VP Campus Delivery

VP, Campus Delivery (Data Center Program) | Dallas and Phoenix (on-site)

Overview

A leading co-location data center operator is seeking a VP, Campus Delivery to take end-to-end accountability for the safe, on-time, on-budget delivery of large-scale, multi-phase data center campus programs across Dallas and Phoenix. This role leads cross-functional delivery across real estate, design/engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, and operations readiness-ensuring each phase achieves schedule milestones, technical requirements, and commercial outcomes.

The VP, Campus Delivery will serve as the single point of accountability for campus-level execution, providing clear visibility on progress, risks, and financial performance, and ensuring governance standards are maintained throughout the program lifecycle.

Key responsibilities

Campus program leadership and delivery

Own end-to-end delivery of multi-building, multi-phase data center campuses including shared site infrastructure (power, substations/switchyards interface, civils, network/meet-me elements, utilities, roads, security, and controls)

Establish and manage the campus master schedule, phase sequencing, and critical path controls across design, procurement, construction, commissioning, and handover

Drive a high-performing delivery cadence across internal teams and external partners (EPCs/GCs, designers, commissioning agents, OEMs, utilities, and AHJs)

Ensure delivery aligns with the operator's standards for resiliency, maintainability, safety, customer experience, and operational excellence

Budget, cost control and commercial governance

Own campus CAPEX performance, including forecasting, change control, contingency governance, and cost-to-complete reporting

Review/approve contractor pay applications, change orders, claims, and risk allowances in line with delegation-of-authority frameworks

Maintain cash flow forecasting and ensure timely identification/escalation of cost and schedule risks with actionable mitigation options

Partner with finance and leadership to support investment committee materials and decision-making

Risk, quality, safety and compliance

Lead risk management across schedule, cost, quality, safety, and technical performance; maintain a live risk register and mitigation plans

Ensure compliance with internal governance, documentation standards, and audit requirements; maintain investor/lender-ready reporting

Drive safety leadership across all sites, ensuring adherence to EHS standards and proactive corrective actions

Enforce quality management practices including inspections, test plans, and non-conformance resolution

Technical delivery and operational readiness

Ensure builds meet co-location requirements including scalability, concurrent maintainability targets, commissioning/IST expectations, and serviceability for operations

Coordinate design reviews and technical decision-making across MEP, controls/BMS/EPMS, security, and network readiness as applicable

Partner with operations to ensure smooth handover: staffing readiness, training, spares strategy, O&M documentation, SOPs, and acceptance criteria

Ensure commissioning and turnover processes deliver complete, accurate, and auditable documentation packages

Stakeholder management and communication

Provide regular executive updates covering progress, risks, cost, schedule, and cash position

Escalate issues early with clear mitigation actions, options, and decisions required

Align internal stakeholders across real estate, engineering, construction, operations, sales, and customer delivery to support business priorities

Manage key external relationships including utilities, AHJs, critical OEMs, and strategic contractors

Qualifications and experience

10+ years' experience leading large-scale infrastructure or mission-critical construction programs; data center campus delivery strongly preferred

Demonstrated experience delivering multi-phase programs with complex schedule/cost controls and governance requirements

Strong understanding of data center construction, power infrastructure interfaces, and commissioning/handover best practices for co-location environments

Proven leadership of cross-functional teams and multiple workstreams under tight timelines and CAPEX constraints

Strong commercial and contractual capability, including change management, claims mitigation, and vendor performance management

Comfortable producing board/investment committee-quality reporting and operating in high-accountability environments

Preferred experience

Experience delivering co-location facilities with customer-driven delivery timelines and operational acceptance standards

Familiarity with utility coordination, long-lead procurement (gensets, switchgear, transformers, chillers/cooling), and phased energization strategies

Background working with EPC/GC delivery partners and managing commissioning agents/IST processes

Working conditions

On-site presence required across Dallas and Phoenix campuses with regular travel between sites

Occasional travel for vendor meetings, factory witness testing, and corporate stakeholder reviews

Success measures (example)

Milestone delivery to approved schedule and phasing plan

CAPEX and contingency discipline with transparent forecasting and controlled change

Safety performance and audit readiness across all sites

Commissioning/handover quality and operational readiness (documentation completeness, acceptance, smooth transition to ops)

If you want, I can also produce (1) a shorter, advert-style version for posting, and (2) an "executive search" confidential brief version for outreach.