Senior Data Center Preconstruction Manager

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Description

Role Overview

Fermi America is seeking a Senior Data Center Preconstruction Manager to own the integrated schedule development, cost planning, and construction readiness process for Fermi's hyperscale data center program. This role is responsible for ensuring that every building package transitions from design into construction with a fully vetted scope, budget, schedule, and execution plan.

The DC Sr Preconstruction Manager will lead preconstruction activities across concurrent building phases-driving GMP development, contractor bid processes, scope alignment, and schedule integration. This role is the connective tissue between design, procurement, construction, and project controls, ensuring that decisions made in preconstruction translate into predictable field execution.

This role reports directly to the Head of DC Service & Delivery and works in close coordination with the Director of DC Construction, DC Sr Technical Manager, Sr DC Design Integration Manager, procurement, safety, quality, and project controls functions. This is a matrix environment where success depends on influence and partnership as much as direct authority. The right leader builds strong, collaborative relationships across every function and fosters a culture of transparency, shared accountability, and mutual respect.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end preconstruction process for all data center building packages-from initial scope definition through GMP execution and construction mobilization
• Develop and maintain integrated preconstruction schedules that align design milestones, procurement timelines, permitting, and construction start dates across concurrent building phases
• Lead GMP development and negotiation with general contractors and trade partners, ensuring competitive pricing, clear scope definition, and appropriate risk allocation
• Drive construction readiness reviews to verify that design packages, permits, long-lead equipment, and subcontractor commitments are in place before authorizing construction starts
• Manage preconstruction budgets and cost estimates, maintaining alignment between target budgets, GMP values, and actual commitments as packages progress
• Coordinate with the Sr DC Design Integration Manager to ensure design deliverables support preconstruction timelines and that scope gaps are identified and resolved early
• Establish standardized preconstruction workflows, templates, and checklists that can be replicated across successive building phases to reduce cycle times and improve predictability
• Partner with procurement to align contractor sourcing, bid leveling, and commercial strategies with preconstruction schedules and budget targets
• Lead change order management processes during the preconstruction-to-construction transition, ensuring cost and schedule impacts are documented and approved before work proceeds
• Lead and embed commercial strategy into every building package-driving contract structure decisions, risk allocation frameworks, incentive mechanisms, and pricing strategies that align commercial terms with construction execution goals and Fermi's financial objectives
• Identify, assess, and mitigate preconstruction risks across scope, cost, schedule, permitting, and contractor capacity-maintaining risk registers, leading risk workshops with cross-functional teams, and building mitigation strategies into every GMP package before authorizing construction starts
• Provide preconstruction status reporting to leadership, including schedule health, budget tracking, risk registers, and risk/opportunity assessments
• Interface with the tenant's design team on preconstruction scope alignment, design criteria, and technical requirements to ensure building packages reflect tenant needs while maintaining Fermi's design standards and delivery commitments
• Build and sustain a strong, collaborative culture across the preconstruction function-fostering open communication, mutual accountability, and trust with construction, design, procurement, and project controls partners

AI-Enabled Execution Philosophy

Fermi America integrates artificial intelligence and advanced analytics into its core project delivery workflows. The DC Sr Preconstruction Manager will be expected to embrace and champion this philosophy, including:

• Utilizing AI-powered schedule analysis to identify sequencing conflicts, resource constraints, and critical path risks across concurrent preconstruction packages before they materialize in the field
• Leveraging AI-driven cost benchmarking and estimating tools to validate GMP proposals, identify cost outliers, and improve bid leveling accuracy across contractor proposals
• Deploying automated reporting workflows powered by AI to generate preconstruction status dashboards, variance analyses, and risk summaries for leadership review
• Championing the use of AI-assisted document analysis for scope reviews, specification gap identification, and contract clause comparison to accelerate preconstruction decision-making
• Partnering with project controls to develop predictive models that forecast construction cost and schedule outcomes based on preconstruction data, historical performance, and market conditions
• Driving the adoption of AI tools for lessons learned capture and pattern recognition across completed building phases, feeding insights back into preconstruction standards for continuous improvement

Requirements

Relevant Experience

• 15+ years of experience in preconstruction, construction management, or project delivery, with at least 8 years focused on hyperscale data center, mission-critical, or large-scale industrial programs
• Demonstrated experience leading GMP development, bid management, and contractor negotiations on multi-billion-dollar construction programs
• Strong command of integrated schedule development, including experience working with Primavera P6 and managing multi-package, multi-phase construction programs
• Deep understanding of data center construction scope-shell/core, MEP, critical power, cooling systems, and IT infrastructure-and how preconstruction decisions impact field execution
• Track record of establishing preconstruction processes and standards in fast-growing organizations or greenfield program environments
• Experience with cost estimating methodologies, value engineering, and constructability review processes
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to drive alignment across design, construction, procurement, and commercial teams. Proven ability to operate effectively in a matrix organization where influence, alignment, and partnership are as important as direct authority
• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, or related field; advanced degree or PMP certification preferred

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience with hyperscale data center programs for major technology companies (e.g., Google, Meta, Microsoft, AWS, Oracle) or leading data center developers
• Experience with modular construction approaches, prefabricated systems, and their impact on preconstruction planning and scheduling
• Familiarity with AI-powered project analytics platforms and willingness to champion their adoption within preconstruction workflows
• Working knowledge of target value delivery (TVD) or integrated project delivery (IPD) methodologies
• Comfort operating in a high-growth organization where the role will help define preconstruction processes and standards as the platform scales

Work Requirements

• This is a 100% onsite role based at Fermi's campus location in Amarillo, TX, with periodic travel to vendor facilities, fabrication shops, and partner offices as needed
• Ability to work on active construction sites, including walking job sites, climbing ladders, and navigating unfinished structures in varying weather conditions
• Willingness to wear required personal protective equipment (PPE) including hard hat, safety glasses, high-visibility vest, steel-toe boots, and hearing protection when on-site
• Flexibility to work extended hours during critical construction milestones, commissioning events, or schedule recovery efforts as needed

Why This Role Matters

Preconstruction is where delivery outcomes are won or lost. Fermi needs a senior leader who can ensure that every building package enters construction with a bulletproof plan-the right scope, the right price, the right schedule, and the right contractors. This role is foundational to Fermi's ability to deliver predictable, repeatable results across a multi-year, multi-billion-dollar data center program.