Pre-Development & Planning Manager (Owners Representative) - Data Center Construction - Hybrid/Remote

KALCON; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); Remote; USD 150,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Vision Insurance

Life Insurance

Long Term Disability

401(k) retirement plan with 4% Kalcon

15 days paid time off

8 paid national holidays

License and certification reimburse

Job summary

KALCON is seeking a Pre-Development & Planning Manager (Owner's Representative) for data center construction in Philadelphia, PA. You will lead pre-development activities, manage site due diligence, and coordinate with civil, environmental, and engineering teams to ensure readiness for design and procurement.

You will drive entitlement, permitting strategies, utility planning, and stakeholder management to align schedules, costs, and speed-to-market objectives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor-level degree in a related field.
• 8+ years of experience on large-scale data center or mission-critical projects.
• Experience overseeing pre-development, entitlement, permitting, and utility coordination.
• Knowledge of data center development processes and site selection criteria.

Responsibilities

• Lead site selection and due diligence for development feasibility.
• Coordinate and manage geotechnical, environmental, survey, utility, and infrastructure assessments.
• Identify permitting risks and schedule impacts affecting delivery.
• Develop risk registers and mitigation plans for development activities.

Skills

Project management

Risk management

Executive communication

Stakeholder management

Microsoft Office

Education

Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, Real Estate Development, Urban Planning, or related field

Job description

Philadelphia, PA

Pre-Development & Planning Manager (Owner's Representative) – Data Center Construction

The Pre-Development & Planning Manager serves as the Owner's Representative responsible for leading and coordinating all pre-development activities associated with mission critical data center projects. This role provides oversight of site selection, due diligence, entitlement, utility planning, permitting strategy, infrastructure coordination, and stakeholder management to ensure projects are fully prepared for design, procurement, and construction execution. The Manager identifies risks early, aligns internal and external stakeholders, and drives planning efforts that support schedule certainty, cost predictability, and speed-to-market objectives.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, Real Estate Development, Urban Planning, or related field.
• Minimum 8 years of experience managing large-scale commercial, industrial, mission critical, infrastructure, or data center projects.
• Experience overseeing pre-development, entitlement, permitting, utility coordination, and site due diligence activities.
• Strong understanding of data center development processes, site selection criteria, and utility infrastructure requirements.
• Experience coordinating multidisciplinary consultant teams including civil, environmental, geotechnical, architectural, and engineering disciplines.
• Knowledge of permitting processes, zoning requirements, environmental regulations, and jurisdictional approvals.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple stakeholders, agencies, utility providers, and development partners.
• Strong project management, risk management, and executive communication skills.
• Ability to evaluate project schedules, budgets, development constraints, and delivery risks.
• Proficiency with project management software and Microsoft Office applications.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Support site selection activities by evaluating development feasibility, infrastructure availability, utility capacity, and schedule risks.
• Coordinate and manage due diligence investigations including geotechnical, environmental, survey, utility, traffic, and infrastructure assessments.
• Identify development constraints, permitting risks, and schedule impacts that could affect project delivery.
• Develop risk registers and mitigation strategies for site acquisition and development activities.

Entitlements & Permitting

• Lead entitlement and permitting efforts necessary to support project development and construction readiness.
• Coordinate with local jurisdictions, planning departments, permitting agencies, and regulatory authorities.
• Monitor approval timelines and proactively address issues that may impact project milestones.
• Provide regular updates on entitlement status, permitting risks, and approval forecasts.

Utility & Infrastructure Planning

• Serve as primary owner representative for utility planning and infrastructure coordination.
• Coordinate with electric, water, wastewater, telecom, and natural gas providers to establish service strategies and delivery timelines.
• Validate utility capacity, infrastructure requirements, and off-site improvement scopes.
• Identify risks related to utility procurement, infrastructure delivery, and long-lead development activities.

Consultant & Stakeholder Management

• Manage planning, engineering, environmental, and development consultants throughout pre-development activities.
• Facilitate coordination between internal stakeholders, design teams, utility providers, landowners, and governmental agencies.
• Monitor consultant performance, deliverable quality, and compliance with project objectives.
• Ensure stakeholder alignment regarding scope, schedule, risk, and development priorities.
• Develop and maintain pre-development schedules, milestone tracking, and readiness assessments.
• Monitor critical path activities associated with land development, utilities, permitting, and infrastructure delivery.
• Identify schedule impacts and recommend mitigation strategies to maintain project objectives.
• Support development budgeting, forecast reporting, and executive-level decision-making.

Program Readiness & Project Handover

• Ensure completion of all pre-development deliverables required to support design, procurement, and construction mobilization.
• Coordinate transition from development planning to design and construction execution teams.
• Track readiness milestones including land acquisition, permits, utility agreements, environmental clearances, and infrastructure commitments.
• Provide comprehensive project status reports, risk assessments, and strategic recommendations to executive leadership.

Benefits Offered:

• Medical insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Life Insurance
• Long Term Disability
• 401(k) retirement plan with 4% KALCON match when an employee contributes at least 5%
• 15 days of paid time off
• 8 paid National Holidays
• Reimbursement for professional licenses and certifications

Submission Requirements

• List of all Educational Achievements
• List of all Professional Licenses or Certificates
• List of Awards Received
• Detailed Employment History with each company including:
  • Name & Contact Information of the firm or agency
  • Start Date and End Date (Month & Year)
  • Positions Held

At KALCON we are committed to creating an inclusive, diverse, and equitable workplace where every individual is respected and valued. We are an equal opportunity employer and all applicant and employees will receive consideration for employment as we do not tolerate discrimination of any kind based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetics, protected veteran status or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws. We believe that a diverse workforce contributes to the success of our company and the innovation behind the exceptional projects we deliver. We encourage and support applicants from all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives to join our team and thrive. Our hiring and employment practices are guided by principles of fairness, equality, and opportunity for all.

Salary Range

$150,000 - $220,000 USD