Project Director - Data Center

Gilbane Building Company; Canton (OH); Remote; USD 259,000 - 356,000; Full time

Job summary

Gilbane Building Company seeks a Project Director - Data Centers to lead all project activities, ensuring integrated delivery among construction partners, systems, and practices. The role focuses on maximizing value for the owner, reducing waste, and driving efficiency across complex data-center programs.

You will oversee strategy, risk, safety, and performance while mentoring a high-performing team and engaging with clients to secure new work.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's Degree in Engineering or Construction Management.
• LEED Accredited highly preferred.
• Data Center experience is highly preferred, but not required.
• 25+ years' building construction experience.
• Experience of working at the top of an Integrated Project Delivery scheme.
• Experience of working as Construction Manager at Risk & Design Build.
• Experience of commercial construction and R&D projects.

Responsibilities

• Monitor overall performance of project/accounts from cradle to grave, in harmony with Operations Manager or Market Leader.
• Meet established Sales/Gross Profit goals for projects/accounts.
• Prevent erosion, forecast slippage, identify risks, and manage project financials.
• Develop, document, and execute business strategy for projects/accounts.
• Leverage Shared Services and One Company systems and processes.
• Be a business-savvy leader with deep relationships to drive growth.
• Identify and secure new clients and drive client satisfaction.
• Understand competitive intelligence and position Gilbane effectively.
• Lead pre/post award activities including go/no go, kickoffs, reviews, and negotiations.
• Monitor safety results and implement corrective actions with Safety Director.
• Drive Employee Engagement and Retention for projects/accounts.
• Model Gilbane Core Values and community engagement.
• Collaborate with Business Development to align sales and client plans and optimize profit.
• Coach and develop team members; foster a positive, inclusive work environment.
• Provide strategic insights to executive leadership for informed decision-making.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Strategic thinking

Collaboration

Risk management

Education

Bachelor's or Masters in Engineering or Construction Management

LEED Accredited (highly preferred)

Data Center experience (highly preferred)

25+ years building construction experience

Experience with Integrated Project Delivery

Construction Manager at Risk & Design Build experience

Experience in commercial construction & R&D projects

Job description

Job Locations: US-OH-Sidney | US-OH-Canton

Requisition ID: 2026-13548

Category: Project Management

Project Director - Data Center

Overview

Do you consider yourself to be a highly technical, strong communicator with the desire to work in a team environment on complex projects? Gilbane is seeking a Project Director - Data Centers to be the head of all project activities, holding overall accountability for the successful, congruent delivery of the program, with the primary objective of ensuring the integration of all construction project partners, systems, business structures and practices, harnessing the talents and insights of all participants to optimize project results, increase value for the owner, reduce waste, and maximize efficiency.

Who are we?

As a Top-10 ENR Contractor, Gilbane is a family-owned business with 45 offices that has been shaping communities since 1870. Consistently recognized as one of the most reputable construction management firms in the country, Gilbane is committed to delivering projects safely and on-time. You will have the opportunity to build schools, labs, hospitals, corporate offices, sports arenas and more!

We are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Who are you?

You are a coach/leader who leads with an inclusive and empathetic mindset. You provide feedback and guidance to help others excel in their current or future roles. You determine priorities, delegate work, and effectively communicate progress. You establish measures to assess the impact, quality, and timeliness of results while praising successes and sharing lessons learned. You build high performing teams by attracting, engaging, developing, and retaining talented individuals through motivation and discipline to maximize impact on the organization and the individual.

You leverage business insights by understanding industry trends, local market/economic conditions, and Gilbane's business model to make critical decisions and create competitive advantage. You deploy a strategic mindset when considering solutions to long-term opportunities and risks that may develop in the future.

What's in it for you?

Gilbane offers employees multi-dimensional training opportunities through a number of resources. While managing your responsibilities to projects, you will be able to enroll in trainings through our award-winning Gilbane University to build leadership and technical skills. In addition, you would work with an experienced team which provides you with the opportunity to learn new industry skills every day. You will protect and promote the interests of both Gilbane and the client in all matters as well as demonstrating the personal characteristics of a developing leader.

Responsibilities

• Monitors overall performance of project / account / client cradle to grave, in harmony with Operations Manager and or Market Leader
• Meets established Sales/Gross Profit goals for Project (s) / Account (s)
• Takes action to prevent erosion, forecast slippage, risks and project financial performance within Project (s) / Account (s)
• Develops, documents, and executes business strategy for Project (s) / Account (s)
• Leverages Shared Services and implement One Company systems, programs, and processes per the Baseline
• Is an entrepreneur (business savvy), has / creates deep relationships and experiences to be "the face of the market" including the understanding of the local dynamics (business environment, politics, etc.)
• Acts as a rain maker and is responsible for identifying and securing new clients and driving client satisfaction
• Understands Competitive Intelligence and how to position Gilbane within Project (s) / Account (s)
• Leads and actively participates in pre/post award activities including go/no go, kickoff meetings, management reviews, fee-pro review, contract review, estimate/GMP review, contract negotiations
• Monitors safety results on all projects and, in collaboration with Safety Director, implement corrective actions when needed
• Drives and leads Employee Engagement and Retention for Project (s) / Account (s)
• Models efforts for Gilbane Cares, Inclusion and Belonging, Community Impact and Engagement, Community and embodies Gilbane's Core Values
• Partners with business development to ensure seamless integration with sales strategies, client capture plans and account plans. Optimizes profit levers and gross profit margin tactics to achieve performance targets on new sales. Leads opportunities to strengthen client, partner, and industry relationships that help position Gilbane as the "Builder of Choice"
• Responsible for the career development and coaching of employees through a team of managers
• Fosters a positive and inclusive work environment to motivate and engage team members
• Drives the long-term strategic vision for the organization, serving as a bridge between Executive leadership and operational teams and ensuring alignment of departmental goals with the overarching vision
• Provides strategic insights and recommendations to executive leadership for informed decision-making

Qualifications

EXPERIENCE/EDUCATION

• Bachelors or Masters Degree in Engineering or Construction Management
• LEED Accredited highly preferred
• Data Center expereince is highly preferred, but not required
• 25+ years' building construction experience
• Previously sat at the top of an Integrated Project Delivery scheme
• Experience of working as Construction Manager at Risk & Design Build
• Experience of commercial construction and R&D projects

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

• Flawless knowledge of Integrated Project Delivery philosophy and method
• High levels of technical construction acumen
• Strong business acumen and decision-making skills
• Able to identify and adapt best leadership and communication style to achieve best results from diverse team with different levels of communication styles
• Able to articulate understanding of the broad impact of decisions within the project and effectively direct key stakeholders appropriately
• Able to model active listening skills and extract information
• Able to cultivate an environment of trust, hard work and teamwork
• Able to communicate as effectively in spontaneous or unrehearsed settings as in prepared ones
• Personal values align with Gilbane's core values: integrity, tough mindedness, teamwork, dedication to excellence, loyalty, discipline, caring, entrepreneurship
• Passionate about a collaborative culture
• Passionate about safety

This position can be performed remotely or from any U.S. location where Gilbane has an office. Salary to be determined based on factors such as geographic location, skills, education, and/or experience of the applicant, as well as the internal equity and alignment with the team. For Virginia, this position offers a salary range of $258,880.00 - $355,960.00, plus benefits and retirement program. Gilbane offers an excellent total compensation package which includes competitive health and welfare benefits and a generous profit-sharing/401k plan. We invest in our employees' education and have built Gilbane University into a top training organization in the construction industry. Qualified applicants who are offered a position must pass a pre-employment substance abuse test.

Gilbane is an affirmative action/Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, or disability status. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.

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