Senior Construction Manager - Data Centres (Fifo/Dido) Full-Time

Turner & Townsend; Auckland; On-site; NZD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Turner & Townsend is seeking an experienced Senior Project/Construction Manager to lead a major data centre project in Invercargill, New Zealand. This FIFO/DIDO role places you on the client’s ground, driving delivery performance and accountability across developers and contractors.

You will chair roundtables, oversee site visits, manage interfaces (GC/EC/MC), and safeguard the critical path while ensuring inspection readiness and timely reporting.

Qualifications

• 15 to 20 years' total experience in project and construction management
• 8+ years delivering data centre projects specifically
• General contractor background strongly preferred, or equivalent direct site experience in a senior delivery role
• Thorough understanding of the full project lifecycle from mobilisation through to construction completion
• Proven ability to manage GC, EC and MC interfaces and drive accountability across contractor and developer teams
• Strong critical path management skills and experience in programme recovery
• Ability to thrive in a high-pressure, fast-paced environment

Responsibilities

• Lead weekly and bi-weekly site visits and chair Developer roundtables
• Hold developers and contractors accountable to commitments on the client's behalf
• Protect the critical path with rigour and surface blockers early
• Ensure inspection readiness across all scopes
• Produce bi-weekly site visit reports, roundtable minutes and action logs
• Develop acceleration and recovery logs and update milestones and critical path status

Skills

Project & construction management

Critical path management

Risk identification

Schedule recovery

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering or related

Postgraduate qualification in Project Management (Master's or PMP/AIPM)

Job description

Company Description

Turner & Townsend is a global professional services company with over 22,000 people in more than 60 countries. Working with our clients across real estate, infrastructure, energy and natural resources, we transform together delivering outcomes that improve people's lives.

Our capabilities include programme, project, cost, asset and commercial management, controls and performance, procurement and supply chain, net zero and digital solutions.

Turner & Townsend are leaders in professional services to the data centre sector globally. Please visit us at www.turnerandtownsend.com

Job Description

Due to the continued growth of our Data Centre business across Australia & New Zealand, we are currently recruiting for an experienced Senior Project/Construction Manager to join our team on a major data centre project in Invercargill, South Island New Zealand. This is a FIFO/DIDO role, offering flexibility of location for the right candidate while placing you at the heart of a complex, high-value delivery.

As Turner & Townsend's senior representative embedded within the client's team, you will act as the client's primary point of oversight on the ground, sitting above the developer and contractor to ensure the programme is delivered to the standard, timeline and quality the client demands. You will lead weekly and bi-weekly site visits, chair Developer roundtables, and hold the developer and their contractor accountable to their commitments on the client's behalf. This is not a coordination role — it demands the experience and confidence to challenge developer and contractor performance, identify risk before it reaches the client, and pursue acceleration where the programme demands it. You will protect the critical path with rigour, surface blockers and friction points early, and confirm inspection readiness across all scopes, ensuring the client is never exposed by gaps in developer or contractor delivery. Your reporting outputs — bi-weekly site visit reports, roundtable minutes and action logs, an acceleration and recovery opportunity log, and milestone and critical path status updates — will form the evidentiary record that keeps the client informed, protected and in control at every stage of construction.

Qualifications

15 to 20 years' total experience in project and construction management

8+ years delivering data centre projects specifically

General contractor background strongly preferred, or equivalent direct site experience in a senior delivery role

Thorough understanding of the full project lifecycle from mobilisation through to construction completion

Proven ability to manage GC, EC and MC interfaces and drive accountability across contractor and developer teams

Strong critical path management skills and experience in programme recovery

Ability to thrive in a high-pressure, fast-paced environment

Bachelor's degree or higher in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering or a related discipline; a postgraduate qualification in Project Management (such as a Master's or PMP/AIPM certification) is highly regarded

Additional Information

This role is offered on a FIFO/DIDO basis. We are open to candidates based across New Zealand who can commit to the required site presence.

We believe in the power of a diverse and inclusive workforce where the backgrounds, perspectives and life experiences of our people strengthen us. It’s important to us that our recruitment process is easily accessible for you so please reach out to [e-mail] for a confidential discussion, as we’re happy to make changes to support the needs of individuals.

Turner & Townsend are ranked #90 in the 2023 Australian Financial Review Top 100 Graduate Employers. Find out more about what it’s like to work at Turner & Townsend on our GradConnection page.

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It is strictly against Turner & Townsend policy for candidates to pay any fee in relation to our recruitment process. No recruitment agency working with Turner & Townsend will ask candidates to pay a fee at any time.

Any unsolicited resumes/CVs submitted through our website or to Turner & Townsend personal e-mail accounts, are considered property of Turner & Townsend and are not subject to payment of agency fees. In order to be an authorised Recruitment Agency/Search Firm for Turner & Townsend, there must be a formal written agreement in place and the agency must be invited, by the Recruitment Team, to submit candidates for review.