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Director, Vertical Development & Delivery (Data Centers)

Job DescriptionJob Description

Location: Dallas, TX
Department: Data Centers
Employment Type: Full-Time | In-Office | Extensive Travel

Position Overview:
As the Director of Vertical Development & Delivery, you are the primary execution lead for Provident data center delivery—from schematic design through construction, commissioning, and handover. Your mission is to translate Provident’s vertical data center strategy into a repeatable, accelerated project delivery across a multi-project portfolio.
 
In close collaboration with the Data Centers leadership team (and with support from the executive team), you will drive cross functionally to bring Provident’s data center strategy into reality. You will coordinate with a tight ecosystem of internal teams (acquisitions, power, finance, revenue) and external partners (architects, engineers, contractors, major equipment vendors) to compress timelines without compromising performance, safety, or cost discipline. This is a true “builder–operator” role for a leader who thrives on shaving time off the critical path while upholding the highest standards. You will architect and institutionalize our “design-for-deployability” model and systematize speed to market.

This role is field-forward, with time spent on active sites and vendor facilities. On-site presence in our Dallas office is required.

Key Responsibilities:
     Build and Deliver:

  • Own end-to-end vertical execution from schematic design through construction, commissioning, and handover. Align scope, schedule, and budget with portfolio objectives and tenant requirements.
  • Recruit and scale a high-performance team. Drive repeatable processes and maintain a strong field presence to ensure schedule integrity and quality.
  • Coordinate across acquisitions, power, finance, and revenue teams. Engage utilities, regulators, and partners early; pivot quickly if performance or quality slips. Compress critical paths through strategies like phased procurement, off-site fabrication, and early “enablement” work packages. Protect long-lead timelines by securing production slots with vendors and qualifying alternate suppliers.
  • Standardize where possible with kitting, prefabrication, and BIM; leverage adaptive reuse for speed and cost efficiency.
  • Stand up rigorous QA and commissioning processes for electrical and mechanical systems. Implement documented procedures, witness points, and acceptance criteria to ensure 100% uptime readiness at on-time turnover.
  • Champion safety as a first principle, enforcing OSHA and NFPA compliance and holding contractors accountable for safe practices on every site.

     Governance & Cadence:

  • Manage $100M–$1B+ project budgets with strict change control. Align progress with financing milestones and apply value engineering without sacrificing operational reliability.
  • Co-lead the program with executive partners: Operate as a key operational leader within the data center core team. Bring in the right executive input at key project gates for scope, risk, and capital decisions.
  • Run a high-tempo operating rhythm: institute weekly integrated delivery reviews (covering schedule status, key risks, supply chain updates, blockers), monthly portfolio “cost-to-complete” and pacing reviews, and quarterly executive checkpoints. Ensure consistent monitoring of progress and fast escalation of issues.
  • Communicate with clarity: Provide concise, data-driven decision briefs that transparently trade off time, cost, and risk. Use dashboards to expose the true critical path, and issue clear calls to action that unblock progress.
  • Leverage in-house AI tooling: Use (and contribute to) Provident’s internal AI-enablement systems to surface risk signals, forecast schedule slippage, and optimize resource allocation across the portfolio. These tools enhance decision velocity and help maintain execution tempo across multiple concurrent builds.

Qualifications & Experience:
     Basic Qualifications (Required)

  • You’ve delivered complex, fast-track builds end-to-end and can prove it with a portfolio of large commercial/industrial projects—ideally including mission-critical work.
  • End-to-end data center construction leadership at scale. ~12+ years in construction management with 5+ years in senior leadership.
  • Recent AI/HPC delivery leadership. Hands-on leadership delivering AI/HPC data centers or HPC programs in the last 2–3 years—with GPU-dense, high-heat-flux loads (e.g., 30–100+ kW/rack) and readiness for liquid-assisted cooling (direct-to-chip, rear-door heat exchangers).
  • Financial ownership. Stewardship of $100M+ vertical budgets (baselines, draws, change control), disciplined value engineering, and alignment to financial milestones.
  • Fast-track execution delivery record. Proven ability to compress critical paths and hold schedule under pressure while maintaining performance, safety, and cost discipline.
  • Commissioning & reliability rigor. Demonstrated success implementing Level 1–5 commissioning, integrated systems testing (IST), and QA/QC that delivers uptime readiness at turnover.
  • Safety leadership. A track record of OSHA/NFPA compliance and contractor accountability across multi-site programs.
  • Proven ability to source, build, and sustain a team of four or more high-performing direct reports.
  • Education. Bachelor’s in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, or related field (we value execution excellence over pedigree).

     Preferred Qualifications (Differentiators)

  • Industrialized /Modular Delivery. Direct experience deploying a kit-of-parts and off-site fabrication to pull work off the critical path.
  • Adaptive reuse expertise. Rapid evaluation and productized conversion of brownfield assets (structure, envelope, egress, power/cooling upgrades) to AI-ready standards.
  • Deep liquid-cooling integration. Design/implementation experience with direct-to-chip or immersion, facility water systems, CDUs, manifolds, and heat-rejection strategies (including dry coolers and hybrid towers).
  • Regulatory velocity. Permitting on tight timelines, strong AHJ relationships, and utility coordination in Texas and other major DC markets.
  • Program leadership across portfolios. Running 3+ concurrent sites with shared standards, playbooks, and repeatable commissioning scripts.
  • Utility & power coordination. Experience coordinating with utilities on MV/HV interconnects, energization schedules, and substation/interface scope to achieve speed-to-power.
  • Supply chain command. Proven ability to secure long-lead electrical & mechanical and qualify alternates.
  • Sustainability fluency. Balancing PUE/WUE targets, water strategy, and potential heat-reuse or reclaimed-water programs without jeopardizing schedule.
  • Network & credibility. Established relationships with top-tier design-build firms, specialty subs, OEMs, and utilities that accelerate mobilization.
  • Credentials. PMP, PE, LEED AP, or other signals of rigor and professional standards.

Skills & Competencies:

  • Adapts to changes in the work environment, manages competing demands and navigates complex situations, and is able to deal with frequent changes, delays, or unexpected events.
  • Entrepreneurial mindset and a results-driven approach.
  • A “big-picture” person with strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
  • You build lasting relationships. Provident has built its 30+ year reputation on integrity, execution, and meaningful partnerships. You know that trust and respect—inside and outside the organization—are the foundation for long-term success.
  • You thrive with leaders who set a high bar. If you work best with accessible leaders who challenge you, support you, and expect you to raise the standard, you’ll fit right in.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present effectively to investors, partners, and public stakeholders.
  • Ability to work independently, managing multiple high-priority projects simultaneously.
  • Relentless drive for mastering the craft, demonstrating a curiosity and commitment to deepening expertise in data center real estate development.

Company Overview:
Since its inception in 1991, Provident has developed over $10 Billion of real estate projects.  We are disciplined and focused on executing deals that offer the best strategy for Provident and our investor partners. With over three decades of experience with opportunistic land development and vertical development in various key U.S. markets, our company thrives on an entrepreneurial spirit and an excellent track record of success. 
Over the past 30+ years, Provident has executed a diversified real estate investment and development platform. Currently, the $2.9 billion portfolio includes product types such as multi-family, industrial, master-planned communities, hospitality, retail, office, mixed-use, and data centers across the United States.
Under the leadership of Leon Backes and Jay Hawes, Provident is a respected, well-capitalized investment firm, that has thrived through three decades and multiple market cycles with foresight, depth of experience, and a unique ability to adapt to shifting demands, market trends, and challenging economic cycles. Provident is in constant pursuit of flexibility, innovation, and professionalism in its operations and investments. By maintaining a streamlined decision-making process, Provident is able to capitalize on fast-moving opportunities and rapidly adjust to dynamic market forces.

Why Join Provident Data Centers?
As a division of Provident, which has over three decades of real estate development experience, Provident Data Centers streamlines power studies, land acquisition, engineering, and construction for enterprise, hyperscale, and telecom clients.

Provident first entered the data center industry in 1999, transforming Dallas Northtown Mall into a 140,000-square-foot data center leased to Southwestern Bell (now AT&T). This notable project was secured in under a week, winning ULI awards and industry recognition.

  • Extensive record of delivering shovel-ready, power intensive sites ranging from 200MW to GW+ for hyperscale AI customers.
  • Industry-leading developer with strong financial backing.
  • Competitive compensation package, including performance-based incentives.
  • Collaborative, high-performance culture that values innovation and entrepreneurial thinking.

Benefits:

  • Health, Dental, Vision Insurance
  • Company-Provided Life Insurance and Long-Term Insurance
  • 401k with company match
  • 529 College Savings Plan
  • 3 Weeks PTO
  • Paid Holidays
  • Maternity/Paternity Leave

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