Sr. Construction Manager

Location: Hybrid - Chicago

About the role

As a Senior Construction Manager, you will oversee all phases of data center construction projects—from greenfield development through commissioning and lifecycle replacements. You will lead contractors, consultants, and equipment vendors to ensure projects are delivered on time, on budget, and in alignment with DLR Design Standards. Reporting to the Director of Delivery, you will manage challenging schedules, aggressive deliverables, and complex stakeholder coordination across regional and occasionally out-of-region assignments.

Responsibilities

• Partner closely with internal stakeholders including design managers, procurement, sales, and building operations.
• Serve as the primary customer contact for Build-to-Suit projects to ensure day-to-day responsibilities are met by design teams, contractors, and vendors.
• Ensure execution of standard projects in accordance with DLR internal design engineering standards.
• Manage multiple concurrent construction projects with competing priorities.
• Conduct project site visits for meetings, audits, and issue resolution.
• Support preparation and evaluation of RFPs for contractors, consultants, and equipment vendors.
• Negotiate and develop contracts with contractors, consultants, and vendors.
• Create and maintain project schedules and communicate updates to all stakeholders.
• Ensure compliance with DLR Project Delivery / Management Standards across all participants.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with contractor, consultant, and vendor partners.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree (BA/BS) or equivalent education.
• 7–10 years of project management experience with technically complex projects (or strong motivation to grow with less experience).
• Strong project management, organizational, verbal, and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated success delivering projects and working effectively in a team environment.
• Ability to work independently with minimal oversight; highly self-motivated.
• Working knowledge of construction terminology, design principles, and contract structures.
• Financial acumen to interpret and develop budgets, estimates, and cost analyses.
• Comprehensive understanding of electrical, mechanical, security/monitoring, and fire/life-safety systems.
• Familiarity with building code requirements and standard design/construction practices.
• Ability to interpret design drawings, construction specifications, contracts, schedules, and budget summaries; proficiency with MS Office and AutoCAD (preferred).

About the company

Digital Realty brings companies and data together by delivering the full spectrum of data center, colocation, and interconnection solutions. PlatformDIGITAL®, the company’s global data center platform, provides customers with a secure data meeting place and a proven Pervasive Datacenter Architecture (PDx®) solution methodology for powering innovation and efficiently managing Data Gravity challenges. Digital Realty gives its customers access to the connected data communities that matter to them with a global data center footprint of 300+ facilities in 50+ metros across 25+ countries on six continents.

About the team

Our Operations team keeps our customers’ infrastructure running safely and securely. We get plenty of opportunities to take on a variety of tasks and develop our technical skills. From overseeing electrical power to cooling and fire suppression systems, our team plays a vital role in making sure everything in our data centers operates as it should.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Life and AD&D insurance
• 401k match
• Disability benefits
• Wellness and education benefits
• Employee stock purchase plan
• Paid time off and holidays

Pay

Compensation range: $150,000 – $175,000. Individual pay is based on job-related skills, experience, and relevant education and/or training.