Director of Data Center Development & Construction

Cognisant; Irving (TX); On-site; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Cognisant is seeking a Director of Data Center Development & Construction in Irving, TX to lead complex data center campuses from entitlement through delivery. You will coordinate with internal leadership, capital partners and external consultants to ensure on-time, on-budget project completion.

You will oversee budgets, schedules, procurement and contract administration, while managing general contractors and multidisciplinary teams on hyperscale developments.

Qualifications

• 15+ years delivering technically complex construction or development projects.
• Strong experience within data centers, mission-critical infrastructure or high-density MEP environments.
• Experience taking projects through entitlement, design and construction.
• Strong commercial understanding of budgets, contracts, procurement and programme management.
• Experience managing General Contractors and multidisciplinary consultant teams.
• A strong understanding of data center development and construction.
• Experience of hyperscale / turnkey data center delivery would be particularly advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Lead major data center projects from development through construction and completion.
• Manage entitlement, permitting, design and consultant teams.
• Oversee project budgets, schedules, procurement and contract administration.
• Manage General Contractors through bid, award, construction and closeout.
• Coordinate utilities, environmental, geotechnical and wider infrastructure requirements.
• Manage RFIs, change orders, submittals, project controls and commercial reporting.
• Identify project risks and drive solutions to protect programme, cost and delivery.
• Work closely with capital partners, consultants, contractors, public agencies and internal leadership.
• Support project feasibility, financial modelling and development business plans.

Job description

Director of Data Center Development & Construction.

Irving, Texas.

Cognisant is working with a well-capitalized US data center developer to appoint a Director of Data Center Development & Construction. The business is actively developing next-generation data center campuses for hyperscale customers across the US, with significant institutional backing and an expanding development pipeline. This is a senior project leadership role with responsibility for taking complex data center developments through the full lifecycle — from entitlement and design through procurement, construction and delivery.

The Role

Reporting to the SVP of Development & Construction, you will

• Lead major data center projects from development through construction and completion
• Manage entitlement, permitting, design and consultant teams
• Oversee project budgets, schedules, procurement and contract administration
• Manage General Contractors through bid, award, construction and closeout
• Coordinate utilities, environmental, geotechnical and wider infrastructure requirements
• Manage RFIs, change orders, submittals, project controls and commercial reporting
• Identify project risks and drive solutions to protect programme, cost and delivery
• Work closely with capital partners, consultants, contractors, public agencies and internal leadership
• Support project feasibility, financial modelling and development business plans

The Background

We are looking for an experienced development or construction professional with

• 15+ years' experience delivering technically complex construction or development projects
• Strong experience within data centers, mission-critical infrastructure or high-density MEP environments
• Experience taking projects through entitlement, design and construction
• Strong commercial understanding of budgets, contracts, procurement and programme management
• Experience managing General Contractors and multidisciplinary consultant teams
• A strong understanding of data center development and construction
• Experience of hyperscale / turnkey data center delivery would be particularly advantageous

This role is based in Irving, TX, with travel to other company and project locations as required.