Senior Construction Project Manager

About VIRTUS VIRTUS Data Centres is the UK’s fastest-growing data centre provider which owns, designs, builds and operates the country’s most efficient and flexible data centres. In Jan 2024 we announced our plans to expand our UK portfolio following the acquisition of the Saunderton Campus. The site is a significant expansion of the VIRTUS UK portfolio and is key to the continued growth of the business over the coming years. Our purpose is to serve humanity by being an active, positive participant in the 4th Industrial Revolution. When we talk about our purpose, we refer to our customers’ customers; the child playing a computer game, the person watching their favourite movie, booking a medical appointment, a plane ticket, a hotel or doing their online banking; those things can’t be done if we don’t do our job. Our mission is to consistently exceed customers' expectations through innovative, high-quality solutions and services. We employ intelligent thinkers with positive attitudes who add to the quality of our customer proposition and business. We value individual endeavour and initiative and encourage teamwork and togetherness because collective experience and expertise are VIRTUS’ greatest strengths. Job Summary The role is to lead the development of VIRTUS’s new 75MW data centre campus in Saunderton, Buckinghamshire. It will include all aspects of the development including provision of power, connectivity, base build construction as well as M&E fit-out of the data centres. Based primarily on-site, the roles offer a great opportunity to work across all aspects of data centre development and fit-out. Duties and Responsibilities The following are the key responsibilities of the role Business Process: Create and/or maintain best practices to identify and incorporate cost-effective solutions in line with specification requirements and report on KPIs. Manage the selection, contracting, and integration of multiple vendors and internal partners. Facilitate decision-making to drive solutions, and schedules, and manage change as required. Apply influence, strategies and negotiation skills to identify options and recommend solutions. Communication: Regularly review cost and KPI metrics, invoices, and process/policy communications. Provide project single point of contact for project development and delivery in an End-to-end project management role. Coordinate meetings and activities of vendors, and cost managers, and integration lessons learned. Attend scheduled project meetings, and report as necessary. Deliver Project Progress status reports covering scope, schedule and budget as required to deliver schedule expectations including schedule health and metrics Ability to maintain a broader perspective, and identify and evaluate opportunities to enhance the business through cross-group collaboration. Vendor Management: Provide Vendor oversight and performance management to deliver assigned projects. Preparation of Requests for Proposal (RFPs) including review and approval of vendor scope of work and design review of site and building plans. Validate vendor pay application and invoice review with the cost management/project controls team. Manage compliance with audit results and recommendations. Day to Day: Health and Safety leadership of the works across all Data Centre projects assigned. Develop early Cx regimes and deliverables to meet the L1-L5 Commissioning approach including external vendor input and integrate DCOPs/FM teams into the process. Responsible for delivering early access regimes to customers and managing the construction handover process to DCOPs in line with company policy and processes, including defect close-out management. Responsible for Preparation, submission and tracking of all necessary project spending in line with approved business case capex and running change control on a weekly triage and then change control approval basis in line with project contingency. Provide Project Management support on any additional works and other sites where necessary. What success looks like in 12 months: • On target to deliver the data centres in line with the approved business plan in terms of time/quality/cost • Has integrated with the wider VIRTUS team and worked with them where needed to help wider aspects of the project delivery • Meeting reporting deadlines to the VP of Construction and the wider VIRTUS management team • Operating in a self-sufficient manner on-site Person Specification • Experience in data centre project design and construction with hyperscale data centre operators, lease providers or allied sectors such as Petro-Chem/Pharma/Process control – any heavy process sector experience valid. • Design and Build contract strategy experience. • Client or Contractor-side Data centre design, and construction management experience. • Self-starter with demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, projects, and deadlines simultaneously. • The role is a hybrid working approach based on Virtus working principles, meaning the expectation is the role will be a blend of remote working and in-person meetings at Virtus office and Data centre locations as required to manage internal and external stakeholders to meet project design and construction milestones. • The successful candidate will be expected to work within a diverse and inclusive team environment delivering large-scale enterprise projects with both localised and virtual team structures and be able to judge the most efficient method of working for the particular task or aspect of the role that is being conducted. Any other reasonable requests made by your line manager. Remuneration package and benefits: • Private healthcare • Pension contribution scheme • Eye and dental care benefit • Discretionary bonus • Income Protection • Life Assurance • Cycle to work scheme • Annual travel card loan • Tech Scheme • Electric car scheme • Workplace extras - Byond card and Extras discount VIRTUS is an equal-opportunity employer. As part of our commitment to fight for equality, we work to ensure a fair and consistent interview process. We celebrate diversity and we are committed to an inclusive work environment.