Manager/Senior Manager – Construction Services | Data Centers

GEP Worldwide; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 140,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive health coverage

401(k) plan with a 3% company match

paid time off

company holidays

professional development opportunities

Job summary

GEP is seeking a Manager / Senior Manager – Construction Services to support complex capital and construction programs. The role sits at the intersection of engineering, construction procurement and consulting, requiring close collaboration with engineering, procurement, and project teams.

Ideal candidates have a strong technical background in construction and experience with data center or large infrastructure programs, with a track record in strategic sourcing and commercial outcomes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related engineering discipline.
• Experience with capital, EPC/EPCM or major infrastructure programs.
• Experience in RFP execution, bid analysis, supplier evaluation and commercial negotiations.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, specs and construction documentation.
• Strong commercial acumen with ability to engage in technical discussions.
• Structured problem‑solving and stakeholder management in a consulting context.

Responsibilities

• Lead procurement and sourcing activities across construction services, MEP packages, equipment and capital projects.
• Identify volumes, timelines, and bottlenecks with engineering and QA teams.
• Review engineering drawings and specifications to define project sourcing needs.
• Translate requirements into RFPs, sourcing strategies, bid structures, and long‑term plans.
• Manage end‑to‑end RFI/RFP processes, including contractor/supplier selection and negotiations.
• Conduct technical and commercial evaluation of proposals with project stakeholders.
• Challenge specifications and seek value engineering and cost optimization.
• Lead contractor and supplier negotiations on pricing, scope, and terms.
• Assess supplier capability, risks, and delivery dependencies.
• Advise clients on sourcing strategy and procurement risks.

Skills

Strategic sourcing

RFP execution

Negotiations

Stakeholder mgmt

Technical understanding

Consulting mindset

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical/Mechanical/Civil/Construction Engineering

Tools

Bid evaluation frameworks

Job description

Who We Are

GEP, with over 30 offices internationally, is the fastest growing procurement and supply chain solutions firm – consulting, software and managed services. GEP has succeeded by being smart and creative; solving complex problems and finding opportunities for the world’s largest organizations.

How You Grow At GEP

We recognize people who make a genuine difference, work hard and drive achievements. Results are noticed and rewarded. It’s how you will grow a career at GEP, and in a much shorter time frame than at other firms.

Celebrating Everyone

GEP succeeds through the ideas and creativity of our team members so we embrace people of all experiences, nationalities, abilities, cultures, races, gender identities, sexual orientations and ages. What makes you unique and different is celebrated and will help GEP stand out even more. And we are a women-founded and –owned company so our foundation is making GEP a great place to work for women, a place where women can learn, advance and give back.

Are You One of Us

GEP is looking for a Manager / Senior Manager – Construction Services with a strong Technical and Commercial background to support complex capital and construction programs for a key client.

This role sits at the intersection of engineering, construction procurement and consulting. We are looking for someone who can connect engineering requirements with sourcing and commercial strategy, with a command of reviewing technical drawings and specifications, developing sourcing packages, running competitive bids, evaluating contractors and equipment suppliers, and driving commercial outcomes through an effective procurement strategy. In addition, this role has an expectation to think strategically about large sourcing programs for capital expansion business plans.

Experience supporting data center or mission‑critical construction is highly preferred, although professionals from complex capital projects, industrial or large‑scale infrastructure environments may also be relevant.

What You’ll Do

• Lead procurement and sourcing activities across construction services, MEP packages, equipment and capital projects.
• Identify estimated volumes, timelines, and logistical bottlenecks with engineering, QA, production and testing.
• Review and interpret engineering drawings, scopes of work, specifications and other technical documentation to understand project and sourcing requirements.
• Translate engineering and construction requirements into RFP packages, sourcing strategies, bid structures and supplier evaluation frameworks and developing a long‑term strategic plan for future sourcing activities.
• Manage end‑to‑end RFI/RFP processes, including contractor/supplier identification, bid evaluation, commercial analysis, negotiations and award recommendations.
• Conduct both technical and commercial evaluation of supplier and contractor proposals, partnering closely with engineering, construction and project stakeholders.
• Challenge specifications and supplier proposals where appropriate and identify opportunities for value engineering, cost optimization and commercial improvement.
• Lead contractor and supplier negotiations across pricing, scope, commercial terms, change orders and project requirements.
• Assess supplier capability, commercial competitiveness, delivery risks and project dependencies.
• Advise client stakeholders on sourcing strategy, supplier recommendations, risks and commercial decisions.
• Bring a consulting mindset to client engagements – structuring ambiguous problems, developing recommendations and communicating effectively with technical and business stakeholders.
• Partner with engineering, construction, project management and procurement teams to drive projects from technical requirement through commercial execution.

What You Should Bring

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Civil, Construction Engineering or a related Engineering discipline.
• Strong experience across construction, capital projects, engineering procurement, EPC/EPCM or major infrastructure programs.
• Demonstrated strategic sourcing/procurement experience, including RFP execution, bid analysis, supplier/contractor evaluation and commercial negotiations.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, technical specifications and construction documentation.
• Strong understanding of the relationship between technical scope, supplier capability, project execution and commercial outcomes.
• Experience working directly with contractors, subcontractors, engineering teams and construction/project stakeholders.
• Strong commercial acumen combined with the ability to engage credibly in technical discussions.
• Structured problem‑solving, stakeholder management and executive communication skills consistent with a consulting environment.

Salary Range

$140,000 – $175,000 annually, based on experience and qualifications.

Additional Compensation

• Eligible for a performance‑based bonus tied to individual and company performance.

Benefits

• Comprehensive health coverage (medical, dental, and vision)
• 401(k) plan with a 3% company match
• paid time off
• company holidays
• professional development opportunities

Why Join GEP?

This is an opportunity to take your engineering and construction expertise beyond traditional project execution and operate at the intersection of strategy, engineering, commercial and consulting.

• Work directly with clients on complex capital projects and hyper‑scale data center environments, influencing decisions from technical requirements through commercial execution.
• Move beyond simply executing RFPs and contracts to solving broader cost, supplier, risk and sourcing challenges.
• Gain exposure to GEP’s wider capabilities across procurement consulting, supply chain strategy and technology.
• Build a differentiated techno‑commercial consulting profile while remaining close to engineering and construction.
• Help shape a growing capability in data center and capital‑project procurement, with opportunities to expand your impact as the practice grows.

This is an opportunity for someone who wants to move beyond traditional procurement or construction execution and operate at the intersection of strategy, engineering, commercial and consulting.