General Superintendent (Data Center)

Actalent; Westmont (IL); On-site; USD 91,000 - 113,000; Full time

Job summary

Actalent is seeking a General Superintendent (per diem offered) to lead field operations on large mission-critical data center projects from Westmont, IL. This contract role manages superintendents, field engineers, and trades, ensuring safety, quality, and schedule adherence across multiple disciplines.

The position requires strong leadership, extensive construction experience, and the ability to travel nationally as project needs dictate.

Qualifications

• Extensive commercial construction leadership experience.
• Experience with large data center or mission-critical projects preferred.
• Ability to manage multi-discipline teams including subcontractors and field staff.
• Strong scheduling, budgeting, and field operations knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Lead field operations for large data center projects from mobilization to closeout.
• Mentor superintendents, field engineers, subcontractors, and trade partners to meet schedule and budget targets.
• Coordinate daily activities with owners, architects, engineers, inspectors, and project teams to maintain alignment.
• Develop and maintain CPM schedules; identify and track critical path activities.
• Create and oversee material procurement plans to ensure timely deliveries.
• Implement and enforce site safety programs and quality control initiatives.
• Oversee multiple scopes (civil, structural, architectural, mechanical, electrical) and ensure coordination.
• Review drawings, specs, contracts, and shop drawings; communicate requirements clearly.
• Travel and relocate as needed to support national project assignments.

Job description

Job Title: General Superintendent (per diem offered)

Job Description

The General Superintendent leads all field operations for large-scale mission critical and data center construction projects, ensuring safe, high-quality execution from project startup through closeout. This role manages superintendents, field engineers, subcontractors, and trade partners while driving schedule, budget, and production goals. The General Superintendent coordinates closely with owners, architects, engineers, inspectors, and project management teams to maintain alignment, and develops and manages CPM schedules, material procurement plans, safety programs, and quality control initiatives. As the primary field leader, this position is responsible for delivering complex data center projects on time, within budget, and in line with client expectations.

Responsibilities

• Lead all field operations for large-scale mission critical and data center construction projects from initial mobilization through final closeout.
• Manage and mentor superintendents, field engineers, subcontractors, and trade partners to achieve schedule, budget, and production targets.
• Coordinate daily construction activities with owners, architects, engineers, inspectors, and project management teams to maintain project alignment and resolve issues promptly.
• Develop, maintain, and update CPM project schedules, ensuring critical path activities are identified, tracked, and executed efficiently.
• Create and oversee material procurement plans to ensure timely delivery of equipment and materials to support uninterrupted field operations.
• Implement and enforce comprehensive site safety programs, promoting a culture of safety and ensuring compliance with all safety standards and procedures.
• Establish and manage quality control initiatives to verify that work meets design specifications, codes, and client expectations.
• Oversee multiple scopes of work, including civil, structural, architectural, mechanical, and electrical trades, ensuring effective coordination among all disciplines.
• Direct subcontractor management, manpower planning, and project logistics to optimize productivity and minimize delays.
• Review and interpret construction drawings, specifications, contracts, and shop drawings, and communicate requirements clearly to field teams.
• Utilize Microsoft Project or similar scheduling software to plan, monitor, and report on project progress.
• Drive schedule adherence in a fast-paced, schedule-driven environment, proactively identifying and mitigating risks to project timelines.
• Foster positive, collaborative relationships with clients, owners, and design teams, serving as a key field representative for the project.
• Lead conflict resolution and decision-making on site, addressing issues quickly to maintain project momentum and quality standards.
• Ensure overall site performance, including safety, quality, productivity, and budget compliance, meets organizational and client expectations.
• Coordinate with municipal officials and inspectors to obtain necessary approvals and maintain regulatory compliance.
• Provide high-visibility leadership on large active data center campuses, representing the project team and the organization in all field interactions.
• Travel and temporarily relocate as needed to support national project assignments and oversee on-site execution.

Essential Skills

• Extensive commercial construction experience, including several years leading large, complex projects as a Superintendent or General Superintendent.
• Experience in mission critical or data center construction projects, strongly preferred.
• Proven ability to oversee multiple scopes of work, including civil, structural, architectural, mechanical, and electrical trades.
• Strong understanding of construction means and methods, scheduling, budgeting, and field operations.
• Demonstrated experience in subcontractor management, manpower planning, and project logistics.
• Proficiency in reading and interpreting construction drawings, specifications, contracts, and shop drawings.
• Experience utilizing Microsoft Project or similar scheduling software for project planning and scheduling.
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to direct and develop field teams in a high-demand environment.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, to coordinate effectively with internal teams and external stakeholders.
• Effective conflict resolution and decision-making skills, with the ability to address issues quickly and maintain project progress.
• Ability to foster positive relationships with clients, owners, and design teams.
• Willingness and ability to travel nationally based on project needs.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience leading some of the largest and most technically advanced data center projects in North America.
• Experience in construction management and commercial construction supervision.
• Experience working on mission critical facilities with complex electrical, mechanical, and critical infrastructure systems.
• Ability to oversee entire project teams rather than limited scopes, providing broad project leadership and visibility.
• Comfort operating in a fast-paced, schedule-driven environment with constant coordination across multiple trades.
• Strong relationship-building skills with owners, architects, engineers, municipal officials, and project leadership.
• Interest in contributing to infrastructure that supports cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and next-generation technology platforms.
• Alignment with a company culture centered around collaboration, employee development, innovation, and field leadership empowerment.

Work Environment

This role is primarily field-based and centered on large, active data center campuses. The General Superintendent oversees multiple superintendents, field engineers, and subcontractor teams in a fast-paced, schedule-driven environment that requires constant coordination across all trades. The position involves significant interaction with owners, architects, engineers, municipal officials, and project leadership, and carries high visibility with responsibility for overall site performance, safety, quality, and schedule adherence. Travel and temporary relocation may be required depending on project assignment, and the work is conducted on complex hyperscale data center campuses featuring advanced electrical, mechanical, and critical infrastructure systems.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract position based out of Westmont, IL.

Pay And Benefits

The pay range for this position is $66.00 - $82.00/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:

• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type This is a fully onsite position in Westmont,IL. Application Deadline This position is anticipated to close on Oct 2, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email [e-mail] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.