Principal Data Center Construction Lead

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) is seeking a Principal Data Center Construction Lead to provide senior field leadership for the delivery of hyperscale AI data center construction in Shackelford, Texas. This role serves as one of the senior construction leaders on-site, responsible for leading Construction Managers and driving safe, predictable, and high-quality execution across multiple buildings, systems, or major discipline scopes while ensuring alignment with OCI's aggressive delivery milestones.

The Principal Data Center Construction Manager Lead provides strategic field leadership by directing daily construction execution, coordinating multiple contractor organizations, removing execution barriers, driving schedule performance, and ensuring construction activities are executed in accordance with Oracle's safety, quality, commissioning, and operational readiness standards. This position serves as the primary escalation point for complex field issues and partners closely with project leadership, design, commissioning, operations, and contractor leadership to successfully deliver world-class AI infrastructure.

This is a highly visible field leadership position requiring exceptional construction management experience, strong executive communication skills, and the ability to lead large multidisciplinary teams through fast-paced hyperscale construction programs.

This position is based in Shackelford, Texas, approximately 20 miles from the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Abilene AI Data Center. This is an onsite position and does not offer remote flexibility. We are seeking candidates who are local to the area or open to relocating to Abilene. Oracle offers relocation assistance for eligible candidates.

Responsibilities

• Lead field execution across multiple buildings, campus zones, systems, or major discipline scopes throughout all phases of construction. 
• Provide direct leadership, coaching, and oversight for Construction Managers responsible for assigned buildings and trade disciplines. 
• Drive safe, predictable, and high-quality execution while reinforcing Oracle's culture of safety, accountability, and operational excellence. 
• Partner with General Contractors, EPC partners, subcontractors, trade partners, and contractor leadership to ensure alignment on execution strategy and project priorities. 
• Lead daily field coordination meetings, execution planning, constraint resolution, and schedule recovery efforts. 
• Monitor construction progress, productivity, manpower, workface planning, logistics, sequencing, and milestone achievement across assigned areas. 
• Identify execution risks, schedule impacts, resource constraints, and field conflicts while developing proactive mitigation and recovery plans. 
• Ensure construction activities align with approved schedules, commissioning milestones, turnover plans, and operational readiness objectives. 
• Drive field accountability for quality, installation standards, inspection readiness, and reduction of rework. 
• Partner closely with QA/QC, commissioning, engineering, controls, logistics, scheduling, safety, procurement, and operations teams to support integrated project delivery. 
• Oversee turnover planning, punch-list completion, system readiness, and successful transition to commissioning and startup. 
• Support executive project reporting by providing accurate field status, milestone forecasts, productivity updates, risk assessments, and recovery recommendations. 
• Resolve complex field execution issues requiring cross-functional coordination and executive-level decision-making. 
• Promote consistent construction management practices, mentoring, and leadership development across the OCI construction organization. 
• Maintain a highly visible field presence through daily site walks, contractor engagement, and active leadership of construction activities. 

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, or a related technical discipline, or equivalent construction leadership experience. 
• 10+ years of experience managing construction execution on large-scale, complex mission-critical or industrial construction projects. 
• 5+ years of experience leading Construction Managers, Superintendents, field engineers, or multidisciplinary construction teams. 
• Demonstrated experience delivering hyperscale data centers, mission-critical facilities, semiconductor, advanced manufacturing, industrial, energy, pharmaceutical, or other technically complex infrastructure projects. 
• Extensive knowledge of construction sequencing, contractor management, workface planning, productivity analysis, schedule execution, and field coordination. 
• Proven ability to lead multiple contractors and stakeholders within fast-track, multi-billion-dollar construction environments. 
• Strong understanding of commissioning-driven delivery, phased turnover, startup planning, and operational readiness. 
• Ability to read and interpret construction drawings, specifications, schedules, commissioning plans, turnover documentation, and contractor execution plans. 
• Demonstrated experience identifying project risks, resolving complex construction issues, and driving schedule recovery initiatives. 
• Strong understanding of construction safety programs, quality management systems, field inspections, and owner-side construction governance. 
• Excellent leadership, communication, negotiation, and executive presentation skills.  
• Ability to work primarily onsite with approximately 90–95% field engagement. 
• Proven ability to thrive in fast-paced, rapidly evolving, high-growth construction environments while maintaining strong ownership and accountability. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading construction delivery for hyperscale cloud or AI data center campuses. 
• Experience serving in an Owner's Representative, Construction Management, EPC, or General Contractor leadership role. 
• Strong understanding of electrical, mechanical, structural, civil, architectural, controls, network, and commissioning systems supporting mission-critical facilities. 
• Experience leading multiple Construction Managers or integrated construction teams across large campus developments. 
• Demonstrated success delivering fast-track construction programs with aggressive commissioning and occupancy milestones. 
• Experience managing construction execution utilizing Lean Construction, Last Planner®, pull planning, workface planning, or advanced planning methodologies. 
• Familiarity with Primavera P6, Oracle Primavera Cloud, Oracle Aconex, Procore, Autodesk Construction Cloud, Power BI, Tableau, Smartsheet, or similar project controls and reporting platforms. 
• Experience supporting executive reporting, portfolio-level construction governance, and strategic delivery planning across multiple concurrent projects. 

 

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Minimum Job Qualifications
Education and/or Experience:
15 years of experience in construction project management

OR

Bachelor's Degree in Construction Management, Engineering, or related field AND 11 years of experience in construction project management

OR

Master's Degree in Construction Management, Engineering, or related field AND 9 years of experience in construction project management

OR

Doctorate in Construction Management, Engineering, or related field AND 7 years of experience in construction project management.

Job Skills:
Same as prior level

Preferred Job Qualifications
Education and/or Experience:
16 years of experience in construction project management

OR

Bachelor's Degree in Construction Management, Engineering, or related field AND 12 years of experience in construction project management

OR

Master's Degree in Construction Management, Engineering, or related field AND 10 years of experience in construction project management

OR

Doctorate in Construction Management, Engineering, or related field AND 8 years of experience in construction project management.

People Leadership / Management Experience:
2 years of experience in a leadership role with or without direct reports.
Budget Experience:
4 years of experience working with operating budgets and/or project financials.