TFO Construction Project manager

Applied Digital; Fargo (ND); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Applied Digital is seeking an experienced TFO Project Manager to lead campus-based Tenant Fit-Out projects, owning budgets, schedules, procurement, and risk management.

You will coordinate with campus leadership, tenants, contractors, Design, Finance, and Operations to ensure safe, on-time delivery within approved commercial parameters and ready-for-service milestones. This onsite role requires strong communication and disciplined change control and closeout.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of commercial construction project management experience.
• Experience leading data center TFO or GMP contracts.
• Experience with procurement, change management, and closeout.
• Owner-side project management experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Own the campus-based TFO project budget and forecasts.
• Lead kickoff, weekly coordination, and stakeholder updates.
• Manage change control, contracts, and procurement alignment.
• Coordinate with Design, Procurement, Cost Controls, Finance, and Operations.
• Ensure readiness through commissioning, turnover, and closeout.
• Maintain risk and issue logs with accountable owners.

Skills

CPM scheduling

Budget management

Contract administration

Change management

Stakeholder management

Risk management

Executive communication

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in construction management, Engineering, Architecture, or related field

Tools

Excel

Bluebeam

MS Project / Scheduling tools

Job description

Applied Digital is seeking an experienced TFO Project Manager to serve as the campus-based business and execution lead for assigned Tenant Fit-Out (TFO) projects.

This individual will own the TFO project budget, contract administration, change management, procurement coordination, weekly schedule performance, risk management, stakeholder communication, and overall delivery from preconstruction handoff through commissioning, tenant turnover, and financial closeout.

The role will act as the primary coordination point among campus leadership, the tenant, general contractors, trade partners, Design, Procurement, Cost Controls, Finance, Commissioning, Operations, Customer Delivery, and other internal teams. The successful candidate will maintain a forward-looking view of project performance and ensure cost, schedule, scope, and commercial decisions are documented and escalated early.

The position ultimately ensures the TFO is delivered safely, within approved commercial parameters, and in alignment with tenant milestones and Applied Digital readiness requirements.

Key Responsibilities

Project Leadership & Stakeholder Management

• Serve as the campus-based owner representative and primary point of accountability for assigned TFO projects.
• Lead project kickoffs, weekly TFO coordination, owner-contractor meetings, cost reviews, schedule reviews, risk reviews, and tenant-facing construction updates.
• Coordinate with the Campus Director and Customer Delivery team to maintain alignment on tenant commitments, decisions, and communication.
• Establish clear responsibilities, decision paths, action tracking, and escalation protocols across the project team.
• Maintain alignment between TFO execution, the base building, campus infrastructure, Operations, technology deployment, and commissioning activities.

Budget, Cost & Commercial Management

• Own the approved TFO project budget, commitments, forecasts, cash flow, contingency, allowances, and projected final cost.
• Partner with Cost Controls to maintain accurate cost reports, variance explanations, and executive-level financial updates.
• Review invoices and pay applications for scope, progress, supporting documentation, contract compliance, and budget alignment.
• Lead project change control, including early identification, pricing review, funding source, approval routing, documentation, and incorporation into the forecast.
• Manage contractor and consultant performance against executed agreements and ensure unapproved scope is not incorporated into billing.
• Coordinate audits, commercial reconciliations, and financial closeout with Finance, Procurement, Cost Controls, and third-party reviewers.
• Own the weekly TFO schedule management process and maintain alignment with the integrated master schedule and tenant milestones.
• Review contractor schedule updates, milestone variance, critical path, float, procurement dates, design releases, commissioning activities, and recovery plans.
• Coordinate with the TFO Superintendent on field progress, daily constraints, look-ahead planning, manpower, quality, logistics, and inspection readiness.
• Maintain project risk, issue, decision, and action logs with clear owners and required resolution dates.
• Prepare concise weekly reporting covering scope, schedule, cost, safety, quality, procurement, commissioning, tenant decisions, and required escalations.

Procurement, Design & Contract Administration

• Coordinate contractor, consultant, and owner-furnished procurement requirements against required-on-job dates and field installation sequences.
• Work with Design and contractors to monitor RFIs, submittals, design changes, bulletins, and scope clarifications that may affect cost or schedule.
• Ensure requisitions, purchase orders, contracts, change documents, and supporting approvals are initiated and tracked in a timely manner.
• Facilitate coordination among designers, installing contractors, equipment vendors, Commissioning, Operations, and tenant representatives.
• Confirm project records are complete, current, and retained in the appropriate systems of record.
• Integrate commissioning, testing, early access, tenant deployment, substantial completion, and Ready for Service requirements into the project execution plan.
• Coordinate with Commissioning and the TFO Superintendent to resolve readiness constraints and close quality or testing deficiencies.
• Lead delivery of closeout requirements, including as-builts, O&M manuals, warranties, training records, spare parts, punch lists, and turnover documentation.
• Coordinate financial closeout, final invoices, commitment closure, claims resolution, and final cost reconciliation.
• Capture lessons learned and provide feedback to the TFO Preconstruction Manager and portfolio teams.
• This role owns overall TFO project performance, budget, commercial administration, and weekly schedule management.
• The TFO Superintendent owns daily field coordination, short-interval planning, site logistics, field QA/QC, inspection readiness, and direct observation of the work.
• The TFO Project Manager does not replace the General Contractor's contractual responsibility for means and methods, site safety, quality control, or subcontractor supervision.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Understanding of construction project management, cost control, contract administration, change management, and CPM scheduling.
• Strong understanding of data center TFO systems and the interfaces among construction, commissioning, operations, and tenant technology deployment.
• Ability to manage large, fast-paced project budgets and communicate forecast, contingency, allowance, and change status clearly.
• Proficiency reading drawings, specifications, schedules, contracts, pay applications, change requests, and commissioning plans.
• Experience managing contractors, consultants, vendors, and cross-functional stakeholders without relying solely on direct authority.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel, Bluebeam, project management platforms, scheduling tools, and Microsoft Office applications.
• Executive-ready written and verbal communication with sound judgment and timely escalation skills.
• Proactive, organized, and solutions-oriented leadership style.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in construction management, Engineering, Architecture, or a related field preferred.
• 7+ years of commercial construction project management experience, including responsibility for budget, schedule, contracts, and project reporting.
• Project management experience on data center, mission‑critical, industrial, advanced manufacturing, or complex MEP‑intensive projects preferred.
• Experience with GMP contracts, change management, pay applications, procurement, commissioning, and project closeout required.
• Owner-side project management experience is preferred.

Travel

• This is an onsite, campus-based role.
• Periodic travel may be required for contractor, vendor, design, tenant, or portfolio coordination.