Minimum of 5 years in technical leadership or project management in data centers or critical facilities.
Associate degree in a technical field preferred; equivalent experience valued.
Deep knowledge of low-voltage infrastructure and fiber networks (ISP/OSP).
Familiarity with TIA/EIA, BICSI, and NEC codes required.
PMP or CAPM certification strongly preferred.
Responsibilities
Develop project charters and gain stakeholder approval to define scope and objectives.
Create detailed project management plans including schedules and resource planning.
Lead execution of infrastructure projects, ensuring alignment with technical standards.
Manage installation and testing of structured cabling and fiber systems.
Ensure compliance with design standards and manage onsite troubleshooting for issues.
Track material availability, equipment readiness, and potential impacts on the schedule.
Serve as primary contact for clients, managing expectations through regular reporting.
Benefits
Integration of safety into project management plans with zero-incident safety targets.
Opportunities for training and development, particularly in project management tools and techniques.
Full Job Description
The Data Center Project Manager leads the end-to-end lifecycle of data center infrastructure projects using structured PM frameworks. From inception through closeout, this role ensures on-time, on-scope, under-budget delivery by developing project charters, work breakdown structures (WBS), and integrated baselines for scope, schedule, cost, quality, resources, and risks. Acting as the primary liaison between customers, internal engineering, and field crews, you will oversee the installation of critical facility technologies-including structured cabling and fiber infrastructure-while maintaining rigorous standards for safety, documentation, and continuous improvement via post-project lessons learned.
Responsibilities
Project Initiation & Planning
Develop and gain stakeholder approval for project charters, defining scope, objectives, deliverables, success criteria, and high-level risks/milestones.
Create detailed project management plans, including Gantt charts, critical path method (CPM) schedules, resource planning and cost-loaded baselines using tools like MS Project or Primavera.
Conduct kickoff meetings, perform initial risk assessments with probability-impact matrices, and establish communication protocols aligned with RACI matrices.
Project Execution & Technical Leadership
Project Execution: Lead the execution of data center infrastructure projects, ensuring alignment with approved scope, schedule, budget, technical standards, and customer requirements.
Infrastructure Oversight: Manage the installation, termination, and testing of structured cabling and fiber systems, ensuring traceability via as-built documentation. Coordinate with network, facilities, security, construction, and operations team to sequence work and maintain site readiness.
Technical Validation: Ensure compliance with design standards, change control procedures and site access protocols; verify completion of deliverables including as-built drawings, test reports, labeling records, inventory updates and turnover packages.
Problem Solving: Assist with onsite troubleshooting for connectivity or infrastructure issues, implementing corrective/preventive actions and updating change control logs. Identify delivery risks, technical coordination gaps, and execution issues early, then drive timely resolution before they affect schedule, budge, or operational stability. This includes analyzing root causes, evaluating options, and coordinating decisions across technical teams, vendors and stakeholders.
Vendor Tracking: Validate, track and report productivity for vendors and subcontractors performing cabling, splicing, labeling, testing, validation and documentation.
Project Control
Logistics: Track material availability, equipment readiness, inventory status, delivery dates, shortages, substitutions, and potential schedule impacts.Reporting: Deliver daily/weekly performance metrics, daily status updates, and comprehensive close-out packages.
Site Audits: Assist with site surveys, quality inspections, and progress audits to ensure compliance with project standards, using control charts for quality metrics.
Monitoring, Control & Closeout
Track project health via dashboards, forecast via EVM trends, and manage changes through formal integrated change control processes.
Maintain a project risk register, conduct regular risk reviews, and escalate issues per governance thresholds.
Facilitate project closure with lessons learned sessions, stakeholder sign-offs, resource releases, and financial settlements.
Stakeholder Engagement & Safety
Client Relations: Serve as the primary point of contact, managing expectations through daily, weekly, monthly reporting, steering committee updates and issue/escalation logs.
Safety Culture: Champion EHS with the operations team by integrating safety into the PM plan, tracking daily briefings, near-miss reports, and leading safety audits for zero-incident targets.
Qualifications
Experience: Minimum of 5 years in a technical leadership or project management role within data centers or critical facilities, with proven use of PM tools/methods.
Education: Associate degree in a technical field preferred; equivalent field experience highly valued; PMP or CAPM certification strongly preferred.
Technical Mastery: Deep knowledge of low-voltage infrastructure, fiber networks (ISP/OSP), grounding/bonding, and pathway systems.
Industry Standards: Familiarity with TIA/EIA, BICSI, and NEC codes.
Compliance: Must be authorized to work in the U.S. and capable of meeting physical demands of a construction environment.
Core Competencies
Leadership: Ability to mentor crews, apply servant leadership, and manage via situational models (e.g., Tuckman stages).
Analytical Rigor: Proficiency in interpreting blueprints, specs and financial data.
Adaptability: Skilled at shifting priorities in high-uptime environments.
PM Tools: Expertise in MS Project or similar for scheduling, risk software, and BI dashboards.
• Minimum Education
Preferred Degree or Type
B.A. or equivalent experience
PMP Certification
About AFL Global
AFL Global is a leading provider of integrated solutions in the fiber optics industry. The company offers a wide range of products and services, including fiber optic cable, connectivity, and accessories, as well as engineering, installation, and maintenance services. AFL Global serves a variety of industries, including telecommunications, broadband, electric utility, and enterprise.
