Engineering Project Manager

Job Description

The Engineering Project Manager – Data Center leads the planning, design, construction, commissioning, and ongoing improvement of mission-critical data center infrastructure projects. This role manages cross-functional engineering teams, contractors, and stakeholders to ensure complex projects are delivered safely, on schedule, within budget, and in full compliance with quality, reliability, and regulatory standards. The position oversees projects involving electrical power systems, mechanical and HVAC infrastructure, cooling systems, backup generation, UPS systems, building management systems (BMS), fire protection, and network infrastructure that support high-availability data center operations.

Responsibilities

• Lead the full lifecycle of data center engineering projects from initial concept through design, construction, commissioning, and operational handover.
• Define and manage project scope, schedules, budgets, procurement plans, and resource allocations to ensure successful delivery of mission-critical infrastructure.
• Coordinate internal engineering teams, consultants, contractors, vendors, and commissioning agents to maintain alignment and drive execution.
• Monitor project progress, track milestones, and provide regular status updates and reports to leadership and key stakeholders.
• Identify project risks related to schedule, cost, safety, and operations, and implement mitigation strategies to minimize impacts.
• Oversee engineering design activities for medium- and low-voltage electrical distribution systems, UPS and backup power generation systems, cooling and HVAC systems, building automation and controls, fire detection and suppression systems, and network and structured cabling infrastructure.
• Review engineering drawings, specifications, RFIs, and design documentation to verify accuracy and completeness.
• Ensure all designs meet performance, reliability, scalability, maintainability, and operational requirements for mission-critical environments.
• Manage construction and installation activities, ensuring adherence to project schedules, safety protocols, and quality standards.
• Coordinate Factory Acceptance Tests (FATs), Site Acceptance Tests (SATs), and commissioning activities to validate system performance and reliability.
• Ensure all systems are fully tested, documented, and ready for operational turnover, including as-built documentation and commissioning reports.
• Support startup activities and operational readiness by working closely with operations teams to ensure seamless transition to live production environments.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for internal business leaders, clients, contractors, and engineering teams throughout the project lifecycle.
• Facilitate regular project meetings, clearly communicate milestones, risks, decisions, and action items, and maintain strong stakeholder engagement.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships across multiple functional areas, including engineering, operations, finance, and procurement.
• Develop project cost estimates and capital expenditure forecasts for multimillion-dollar infrastructure initiatives.
• Track project spending, manage change orders, and analyze financial performance to ensure projects remain within approved budgets.
• Develop and implement recovery plans when necessary to address schedule or budget variances.
• Ensure compliance with applicable building codes, safety standards, OSHA regulations, and industry best practices for data center and mission-critical facilities.
• Promote a strong culture of safety and quality throughout all phases of project delivery.
• Support audits, documentation reviews, and quality assurance programs to maintain high standards of reliability and performance.
• Identify opportunities to improve project delivery methodologies, processes, and operational efficiencies.
• Participate in capacity planning and infrastructure expansion initiatives to support future growth and scalability.
• Capture lessons learned and develop best practices for application to future projects and continuous improvement efforts.

Skills & Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Construction Management, or a related technical field.
• 3+ years of engineering project management experience in data centers, mission-critical facilities, industrial facilities, or large-scale infrastructure projects.
• Proven experience managing multimillion-dollar capital projects from planning through commissioning.
• Strong understanding of electrical building systems, including medium- and low-voltage distribution and backup power infrastructure.
• Strong understanding of mechanical and HVAC building systems, including cooling systems and building automation.
• Experience with project scheduling software such as Microsoft Project or Primavera P6.
• Proficiency with the Microsoft Office Suite for documentation, reporting, and communication.
• Excellent leadership skills with the ability to guide cross-functional teams and external partners.
• Strong communication skills, including the ability to present project status, risks, and decisions to stakeholders.
• Exceptional organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple concurrent tasks, priorities, and deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to ensure compliance with building codes, safety standards, and industry best practices.

Nice to Have

• 5+ years of engineering project management experience in data centers, mission-critical facilities, industrial facilities, or large-scale infrastructure projects.
• PMP (Project Management Professional) certification.
• Data center project experience involving Tier III or Tier IV facilities.
• Experience with commissioning and startup of mission-critical infrastructure systems.
• Knowledge of Uptime Institute standards, TIA-942, and ASHRAE guidelines relevant to data center design and operation.
• Experience managing hyperscale or colocation data center projects.
• Familiarity with BIM/Revit and AutoCAD for reviewing and coordinating design documentation.
• Experience coordinating FATs and SATs as part of structured commissioning processes.
• Experience working in capital planning and infrastructure expansion for high-availability environments.

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Aurora, OH.

The pay range for this position is $48.00 - $60.00/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

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)

This is a hybrid position in Aurora,OH.

This position is anticipated to close on Aug 31, 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 [email protected] 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.