Project Controls Manager- Construction
Fleet Data Centers, Alexandria, VA, United States
Fleet Data Centers Project Controls Manager
Fleet Data Centers designs, builds and operates mega-scale data center campuses. Fleet provides its customers with flexibility and predictability to meet their upside demand forecasts, addressing a key need in the market as traditional leased models are struggling to keep pace with the demand for new Cloud and AI infrastructure. Fleet is led by a team of industry veterans that have already made a lasting imprint on the evolution of global digital infrastructure and are committed and uniquely capable of upleveling data center development scale and operations in the face of rising demand. Fleet is well positioned to bring in-house design, engineering and operational capabilities to collaborate with customers on tailored solutions for campuses of 500MW+. This unique model enables Fleet to provide the world's largest and most sophisticated customers with a seamless extension of their own data center fleets with constant access to design innovation. Fleet is headquartered in Denver, Colorado, with satellite offices in Seattle, WA and Arlington, VA.
The Fleet Data Centers Project Controls Manager owns the end-to-end scope, overall project budget, and project schedule change process across large, multi-phase data center programs. This role ensures that all changes are identified, evaluated, approved, documented, and baselined in a consistent, auditable way, protecting MW delivery dates, yield-on-cost (YoC), and commercial commitments.
The Project Controls Manager partners closely with Schedulers, Build TPMs/Project Managers, Supply chain including Cost Management, Design & Engineering, Construction, Procurement, Finance, and Customer Engineering/Customer Success teams to maintain a single, trusted change register and to drive timely, informed decisions on change events.
Change Governance & Process Ownership
Own the change management framework for data center projects, from change identification through approval and baseline update.
Define and maintain standard procedures, templates, and workflows for internal and external changes (GC, vendor, and customer-driven).
Ensure the process aligns with commercial structures.
Train and coach project teams on change discipline, documentation expectations, and approval thresholds.
Change Identification & Intake
Establish clear mechanisms for capturing change triggers, including:
Customer requests and scope changes
Design development / IFC updates
Field conditions and constructability issues
Utility and power changes
Regulatory or code changes
Facilitate early identification of potential changes through regular interaction with PMs/TPMs, Contractors, designers, and vendor management teams.
Triage and log change events into a centralized change register, assigning ownership and next steps.
Impact Assessment Scope, Budget, and Schedule
Coordinate with Stakeholders and Build TPMs/PMs to assess:
Scope impact (what is changing and why)
Budget impact (incremental cost, contingency, reserve usage, YoC/$/MW impact)
Schedule impact (critical path, float erosion, milestone shifts, EOT needs)
Support or lead Time Impact Analyses (TIA) in partnership with scheduling.
Ensure change packages include clear assumptions, alternatives, and risk implications.
Approvals, Documentation & Baseline Management
Run the change approval workflow in line with Delegation of Authority (DoA), contractual terms, and customer requirements.
Prepare and facilitate change review forums with project leadership, Finance, and, when applicable, customer counterparts.
Ensure all approved changes are:
Reflected in contracts, change orders, and purchase orders by coordinating with responsible teams
Incorporated into cost and schedule baselines in coordination with Project Controls
Traced in the change register with full backup (quotes, calculations, correspondence).
Maintain audit-ready records for internal and external stakeholders.
Customer Engineering/Success
Act as a primary point of contact for change-related discussions with customer Engineering, and internal stakeholders with PMs/TPMs.
Support responsible teams with internal negotiation of change orders and extensions of time (EOT), ensuring commercial impacts are clear and aligned with internal targets.
Provide transparent, structured change summaries for customer engineering and executive reporting, linking changes to MW delivery and commercial outcomes.
Reporting, Analytics & Risk
Maintain a consolidated change log/register at campus/building/MW level, clearly categorized by driver, owner, and status.
Track and report:
Change volumes and values (approved, pending, rejected)
Impacts to cost models
Associated schedule and risk impacts
Identify patterns and systemic drivers of change, recommend mitigation strategies (e.g., design standards, early customer alignment).
Continuous Improvement & Lessons Learned
Lead post-mortem reviews on major changes and completed phases to capture lessons and feed into playbooks.
Recommend improvements to stakeholders across Design, Engineering, Construction, EHS and Security, Supply Chain, Operations, Legal, Finance, et al in order to document/drive efficiency from signal through execution and delivery.
Standardize change metrics and KPIs across the portfolio (e.g., % budget in approved changes, average approval cycle time, impact per MW).
Basic Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Business, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
7+ years of experience in construction, infrastructure, data centers, or large capital projects, with at least 3+ years directly managing change, contracts, or commercial/project controls.
Required Qualifications
Strong understanding of construction contracts, change orders, and extensions of time (EOT).
Experience working with Project Controls (cost & schedule) to quantify change impacts.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including ability to present change impacts to leadership and customers.
High attention to detail with strong documentation and organizational skills.
Preferred
Experience with data center, mission-critical, or industrial projects.
Familiarity with developer/hyperscale commercial structures.
Proficiency with tools such as Primavera P6 / MS Project, cost management systems, and collaboration platforms.
Exposure to negotiations with GCs, vendors, and/or customers on change orders and claims.
Professional certifications (e.g., PMP, AACE (CCP/CEP), or contract management certifications) are a plus.
Location and Travel
Work location is flexible to Seattle, WA, Denver, CO, Austin, TX, or Alexandria, VA. Hybrid 3 days/week in office.
Regular travel, as needed, to Fleet offices as well as to meet with Vendors.
Expected Salary Range
120-150k Base + Discretionary Bonus
Fleet Data Centers Employment
Fleet Data Center employees enjoy competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits, including 100% employer-covered medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401K program, standard paid holidays, and unlimited PTO.
Fleet Data Centers is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants are considered for employment regardless of age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or veteran status.
If you need assistance applying for any of our open positions, please contact us at info@fleetdatacenters.com.
Fleet Data Centers designs, builds and operates mega-scale data center campuses. Fleet provides its customers with flexibility and predictability to meet their upside demand forecasts, addressing a key need in the market as traditional leased models are struggling to keep pace with the demand for new Cloud and AI infrastructure. Fleet is led by a team of industry veterans that have already made a lasting imprint on the evolution of global digital infrastructure and are committed and uniquely capable of upleveling data center development scale and operations in the face of rising demand. Fleet is well positioned to bring in-house design, engineering and operational capabilities to collaborate with customers on tailored solutions for campuses of 500MW+. This unique model enables Fleet to provide the world's largest and most sophisticated customers with a seamless extension of their own data center fleets with constant access to design innovation. Fleet is headquartered in Denver, Colorado, with satellite offices in Seattle, WA and Arlington, VA.
The Fleet Data Centers Project Controls Manager owns the end-to-end scope, overall project budget, and project schedule change process across large, multi-phase data center programs. This role ensures that all changes are identified, evaluated, approved, documented, and baselined in a consistent, auditable way, protecting MW delivery dates, yield-on-cost (YoC), and commercial commitments.
The Project Controls Manager partners closely with Schedulers, Build TPMs/Project Managers, Supply chain including Cost Management, Design & Engineering, Construction, Procurement, Finance, and Customer Engineering/Customer Success teams to maintain a single, trusted change register and to drive timely, informed decisions on change events.
Change Governance & Process Ownership
Own the change management framework for data center projects, from change identification through approval and baseline update.
Define and maintain standard procedures, templates, and workflows for internal and external changes (GC, vendor, and customer-driven).
Ensure the process aligns with commercial structures.
Train and coach project teams on change discipline, documentation expectations, and approval thresholds.
Change Identification & Intake
Establish clear mechanisms for capturing change triggers, including:
Customer requests and scope changes
Design development / IFC updates
Field conditions and constructability issues
Utility and power changes
Regulatory or code changes
Facilitate early identification of potential changes through regular interaction with PMs/TPMs, Contractors, designers, and vendor management teams.
Triage and log change events into a centralized change register, assigning ownership and next steps.
Impact Assessment Scope, Budget, and Schedule
Coordinate with Stakeholders and Build TPMs/PMs to assess:
Scope impact (what is changing and why)
Budget impact (incremental cost, contingency, reserve usage, YoC/$/MW impact)
Schedule impact (critical path, float erosion, milestone shifts, EOT needs)
Support or lead Time Impact Analyses (TIA) in partnership with scheduling.
Ensure change packages include clear assumptions, alternatives, and risk implications.
Approvals, Documentation & Baseline Management
Run the change approval workflow in line with Delegation of Authority (DoA), contractual terms, and customer requirements.
Prepare and facilitate change review forums with project leadership, Finance, and, when applicable, customer counterparts.
Ensure all approved changes are:
Reflected in contracts, change orders, and purchase orders by coordinating with responsible teams
Incorporated into cost and schedule baselines in coordination with Project Controls
Traced in the change register with full backup (quotes, calculations, correspondence).
Maintain audit-ready records for internal and external stakeholders.
Customer Engineering/Success
Act as a primary point of contact for change-related discussions with customer Engineering, and internal stakeholders with PMs/TPMs.
Support responsible teams with internal negotiation of change orders and extensions of time (EOT), ensuring commercial impacts are clear and aligned with internal targets.
Provide transparent, structured change summaries for customer engineering and executive reporting, linking changes to MW delivery and commercial outcomes.
Reporting, Analytics & Risk
Maintain a consolidated change log/register at campus/building/MW level, clearly categorized by driver, owner, and status.
Track and report:
Change volumes and values (approved, pending, rejected)
Impacts to cost models
Associated schedule and risk impacts
Identify patterns and systemic drivers of change, recommend mitigation strategies (e.g., design standards, early customer alignment).
Continuous Improvement & Lessons Learned
Lead post-mortem reviews on major changes and completed phases to capture lessons and feed into playbooks.
Recommend improvements to stakeholders across Design, Engineering, Construction, EHS and Security, Supply Chain, Operations, Legal, Finance, et al in order to document/drive efficiency from signal through execution and delivery.
Standardize change metrics and KPIs across the portfolio (e.g., % budget in approved changes, average approval cycle time, impact per MW).
Basic Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Business, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
7+ years of experience in construction, infrastructure, data centers, or large capital projects, with at least 3+ years directly managing change, contracts, or commercial/project controls.
Required Qualifications
Strong understanding of construction contracts, change orders, and extensions of time (EOT).
Experience working with Project Controls (cost & schedule) to quantify change impacts.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including ability to present change impacts to leadership and customers.
High attention to detail with strong documentation and organizational skills.
Preferred
Experience with data center, mission-critical, or industrial projects.
Familiarity with developer/hyperscale commercial structures.
Proficiency with tools such as Primavera P6 / MS Project, cost management systems, and collaboration platforms.
Exposure to negotiations with GCs, vendors, and/or customers on change orders and claims.
Professional certifications (e.g., PMP, AACE (CCP/CEP), or contract management certifications) are a plus.
Location and Travel
Work location is flexible to Seattle, WA, Denver, CO, Austin, TX, or Alexandria, VA. Hybrid 3 days/week in office.
Regular travel, as needed, to Fleet offices as well as to meet with Vendors.
Expected Salary Range
120-150k Base + Discretionary Bonus
Fleet Data Centers Employment
Fleet Data Center employees enjoy competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits, including 100% employer-covered medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401K program, standard paid holidays, and unlimited PTO.
Fleet Data Centers is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants are considered for employment regardless of age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or veteran status.
If you need assistance applying for any of our open positions, please contact us at info@fleetdatacenters.com.