Roles · Data center infrastructure
Construction managers, project managers and superintendents for data center programs
Data center construction and project leads deliver the build: they manage general contractors, hold scope, schedule, quality and budget, and steer the site through commissioning to ready-for-service. Hyperscalers and AI cloud providers hire them as owner’s representatives, and Kernavique fills these roles through permanent search. Amazon published a base range of $125,400 to $187,300 for a Sr. Construction Manager, Data Center Construction, in Shreveport, Louisiana (read October 11, 2026).
Last updated
Construction and project lead
What the role does
- Acts as the owner’s representative on site, from pre-construction to closeout.
- Owns scope, quality, schedule and budget, measured against committed ready-for-service dates.
- Writes scopes and requests for proposal, then manages general contractors through bid, award, execution, punch list and closeout.
- Runs project controls, including submittals, requests for information, change orders and pay applications, and leads on safety compliance.
- Reviews electrical and mechanical designs for constructability, and supports commissioning and integrated systems testing.
- As superintendent, runs the field: sequencing, trade coordination and daily production.
Skills and credentials
Data center delivery experience
CoreWeave asks for 7+ years of construction project management, 3+ years on data centers and $100M+ contract values. Microsoft asks for 10+ years and prefers 12+ years on data center projects.
PMP
CoreWeave’s Senior Construction Manager ad prefers the Project Management Professional certification, and Oracle’s Sr. Manager, Data Center Construction Management lists PMP, PgMP and PMI-SP among its certifications.
LEED AP
Preferred in CoreWeave’s Senior Construction Manager ad. The U.S. Green Building Council says LEED APs must earn 30 continuing education hours within two years of passing their exam.
MEP and low-voltage coordination
CoreWeave centers its role on MEP and low-voltage coordination and commissioning, and Amazon’s Sr. Construction Manager reviews electrical and mechanical designs for constructability.
Site safety
Microsoft’s Construction Project Manager leads on safety and regulatory compliance, including OSHA, though the ad asks for no card. OSHA says its 30-hour Outreach class suits supervisors or workers with some safety responsibility.
What the market pays
7,481 MW
Data center capacity under construction in H1 2026 across eight primary North American markets, above the previous high reached in 2024.
CBRE, press release, August 27, 2026
More than 80%
Share of North American capacity under construction already preleased, up from 74.3% a year earlier (CBRE, August 27, 2026).
CBRE, press release, August 27, 2026
79%
Approximate share of North American markets reporting shortages or severe shortages, according to Turner & Townsend (July 8, 2026).
Turner & Townsend, press release, July 8, 2026
$114,990
2025 median pay for construction managers in the US, across all industries.
BLS, Occupational Outlook Handbook, August 27, 2026
- Amazon (AWS)
$125,400 to $187,300 a year
Sr. Construction Manager, Data Center Construction
USA, LA, Shreveport. Base salary.
- Amazon (AWS)
$111,300 to $186,100 a year
Construction Manager, AMER
USA, VA, Sterling. Base salary.
- Microsoft
IC5: $116,900 to $203,600 a year
Construction Project Manager
United States, Indiana, Indianapolis. Base salary, typical U.S. range (not local).
- Microsoft
IC6: $130,900 to $277,200 a year
Senior Construction Project Manager
United States, Indiana, Indianapolis. Base salary, typical U.S. range (not local).
- CoreWeave
$143,000 to $210,000
Senior Construction Manager - Data Center Construction
West Chicago, IL. Base salary.
- Oracle
$91,400 to $187,000 a year
Data Center Construction Manager
United States; NM. Not stated; hiring range, bonus and equity separate.
- Crusoe
up to $140,000 - $170,000 + Bonus
Construction Manager - Spark
Dallas, TX; Denver, CO. Not stated; plus bonus.
- Fluidstack
$200K – $253K
Construction Project Manager
Austin, TX; New York, NY; U.S. Remote. Not stated; salary, plus equity.
- Fluidstack
$155K – $253K
Construction Superintendent
Travelling. Not stated; salary, plus equity.
- Lambda
$188K – $250K
Data Center Construction Site Foreman (Reno)
Reno, NV - Data Center. Not stated; salary.
| Employer | Role, as titled in the ad | Location | Published range | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon (AWS) | Sr. Construction Manager, Data Center Construction | USA, LA, Shreveport | $125,400 to $187,300 a year | Base salary |
| Amazon (AWS) | Construction Manager, AMER | USA, VA, Sterling | $111,300 to $186,100 a year | Base salary |
| Microsoft | Construction Project Manager | United States, Indiana, Indianapolis | IC5: $116,900 to $203,600 a year | Base salary, typical U.S. range (not local) |
| Microsoft | Senior Construction Project Manager | United States, Indiana, Indianapolis | IC6: $130,900 to $277,200 a year | Base salary, typical U.S. range (not local) |
| CoreWeave | Senior Construction Manager - Data Center Construction | West Chicago, IL | $143,000 to $210,000 | Base salary |
| Oracle | Data Center Construction Manager | United States; NM | $91,400 to $187,000 a year | Not stated; hiring range, bonus and equity separate |
| Crusoe | Construction Manager - Spark | Dallas, TX; Denver, CO | up to $140,000 - $170,000 + Bonus | Not stated; plus bonus |
| Fluidstack | Construction Project Manager | Austin, TX; New York, NY; U.S. Remote | $200K – $253K | Not stated; salary, plus equity |
| Fluidstack | Construction Superintendent | Travelling | $155K – $253K | Not stated; salary, plus equity |
| Lambda | Data Center Construction Site Foreman (Reno) | Reno, NV - Data Center | $188K – $250K | Not stated; salary |
Ranges are copied as each employer published them, and many span several levels. Microsoft’s are typical US ranges rather than local ones, and Crusoe publishes “up to” a span plus bonus. Each employer links to its ad. All read October 11, 2026.
How we fill it
- Engineering search
Search
Permanent construction managers, project managers and superintendents for a named data center program, on the owner’s side or the builder’s. We write that distinction into the brief, because it changes who we approach.
- Team builds
Search
For a new campus, we hire the delivery team in sequence against one plan, starting with the lead so they can shape the rest.
- Market mapping
Search
Before a search in a new hub, we map who has delivered data center builds there, for which owners and contractors, and what would move them.
- Compensation Benchmarking
Advisory
Pay for construction and project roles by hub and level, with every figure tied to a named employer and a dated job ad.
In demand in: Northern Virginia, Dallas–Fort Worth
Questions buyers ask
- What does a data center construction manager earn?
- In ads we read on October 11, 2026, Amazon published base ranges of $111,300 to $186,100 for a Construction Manager in Sterling, Virginia, and $125,400 to $187,300 for a Sr. Construction Manager in Shreveport, Louisiana. CoreWeave published a base range of $143,000 to $210,000 for a Senior Construction Manager in West Chicago, Illinois. Across all industries, the Bureau of Labor Statistics put 2025 median pay for construction managers at $114,990 (Occupational Outlook Handbook, last modified August 27, 2026).
- What is the difference between a construction manager, a project manager and a superintendent?
- In the ads we read, the construction manager is usually the owner’s representative on site, managing general contractors from bid to closeout. The project manager title often centers on project controls and reporting, as in Microsoft’s Construction Project Manager role, and the superintendent runs the field: sequencing, trade coordination and daily production. The titles overlap: CoreWeave’s Senior Construction Manager ad calls the role a Senior Data Center Construction Project Manager in its text. So we brief on the work rather than the title.
- Do you hire for owners or for general contractors?
- Both. An owner’s construction manager oversees the general contractor, as in Amazon’s and CoreWeave’s ads, while a contractor’s team delivers the work. We write which side the role sits on into the brief, because it changes who we approach.
- Which certifications do data center construction managers need?
- The ads we read ask for experience first. CoreWeave wants 7+ years of construction project management, 3+ years on data centers and $100M+ contract values, and prefers PMP and LEED AP. Oracle’s Sr. Manager, Data Center Construction Management lists PMP, PgMP, PMI-SP, PSP and Lean Six Sigma among its certifications.
- Why are data center construction leads in demand?
- Construction is at a record and the trades are short. In a press release of August 27, 2026, CBRE counted 7,481 MW under construction in H1 2026 across eight primary North American markets, above the previous high reached in 2024. In a press release of July 8, 2026, Turner & Townsend reported shortages or severe shortages in approximately 79% of North American markets. Each of those builds needs someone to lead it on the owner’s side and on the contractor’s.
Terms on this page
- MEP
- Mechanical, electrical and plumbing: the building-services trades and engineering in a data center.
- OSHA
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the US federal workplace safety agency. OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 are its outreach training courses.
- MW
- Megawatt. Data center size is usually given in megawatts of power capacity.
- H1
- The first half of the year, January to June.
Sources
- 01
Amazon, Sr. Construction Manager, Data Center Construction (job ad)
Dated Sep 4, 2026. Read Oct 11, 2026. amazon.jobs
- 02
Amazon, Construction Manager, AMER (job ad)
Dated Sep 18, 2026. Read Oct 11, 2026. amazon.jobs
- 03
Microsoft, Construction Project Manager, Indianapolis (job ad)
Dated Oct 1, 2026. Read Oct 11, 2026. apply.careers.microsoft.com
- 04
Microsoft, Senior Construction Project Manager, Indianapolis (job ad)
Dated Sep 17, 2026. Read Oct 11, 2026. apply.careers.microsoft.com
- 05
CoreWeave, Senior Construction Manager - Data Center Construction (job ad)
Dated Sep 21, 2026. Read Oct 11, 2026. coreweave.com
- 06
Oracle, Data Center Construction Manager (job ad)
Dated Sep 29, 2026. Read Oct 11, 2026. careers.oracle.com
Show all 16 sourcesShow fewer sources
- 07
Oracle, Sr. Manager, Data Center Construction Management (job ad)
Dated Sep 28, 2026. Read Oct 11, 2026. careers.oracle.com
- 08
Crusoe, Construction Manager - Spark (job ad)
Dated Sep 23, 2026. Read Oct 11, 2026. jobs.ashbyhq.com
- 09
Fluidstack, Construction Project Manager (job ad)
Dated Sep 28, 2026. Read Oct 11, 2026. jobs.ashbyhq.com
- 10
Fluidstack, Construction Superintendent (job ad)
Dated Jul 17, 2026. Read Oct 11, 2026. jobs.ashbyhq.com
- 11
Lambda, Data Center Construction Site Foreman (Reno) (job ad)
Dated Sep 23, 2026. Read Oct 11, 2026. jobs.ashbyhq.com
- 12
CBRE, North American Data Center Demand Continues to Outpace Supply Despite Record Construction Activity
Dated Aug 27, 2026. Read Oct 11, 2026. cbre.com
- 13
Turner & Townsend, Growth of AI infrastructure driving job creation in global construction market
Dated Jul 8, 2026. Read Oct 11, 2026. turnerandtownsend.com
- 14
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Construction Managers
Dated Aug 27, 2026. Read Oct 11, 2026. bls.gov
- 15
U.S. Green Building Council, LEED AP with specialty | U.S. Green Building Council
Read Oct 11, 2026. usgbc.org
- 16
OSHA, Outreach Training Program | Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Read Oct 11, 2026. osha.gov