight throughout the project, working closely with the appointed General Contractor, design teams, consultants and other key stakeholders to ensure the project is delivered safely, on schedule, to specification and in line with the client's objectives.

The ideal candidate will have a strong General Contractor / Main Contractor background, with experience delivering large-scale construction projects and a strong understanding of how to effectively manage and oversee a contractor from the client side.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide senior client-side leadership and oversight throughout the project lifecycle.
• Act as a key point of contact between the client, General Contractor, consultants and wider project team.
• Manage and challenge the General Contractor's performance against programme, quality, commercial and contractual requirements.
• Monitor project progress, key milestones, risks and critical path activities.
• Lead regular project and progress meetings with the General Contractor and wider project team.
• Review and challenge construction programmes, methodologies and delivery strategies.
• Coordinate with design, engineering, commercial, QA/QC, HSE and commissioning teams.
• Ensure the project is delivered in accordance with the client's requirements, specifications and standards.
• Identify project risks and ensure appropriate mitigation strategies are implemented.
• Oversee change management, cost control and commercial performance from the client side.
• Monitor quality and ensure issues are identified, tracked and resolved.
• Provide senior-level reporting to the client and wider leadership team.
• Support the project through construction, commissioning and final handover.
• Build strong working relationships across the client, General Contractor and consultant teams.

Requirements

• Significant experience in a Project Director, Senior Project Manager or similar senior project leadership role.
• Strong background working for a General Contractor / Main Contractor on major construction projects.
• Client-side, owner's representative or developer experience would be advantageous.
• Strong understanding of construction delivery, programme management and project controls.
• Proven experience managing and overseeing General Contractors and major subcontractors.
• Strong understanding of MEP systems and complex mission-critical environments.
• Experience managing projects through construction, commissioning and final handover.
• Strong commercial and contractual awareness.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Ability to effectively challenge contractors while maintaining strong working relationships.
• Experience working on complex projects with multiple stakeholders and competing priorities.

Ideal Background

The ideal candidate will have spent a significant part of their career working for a General Contractor, giving them a strong understanding of construction delivery from the contractor's perspective.

They will be comfortable operating on the client side, providing strategic oversight, challenging delivery teams and ensuring the General Contractor remains aligned with the client's programme, quality, commercial and technical requirements.

Previous experience within hyperscale, colocation or other mission-critical data centre environments would be highly beneficial.