Mission Critical Construction Director

Construction Project Director - Mission Critical

About the Opportunity

We are seeking a senior-level Construction Project Director - Mission Critical to lead the delivery of large-scale, complex data center and mission-critical infrastructure programs while supporting business development and client growth initiatives.

This high-impact leadership position serves as a trusted advisor to clients, overseeing the successful execution of engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning activities. The ideal candidate will combine exceptional project delivery expertise with strong client relationship management and business development skills.

This role requires the ability to manage multiple stakeholders, drive strategic program outcomes, and support the expansion of mission-critical services across key markets.

Travel up to 60% may be required.

Key Responsibilities

Client Leadership & Strategic Advisory

• Serve as the primary point of contact for clients throughout project and program delivery.
• Provide executive-level guidance regarding project execution strategies, risk management, phasing plans, and operational requirements.
• Translate client business objectives into actionable project and program delivery plans.
• Develop and maintain long-term client relationships while delivering exceptional service and value.

Program & Portfolio Management

• Provide governance and oversight across multiple mission-critical projects and campus developments.
• Establish project controls, execution standards, reporting structures, and performance metrics.
• Drive alignment among design teams, contractors, vendors, consultants, and commissioning partners.
• Act as the senior escalation point for critical schedule, cost, quality, and commercial matters.

EPCM Delivery Oversight

• Oversee all phases of engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning activities.
• Review and validate project schedules, budget forecasts, procurement strategies, and execution plans.
• Lead constructability reviews, site logistics planning, and project phasing initiatives.
• Coordinate integration of civil, structural, architectural, mechanical, electrical, and commissioning disciplines.

Contractor & Vendor Management

• Direct management of general contractors, consultants, and trade partners.
• Lead procurement efforts including RFP development, bid evaluation, contract negotiations, and award recommendations.
• Drive accountability for performance, quality, safety, and contractual compliance.
• Manage coordination of owner-furnished and contractor-installed equipment where applicable.

Cost, Schedule & Risk Management

• Provide independent oversight of project financial performance, schedules, and risk exposure.
• Lead validation of budgets, cash flow forecasts, project controls, and milestone reporting.
• Implement value engineering initiatives and cost optimization strategies while maintaining reliability and quality requirements.
• Ensure adherence to contractual obligations and project delivery commitments.

Mission-Critical Infrastructure Oversight

• Provide senior-level oversight of mission-critical building systems, including:

• Electrical power distribution systems

• UPS and backup power infrastructure

• Generators and substations

• Cooling and thermal management systems

• Network and technology infrastructure interfaces

• Ensure projects meet uptime, resiliency, redundancy, and scalability requirements.

• Support commissioning readiness, testing activities, and operational turnover.

Safety, Compliance & Quality

• Promote a strong safety culture focused on zero incidents.
• Identify and mitigate program-level risks, including supply chain, permitting, and operational challenges.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory, environmental, and client-specific requirements.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives and quality management processes.

Team Leadership

• Lead, mentor, and develop project managers, technical specialists, and project controls professionals.
• Establish staffing strategies aligned to project complexity and growth objectives.
• Foster a collaborative, high-performance culture across geographically dispersed teams.

Business Development & Client Growth

• Build and maintain relationships with key clients, developers, investors, and industry stakeholders.
• Identify opportunities for new business, program expansion, and long-term strategic partnerships.
• Support account growth, revenue generation, and backlog development.
• Participate in client presentations, interviews, proposal development, and strategic pursuit activities.
• Contribute to market growth initiatives and industry engagement efforts.

Performance Reporting

• Develop executive dashboards, KPIs, and reporting frameworks.
• Deliver regular updates on project performance, financial health, risk exposure, and quality metrics.
• Support forecasting activities and long-range business planning efforts.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Architecture, or a related technical field.

Experience

• 12+ years of progressive experience in construction, program, or project management.
• Significant experience within EPCM, consulting, owner"s representative, or related project delivery environments.
• Proven success delivering large-scale data center, mission-critical, or industrial infrastructure programs.
• Experience managing multi-disciplinary teams and complex stakeholder environments.

Preferred Expertise

• Data center and mission-critical infrastructure delivery.
• Program and portfolio management.
• Client-facing leadership and advisory services.
• EPCM delivery models and contract administration.
• Commercial, financial, and risk management.
• Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems.
• Commissioning and operational readiness planning.
• Business development, account management, and proposal leadership.

Key Competencies

• Executive presence and client relationship management
• Strategic thinking and problem solving
• Program and portfolio governance
• Commercial and financial acumen
• Leadership and team development
• Negotiation and stakeholder management
• Risk management and decision-making
• Mission-critical project delivery expertise
• Business development and market growth focus

Work Environment

You will work in a dynamic and collaborative environment, utilizing advanced project management tools and software. The role requires flexibility and adaptability to work on diverse projects across different sectors within the Philadelphia metro area.Construction Project Director - Mission Critical

About the Opportunity

We are seeking a senior-level Construction Project Director - Mission Critical to lead the delivery of large-scale, complex data center and mission-critical infrastructure programs while supporting business development and client growth initiatives.

This high-impact leadership position serves as a trusted advisor to clients, overseeing the successful execution of engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning activities. The ideal candidate will combine exceptional project delivery expertise with strong client relationship management and business development skills.

This role requires the ability to manage multiple stakeholders, drive strategic program outcomes, and support the expansion of mission-critical services across key markets.

Travel up to 60% may be required.

Key Responsibilities

Client Leadership & Strategic Advisory

• Serve as the primary point of contact for clients throughout project and program delivery.
• Provide executive-level guidance regarding project execution strategies, risk management, phasing plans, and operational requirements.
• Translate client business objectives into actionable project and program delivery plans.
• Develop and maintain long-term client relationships while delivering exceptional service and value.

Program & Portfolio Management

• Provide governance and oversight across multiple mission-critical projects and campus developments.
• Establish project controls, execution standards, reporting structures, and performance metrics.
• Drive alignment among design teams, contractors, vendors, consultants, and commissioning partners.
• Act as the senior escalation point for critical schedule, cost, quality, and commercial matters.

EPCM Delivery Oversight

• Oversee all phases of engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning activities.
• Review and validate project schedules, budget forecasts, procurement strategies, and execution plans.
• Lead constructability reviews, site logistics planning, and project phasing initiatives.
• Coordinate integration of civil, structural, architectural, mechanical, electrical, and commissioning disciplines.

Contractor & Vendor Management

• Direct management of general contractors, consultants, and trade partners.
• Lead procurement efforts including RFP development, bid evaluation, contract negotiations, and award recommendations.
• Drive accountability for performance, quality, safety, and contractual compliance.
• Manage coordination of owner-furnished and contractor-installed equipment where applicable.

Cost, Schedule & Risk Management

• Provide independent oversight of project financial performance, schedules, and risk exposure.
• Lead validation of budgets, cash flow forecasts, project controls, and milestone reporting.
• Implement value engineering initiatives and cost optimization strategies while maintaining reliability and quality requirements.
• Ensure adherence to contractual obligations and project delivery commitments.

Mission-Critical Infrastructure Oversight

• Provide senior-level oversight of mission-critical building systems, including:

• Electrical power distribution systems

• UPS and backup power infrastructure

• Generators and substations

• Cooling and thermal management systems

• Network and technology infrastructure interfaces

• Ensure projects meet uptime, resiliency, redundancy, and scalability requirements.

• Support commissioning readiness, testing activities, and operational turnover.

Safety, Compliance & Quality

• Promote a strong safety culture focused on zero incidents.
• Identify and mitigate program-level risks, including supply chain, permitting, and operational challenges.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory, environmental, and client-specific requirements.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives and quality management processes.

Team Leadership

• Lead, mentor, and develop project managers, technical specialists, and project controls professionals.
• Establish staffing strategies aligned to project complexity and growth objectives.
• Foster a collaborative, high-performance culture across geographically dispersed teams.

Business Development & Client Growth

• Build and maintain relationships with key clients, developers, investors, and industry stakeholders.
• Identify opportunities for new business, program expansion, and long-term strategic partnerships.
• Support account growth, revenue generation, and backlog development.
• Participate in client presentations, interviews, proposal development, and strategic pursuit activities.
• Contribute to market growth initiatives and industry engagement efforts.

Performance Reporting

• Develop executive dashboards, KPIs, and reporting frameworks.
• Deliver regular updates on project performance, financial health, risk exposure, and quality metrics.
• Support forecasting activities and long-range business planning efforts.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Architecture, or a related technical field.

Experience

• 12+ years of progressive experience in construction, program, or project management.
• Significant experience within EPCM, consulting, owner"s representative, or related project delivery environments.
• Proven success delivering large-scale data center, mission-critical, or industrial infrastructure programs.
• Experience managing multi-disciplinary teams and complex stakeholder environments.

Preferred Expertise

• Data center and mission-critical infrastructure delivery.
• Program and portfolio management.
• Client-facing leadership and advisory services.
• EPCM delivery models and contract administration.
• Commercial, financial, and risk management.
• Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems.
• Commissioning and operational readiness planning.
• Business development, account management, and proposal leadership.

Key Competencies

• Executive presence and client relationship management
• Strategic thinking and problem solving
• Program and portfolio governance
• Commercial and financial acumen
• Leadership and team development
• Negotiation and stakeholder management
• Risk management and decision-making
• Mission-critical project delivery expertise
• Business development and market growth focus

This is an excellent opportunity for a driven leader who can successfully combine large-scale mission-critical project delivery with strategic client development and business growth initiatives.

Job Type & Location

This is a Permanent position based out of Philadelphia, PA.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $65.00 - $105.00/hr.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:

• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan - Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Philadelphia,PA.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Jul 15, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.