Area Program Delivery Director, Data Center Engineering & Construction

About the Role

Meta is seeking an experienced Area Program Delivery Director to join the Data Center Engineering & Construction Team. Our data centers are the foundation of our rapidly scaling infrastructure and innovative services. Building, operating, and retrofitting data centers efficiently is synonymous with ensuring high uptime, capacity availability, and capital conservation. The Datacenter Engineering and Construction (DEC) team, from chip to chiller, ensures maximum efficiency of our compute infrastructure, and the DEC Program Delivery team is committed to continual optimization of the delivery process. The Area Director will lead a large Meta team and external partners to collaboratively deliver a mega AI enabling infrastructure campus of unprecedented scale and strategic importance to Meta.

The DEC Delivery organization and its sub teams operate in a matrix team structure. The Area Director will have overall responsibility for project success (including all data cabling infrastructure), GC and trade partner relationships, team member development, and relationship management with key cross-functional operational partners (Facilities Operations, Edge Network Services, and Facilities Engineering) in a culture of collaboration, safety, and quality across the data center construction industry. The Area Director will lead an onsite team in a matrixed structure for Safety, QAQC, and Project Controls (Cost + Schedule) toward delivery excellence and predictable outcomes. The entire team, including the Area Director, will be dedicated solely to this campus and located onsite.

Responsibilities

• Set the strategic vision for the project and site team within broad organizational focus areas, interfacing with a wide variety of internal and external teams to achieve cross-program goals.
• Take ownership and accountability for Meta, Infra Data Centers, and DEC values, fostering a collaborative environment of aligned partnership, teamwork, and growth for the project.
• Maintain consistent visibility across multiple teams assigned to functional areas of the project and across external teams.
• Provide coaching, guidance, and input on important project aspects to assure predictable delivery and success.
• Coordinate multiple stakeholder requirements involved in the early turnover of phases within the program schedule.
• Ensure a productive and mutually beneficial owner/vendor relationship with strategic vendors (General Contractors, Cabling Partners, Consultants, Trade Partners) associated with the project.
• Set and maintain clear expectations for partnerships, optimizing value for Meta and providing strategic feedback signals with input from internal stakeholders to achieve successful project delivery and lasting relationships.
• Manage, develop, and recruit (as needed) a core team of full-time onsite staff. Support the growth and development of matrix staff on site. Contingent workforce staff planning and hiring is also a responsibility.
• Provide proactive feedback and performance management to ensure a high-functioning team.
• Negotiate construction contracts and change orders directly with contractors and vendors.
• Proactively monitor project delivery updates, adherence to KPIs, and financial status.
• Build trusted business relationships with all cross-functional teams to ensure positive and collaborative working relationships.
• Role model, foster, and encourage a high-performing, safety-focused culture across all teams, internal/external, involved in the project.
• Build robust communication channels and cultivate relationships to influence the strategy of partner organizations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Quantity Surveying, or an equivalent technical degree and/or 15+ years of experience in project planning and construction management.
• Experience with a variety of construction contract delivery methods commonly used in the US and/or EMEA.
• Experience with the design and deployment of technical electrical and mechanical systems.
• Experience managing and developing direct employees, contractors, subcontractors, and vendor relationships, as well as experience working with standard practices in the design and construction industry.
• Experience with greenfield site development and ground-up construction projects.
• Experience working with local, state, domestic, and international construction building codes and health and safety requirements.
• Knowledge of CPM scheduling methodologies and familiarity with Primavera P6.
• Overall understanding of building systems, including mechanical, electrical, data cabling, building management systems, and fire protection in a data center environment.
• Success in matrixed organization structures.
• Experience with mega greenfield site development projects with large enclosed building areas and large budgets delivered via fast-track integrated and overlapping design and construction schedules.
• Data center development and construction experience.
• Experience in building and cultivating organizations with defined performance goals and accountability structures.