Project Controls Lead - Data Centre

Soben; Norway; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Soben is seeking a Data Centre Project Controls Lead to drive integrated controls for hyperscale and colocation developments from inception to completion. The role involves regular travel to Norway to support delivery, client engagement, and on-site leadership.

You will lead and mentor project controls teams, develop baselines, monitor performance, and contribute to client presentations to support business growth.

Qualifications

• Significant experience delivering large-scale data centre or hyperscale projects.
• Proven track record leading complex construction programmes as Project Controls Lead/Manager.
• Experience with cost, schedule, risk, and change control processes.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end project controls for major data centre programmes, aligning time, cost, quality, and scope with client goals.
• Act as senior contact for project controls with clients and stakeholders.
• Oversee cost, schedule, change control, risk registers, baselines and progress reporting.

Skills

Data centre projects

Project controls leadership

Stakeholder management

Earned value management

Cost scheduling integration

Education

Degree in Quantity Surveying or Engineering

MRICS/MAPM preferred

Tools

Primavera P6

MS Project

Asta Powerproject

Power BI

Job description

We’re seeking an exceptional Data Centre Project Controls Lead to spearhead integrated controls delivery for large-scale, mission-critical data centre projects serving the world’s most demanding clients.

You’ll join Soben during a pivotal phase of our global growth. As a senior member of our project delivery team, you’ll drive strategic client relationships, lead high-performing project controls teams, and deliver complex hyperscale and colocation developments from inception to completion.

This role requires regular travel to Norway to support project delivery, client engagement, and on-site leadership.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end project controls delivery for major data centre programmes, ensuring alignment with commercial, technical, and operational goals to control time, cost, quality objectives, and scope
• Serve as senior point of contact for project controls matters with clients, fostering trusted partnerships through clear communication
• Provide strategic oversight of cost, schedule, change control, risk registers, baseline management, and progress & performance tracking
• Drive integrated project governance, reporting, and performance management across multiple workstreams
• Lead and mentor project controls teams, fostering accountability, high performance, and knowledge sharing
• Provide on-site project controls leadership during key project phases, including regular travel to construction sites
• Oversee development and maintenance of robust performance measurement baselines to enable accurate progress and performance tracking aligned with client goals and objectives
• Identify, analyse, and mitigate cost, schedule, and commercial risks and critical path threats
• Challenge construction phasing, sequencing, and commercial approaches to optimise programme delivery and value engineering
• Ensure robust schedule health, cost forecasting, earned value performance reporting, and change control
• Contribute to business development through project controls expertise in proposals and client presentations
• Uphold Soben’s Leadership Principles in all client and internal engagements

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• Significant experience delivering large-scale, mission-critical data centre or hyperscale infrastructure projects
• Proven track record leading complex construction programmes (£100m+ value) as Project Controls Lead/Manager
• Proficient at writing project controls procedures, plans, and governance frameworks
• Advanced proficiency with management information tools such as Primavera P6, MS Project, Asta Powerproject, and Power BI
• Advanced proficiency with project controls methodologies independent of management information software used, and ability to adapt across different platforms
• Strong commercial acumen with expertise in cost/schedule integration, earned value management, and change control
• Experience operating at senior stakeholder level, managing executive client relationships
• Demonstrable leadership of high-performing, geographically diverse project controls teams
• Deep understanding of data centre construction methodologies, phasing, commissioning, MEP constraints, and commercial drivers
• Comfortable with travel, including regular travel to construction sites
• Experience with NEC, JCT, FIDIC or other major contract forms used in Europe
• Outstanding communication skills for presenting complex project controls information clearly
• Degree qualified in Quantity Surveying, Construction Management, Engineering, or related discipline (MRICS, MAPM or equivalent preferred—an asset)
• Chartered professional status such as Association for Project Management (APM) or Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CASA) advantageous