Mechanical Project Manager

Role at a glance

The Project Manager leads data centre development workstreams from design through to operational handover, partnering with a Project Director at the Sydney head office.

About the organisation

Our client is a fast-growing developer, owner and operator of data centres across the Asia-Pacific region, delivering mission-critical digital infrastructure for hyperscale and enterprise customers.

With a presence across several Asia-Pacific markets, it is the dedicated regional data centre platform of a leading global investment firm.

The role

The Project Manager supports the planning, delivery and handover of data centre development projects, from design and procurement through construction, commissioning and operational readiness.

Based in Sydney, you will partner with the Project Director to deliver safe, high-quality outcomes to agreed scope, programme and budget, while maintaining strong customer and stakeholder relationships.

Key responsibilities

Delivery and control

• Lead assigned project workstreams through design, procurement, construction, commissioning, handover and close-out.
• Maintain control of scope, cost, programme, quality and risk, escalating material issues early with clear options and recommendations.
• Develop and maintain integrated delivery programmes, milestones, forecasts and progress reporting, with recovery plans where required.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary design and construction interfaces, with particular focus on electrical and mechanical building services.

Contracts and supply chain

• Manage consultants, head contractors, nominated subcontractors and suppliers in line with contractual obligations and project governance.
• Administer assigned contracts, including variations, claims, payment inputs, deliverables, records and close-out requirements.

Governance and customers

• Chair or contribute to project governance forums, including the Project Control Group and stakeholder meetings, and ensure actions are tracked to completion.
• Act as a key interface for customers and planned site visits, ensuring requirements, dependencies and communications are well managed.
• Build constructive relationships across Development, Operations, Legal and Finance, and communicate effectively with senior stakeholders.

Handover, culture and improvement

• Partner with Operations to plan commissioning, documentation, training, defects management and a smooth operational handover.
• Promote a strong safety, quality and compliance culture across all project activities.
• Capture lessons learned and help improve project delivery systems, standards and repeatable processes as the portfolio scales.

Selection criteria

Essential

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering, or an equivalent technical background.
• Substantial project management experience in complex building, infrastructure or mission-critical environments.
• Demonstrated delivery of large-scale projects, with evidence of operating effectively as project size, complexity, stakeholder numbers and delivery pace increase.
• Strong technical understanding of electrical and mechanical systems and multidisciplinary construction interfaces.
• Commercial and contract administration capability, including cost, programme, risk, change and supplier management.
• Clear written and verbal communication, sound judgement and the ability to influence internal and external stakeholders.

Preferred

• Experience delivering data centre or other mission-critical facilities.
• Recognised project management qualification or professional accreditation.
• Experience across new builds, major expansions, services upgrades, commissioning or live operational environments.
• Experience working with customer technical requirements and leased data hall areas.
• Working knowledge of Australian construction contracts and relevant regulatory requirements.
• Experience supporting portfolio-level standardisation and repeatable delivery practices.

Skills, competencies and success measures

Skills and competencies

• Ownership and delivery focus: follows through on commitments and balances pace with considered decision-making.
• Technical credibility: engages confidently with engineering, construction and operational stakeholders.
• Commercial judgement: understands contractual obligations, project economics and the impact of change.
• Scalable project leadership: applies disciplined governance and adapts delivery approaches to larger, more complex programmes.
• Collaboration and influence: builds trust, communicates directly and works through competing priorities constructively.
• Problem solving: identifies root causes, evaluates options and makes timely, practical recommendations.
• Planning and organisation: manages multiple workstreams, dependencies and deadlines with attention to detail.

Success measures

• Projects and workstreams achieve agreed safety, scope, quality, programme and budget outcomes.
• Risks, issues and changes are identified early, governed effectively and communicated transparently.
• Customers and internal stakeholders receive clear, timely and accurate information.
• Commissioning, documentation and handover are completed to an operationally ready standard.
• Delivery practices become increasingly consistent, repeatable and scalable across the portfolio.