Director of Construction

Prime Data Centers; Madison (WI); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401k match

Premium health benefits

Paid time off

Bonus program

Job summary

Prime Data Centers in Madison, WI seeks a Vice President of Construction to lead the delivery of hyperscale data center projects from conception to commissioning. You will oversee design, procurement, commissioning, and closeout across regions, drive schedule, cost, quality, and safety, and manage CAPEX budgets exceeding $100M while collaborating with Sales, Operations, Acquisitions, and Engineering.

The role requires 15+ years of construction leadership, deep data center knowledge, and a track

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, Electrical/Mechanical Engineering, or related field.
• 15+ years in construction with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role overseeing large-scale, mission-critical projects (data centers preferred).
• Proven track record delivering high-value, complex data center projects on time and within budget across multiple regions.
• Deep understanding of hyperscale and colocation data center construction requirements, including power, cooling, network, and security infrastructure.
• Strong knowledge of electrical and mechanical systems, critical infrastructure, and Tier-rated data center design and operations (e.g., Uptime Institute standards).
• Familiarity with construction codes, safety regulations (OSHA), permitting processes, and environmental compliance requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to lead large, cross-functional teams including project managers, engineers, general contractors, and subcontractors.
• Strong financial acumen, including experience managing CAPEX budgets exceeding $100M+.
• Experience implementing standardized construction processes, quality assurance protocols, and risk management frameworks at scale.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to align construction initiatives with overall business goals, growth projections, and market demands.

Responsibilities

• Lead construction delivery across planning, design, procurement, construction, commissioning, and closeout.
• Oversee construction operations across multiple regions and concurrent projects.
• Drive schedule, cost, quality, and safety performance across the project portfolio.
• Establish and implement construction standards, processes, and best practices.
• Build, lead, and develop high-performing construction and project management teams.
• Own CAPEX budgets, forecasting, financial controls, and reporting.
• Collaborate with Sales, Engineering, Finance, and Operations throughout the project lifecycle.
• Participate in client-facing activities and support customer engagements.
• Ensure compliance with OSHA, regulatory, permitting, environmental, and quality requirements.

Skills

Leadership

Financial acumen

Project management

Strategic thinking

Cross-functional collaboration

Team leadership

Stakeholder management

Education

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

Job description

About this position

About Prime Data Centers

Prime Data Centers develops, acquires, and operates data centers for some of the world's largest enterprises. A private firm owned by a group controlling $6 billion in assets, with a 15-year tenure in technology and real estate development, Prime provides customers with ownership options and dynamic leasing models, defining a true corporate partnership.

About the role

The Vice President of Construction reports to the SeniorVicePresidentof Construction andis responsible delivering data center commercial construction from conception through commissioning while working with Sales, Operations, Acquisitions, and Engineering. Responsibilities will include construction operations oversight and delivering data center projects of increasing size and complexity: Collaboration and integration in the sales lifecycleprocessincluding clientinterfaceis integral to the role: Partner with Development/Engineering and Finance teams focused on cost and schedule reduction to integrate change management and product optimization into new and ongoing projects: Provide lessons learned into the overall feedback loop for analysis and modification.

This role will work closely with stakeholders and contractors toimplement a vertically-integrated design and manage these partners to deliver the data center projects on schedule and within budget. Additional responsibilities include the alignment of long-term operational sustainability with value engineering and cost metrics to deliver products aligned with corporate goals.

What you\'ll do

• Lead construction delivery across all phases including planning, design, procurement, construction, commissioning, and closeout.
• Oversee construction operations across multiple regions and concurrent projects.
• Drive schedule, cost, quality, and safety performance across the project portfolio.
• Establish and implement construction standards, processes, and best practices.

Team Management

• Build, lead, and develop high-performing construction and project management teams.
• Manage resource allocation and project workloads across multiple business units.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Own CAPEX budgets, forecasting, financial controls, and reporting.
• Support value engineering initiatives whilemaintainingoperational sustainability.
• Partner with Finance and Development teams tooptimizeproject costs and schedules.
• Managecontractor,consultant, and vendor relationships.
• Lead procurement, negotiations, and performance management activities.
• Collaborate with Sales, Engineering, Finance, and Operations teams throughout the project lifecycle.
• Participate in client-facing activities and support customerengagements.

Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure compliance with OSHA, regulatory, permitting, environmental, and quality requirements.
• Lead commissioning activities and transition completed facilities to operations teams.
• Develop risk mitigation strategies and lessons-learned programs for future projects.

Qualifications

• Bachelor\'s degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, Electrical/Mechanical Engineering, or a related field
• 15+ years of progressive construction experience, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role overseeing large-scale, mission-critical projects (data centers preferred).
• Proventrack recordof delivering high-value, complex data center projects on time and within budget across multiple regions.
• Deep understanding of hyperscale and colocation data center construction requirements, including power, cooling, network, and security infrastructure.
• Strong knowledge of electrical and mechanical systems, critical infrastructure, and Tier-rated data center design and operations (e.g., Uptime Institute standards).
• Familiarity with construction codes, safety regulations (OSHA),permittingprocesses, and environmental compliance requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to lead large, cross-functional teams including project managers, engineers, general contractors, and subcontractors.
• Strong financial acumen, including experience managing CAPEX budgets exceeding $100M+.
• Experience implementing standardized construction processes, quality assurance protocols, and risk management frameworks at scale.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to align construction initiatives with overall business goals, growth projections, and market demands.
• Competitive salary rangeof $200k along with a performance bonus and a capital milestone program bonus
• 401k fully vested upon enrollment, up to a 4% employer match
• 100% employee premiums paid by employer for medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and disability
• Over 4-weeks of Paid Time Off + Sick time

Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis.
Prime is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All applicants are considered for employment without attention to race, color, age, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, ancestry, national origin, citizenship, protected veteran or military status, disability status, or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local laws and ordinances.

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