Director, Data Center Construction (East)

Prologis; Sterling (VA); On-site; USD 220,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

Prologis is seeking a Director, Data Center Construction (East) to lead an assigned portfolio of speculative and build-to-suit data center projects in the East region. You will build and lead project delivery teams, oversee safety, schedule, cost, and quality, and collaborate with design, development, procurement, power, and customers from preconstruction through turnover.

The role reports to the VP, Data Center Construction (East) and involves travel—estimated 30% but potentially up to 50%

Qualifications

• Experience leading data center delivery through commissioning and turnover.
• Experience with budgets, forecasts, and schedule management.
• Strong written and verbal communication with cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop construction delivery teams and manage staffing and performance.
• Own portfolio delivery, safety, quality, and customer requirements across projects.
• Develop executable delivery plans and manage risks and escalation paths.
• Oversee budgets, forecasts, change management, and contracting strategy.
• Coordinate design, procurement, commissioning, and turnover activities.
• Serve as senior construction contact for customers and internal partners.
• Apply lean methods and technology to improve delivery predictability and quality.

Skills

Project management

Leadership

Staffing

Budgets/Forecasts

Risk management

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in construction management, engineering, architecture

Tools

Microsoft Project

Primavera P6

Bluebeam

Microsoft Office

Job description

At Prologis, we don’t just lead the industry—we define it with a 1.3 billion square foot portfolio and an annual throughput of approximately $3.2 trillion. We create the intelligent infrastructure that powers global commerce, seamlessly connecting the digital and physical worlds. From agile supply chains to energy solutions, our ecosystems help your business move faster, operate smarter and grow sustainably. With unmatched scale, innovation and expertise, Prologis is a category of one—not just shaping the future of logistics but building what comes next.

Job Title

Director, Data Center Construction (East)

Company

Prologis

A day in the life

As Director, Data Center Construction (East), you will report to the Vice President, Data Center Construction (East), and lead an assigned portfolio of speculative and build-to-suit projects within a growing region with multi-gigawatt development potential. You will build and lead construction management teams, including Prologis employees and delivery partners, delivering projects ranging from powered shells to fully fitted and commissioned data centers, with ownership of safety, schedule, cost, quality, and customer commitments for Prologis’ defined scope from preconstruction through applicable customer turnover and closeout. Working with design, development, procurement, power, and customer teams, you will establish executable delivery plans, resolve risks, advise senior leadership, strengthen contractor relationships, and establish consistent delivery practices. This position is based in the East Region, preferably Georgia or North Carolina; exceptional candidates elsewhere in the region will also be considered. Travel is estimated at 30%, but may be lower or approach 50% depending on home location, project assignments, and delivery milestones.

Key Responsibilities Include

• Lead and develop the team. Lead and coach project delivery teams and direct internal support personnel as assigned. Set expectations, assess staffing and capabilities against the pipeline, hold teams accountable for performance, and help shape the delivery organization as the portfolio evolves.
• Own portfolio delivery, safety, and quality. Lead new-build and retrofit projects against approved safety, schedule, cost, quality, and customer requirements. Establish delivery plans, review performance, direct corrective action, oversee contractor safety and quality performance, and manage interfaces between Prologis’ scope and customer-delivered work, including site access, sequencing, testing, and handover.
• Lead construction planning and schedule certainty. Provide construction expertise during due diligence, entitlement, permitting, and investment reviews, including cost estimates, schedules, constructability, logistics, and execution risks. Hold teams accountable for integrated schedules covering design releases, permits, utility energization, long-lead equipment, construction, commissioning, and customer milestones, and escalation critical risks early with recommended actions.
• Manage financial, commercial, and contractor performance. Oversee budgets, forecasts, contingency, and change management. Partner with procurement, finance, and legal on contracting strategy, bid evaluations, negotiations, and commercial issues within delegated authority. Build relationships with general contractors and key trade partners, evaluate delivery capacity, enforce accountability for contractual commitments, and escalation significant commercial, delivery, and customer matters to the Vice President for direction or approval.
• Coordinate design, procurement, commissioning, and turnover. Resolve constructability issues with design and procurement teams, align equipment deliveries with site readiness, and evaluate alternatives for cost, schedule, reliability, maintainability, and future flexibility. Partner with commissioning and customer teams to integrate testing and acceptance requirements into execution plans for Prologis’ scope and ensure deficiencies, turnover documentation, training, and contractual closeout obligations are addressed.
• Lead stakeholder communication. Serve as a senior construction contact for customers and internal partners. Clearly communicate status, decisions, risks, and recovery plans, and resolve escalated issues promptly.
• Improve delivery practices. Apply lessons learned, standardization, lean construction, and appropriate technology to improve delivery predictability, productivity, and quality.

Building blocks for success

Required

• 7+ years of progressive construction management or project delivery experience, including substantial direct data center delivery experience.
• Demonstrated success leading multiple complex projects and managing project managers, construction management firms, or comparable teams, with accountability for staffing, performance, and project outcomes.
• Experience leading data center delivery through commissioning and customer turnover, including construction readiness, customer acceptance, and operational handover.
• Experience with critical electrical, mechanical, cooling, and controls systems and their implications for construction sequencing, testing, and reliability.
• Demonstrated ability to manage budgets, forecasts, critical-path schedules, construction contracts, change orders, and risks.
• Experience providing construction input into preconstruction, due diligence, permitting, and utility coordination.
• Ability to evaluate technical and commercial tradeoffs, make timely decisions within delegated authority, and escalation issues with clear recommendations.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with customers, senior leaders, and cross-functional teams.
• Proficiency with scheduling, cost reporting, document review, and collaboration tools, such as Microsoft Project or Primavera P6, Bluebeam, and Microsoft Office.
• Ability to meet the travel expectations described above.

Preferred

• Bachelor’s degree in construction management, engineering, architecture, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Experience delivering hyperscale or AI data centers, including