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Data Center Project Manager, Mechanical
AppleMaiden, North Carolina, United StatesCorporate Functions7+ years
Apply In Places, we don't sit back and let things happen, we make things happen, and we do this in service to all Apple employees and customers. Our team is a diverse and nimble group that manages Apple's retail stores, workplaces, and workplace services. We develop and manage Apple's global real estate portfolio, lead all related capital construction projects, provide outstanding facilities and site services, develop and lead sustainability initiatives to reduce the environmental impact of all Apple facilities, including commute and renewable energy programs, and do everything we can to ensure the health and safety of all Apple personnel, facilities, and customers in our facilities around the world.
The Global Design and Construction team is a collaborative, program-wide organization responsible for delivering mission-critical data center construction projects. Working alongside fellow project managers, engineers, and program leaders, we contribute to a broad portfolio of new data center construction and major capital upgrades.
We are seeking an experienced, collaborative, and highly motivated professional to join our team as a Data Center Project Manager, Mechanical to oversee the full lifecycle of mechanical systems for our data center construction projects, from design and procurement through commissioning and closeout.
This role requires a strong construction project management background with hands-on mechanical oversight experience. The Data Center Project Manager, Mechanical will manage the full mechanical equipment lifecycle, from bid leveling through just-in-time delivery, ensuring alignment with project objectives and program standards.
As a Data Center Construction Project Manager, Mechanical, you will manage mission-critical data center construction projects, ensure the successful delivery of all mechanical systems, and drive project success from planning to closeout. You will work closely with design partners, contractors, and internal operations teams to deliver world-class data center facilities safely, on time, and on budget.
- PROJECT PLANNING & PRE-CONSTRUCTION
- Participate in pre-construction planning including schedule development, contractor procurement support, and scope validation.
- Review and provide input on the Basis of Design (BOD) and Scope of Work (SOW) for mechanical and BMS controls systems, ensuring alignment with project objectives and program standards.
- Attend design review meetings, coordinating with A/E partners with particular attention to mechanical constructability, BMS controls integration, equipment sequencing, and systems coordination.
- Review BMS sequence of operations, control schematics, and points lists during design to ensure completeness, accuracy, and alignment with mechanical system design intent.
- Support value engineering efforts and verify compliance with ASHRAE standards, NFPA 90A, IMC, local mechanical codes, and applicable jurisdictional requirements.
- Coordinate with electrical, controls, and network workstreams to support a fully integrated project design.
- CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT & MECHANICAL OVERSIGHT
- Serve as an owner's representative on assigned projects, overseeing general contractors, mechanical subcontractors, BMS controls contractors, TAB contractors, and specialty vendors within the program team structure.
- Monitor schedule adherence, budget performance, risk identification, and contractor coordination on a day-to-day basis.
- Review contractor submittals for major mechanical equipment including chillers, cooling towers, Computer Room Air Handlers (CRAHs), Computer Room Air Conditioners (CRACs), air handling units (AHUs), pumps, heat exchangers, and associated piping and hydronic systems.
- Review BMS controls submittals including control panel shop drawings, controller hardware selections, points list, network architecture diagrams, and sequence of operations documentation, coordinating review and approval with the engineer of record.
- Manage RFI tracking and resolution, conduct regular site visits, and witness Factory Acceptance Tests (FATs) for critical mechanical and BMS controls equipment.
- Manage change orders, track cost-to-complete, and maintain accurate project reporting for program leadership.
- Enforce site safety programs, OSHA regulations, and applicable mechanical and controls safety standards across all contractors and site personnel.
- MECHANICAL & BMS CONTROLS EQUIPMENT PROCUREMENT & VENDOR MANAGEMENT
- Ensure procurement of all mechanical and BMS controls equipment complies with project specifications, program standards, and applicable code requirements from initial bid through final delivery.
- Oversee bid leveling, PO issuance, and shop drawing review workflows for both mechanical equipment and BMS controls packages, ensuring timely engineer of record review and resolution of all comments prior to release for manufacturing or fabrication.
- Develop and maintain vendor milestone schedules covering submittal durations, approval periods, manufacturing lead times, FAT dates, and required-on-jobsite (ROJ) dates for mechanical and controls equipment, ensuring full integration with the master construction schedule from award through just-in-time delivery.
- Proactively monitor vendor performance, identify schedule risks early, and coordinate corrective actions with vendors and program leadership to protect critical path activities.
- Maintain procurement logs and equipment tracking registers for mechanical and BMS controls packages, providing regular status updates to the program team and Data Center Global Construction Project Manager.
- TEST AND BALANCE (TAB) OVERSIGHT & COORDINATION
- Oversee and coordinate all Test and Balance (TAB) activities across assigned projects, ensuring TAB scope, scheduling, and execution are fully aligned with the mechanical design intent and commissioning plan.
- Review and approve TAB contractor submittals including instrumentation calibration certifications, proposed testing procedures, and preliminary TAB reports prior to field execution.
- Coordinate TAB contractor scheduling with mechanical installation milestones, BMS controls readiness, and the overall commissioning schedule to ensure proper sequencing and avoid rework.
- Monitor TAB field activities through site visits and progress reviews, verifying that air and hydronic system balancing is being performed in accordance with ASHRAE 111, AABC, or NEBB standards as applicable.
- Review final TAB reports for completeness, accuracy, and compliance with design specifications, coordinating resolution of any deficiencies or out-of-tolerance conditions with the mechanical contractor, TAB contractor, and engineer of record.
- Ensure TAB documentation is formally accepted and incorporated into the commissioning and project closeout documentation package.
- Coordinate re-balancing activities as required following BMS controls tuning, equipment replacements, or commissioning-identified deficiencies.
- MECHANICAL & BMS COMMISSIONING & PROJECT CLOSEOUT
- Participate in the development and execution of Commissioning (Cx) Plans, schedules, and checklists for all mechanical and BMS controls systems including chillers, cooling towers, CRAHs, CRACs, AHUs, pumps, heat exchangers, hydronic piping systems, and BMS integration.
- Review and verify equipment settings and BMS controls documentation including chiller control parameters, pump variable frequency drive (VFD) settings, control valve configurations, BAS/BMS setpoints, PID loop tuning parameters, alarm configurations, and hydronic system balancing records against the approved design intent and sequence of operations.
- Coordinate with the mechanical engineer of record, BMS controls engineer, and equipment manufacturers to confirm that final equipment and controls settings are reviewed, approved, and properly documented prior to system startup.
- Coordinate and oversee BMS controls functional testing activities, verifying that all sequences of operations, alarm responses, interlocks, and control loops perform as designed prior to integrated systems testing.
- Manage commissioning deficiency logs for both mechanical and BMS controls scope, ensuring all open items are resolved and closed prior to system acceptance.
- Support Level 1 through Level 5 commissioning activities through Integrated Systems Testing (IST) and full facility acceptance, coordinating with the commissioning agent, contractors, TAB contractor, and equipment vendors.
- Ensure all commissioning documentation packages are complete prior to closeout, including TAB reports, BMS controls functional test records, equipment settings documentation, commissioning checklists, deficiency logs, and system acceptance signoffs.
- Support project closeout including as-built drawings, O&M manuals, BMS as-built graphics and programming documentation, spare parts handover, and operational training for Facilities and Operations teams.
- STAKEHOLDER COORDINATION, REPORTING, & CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
- Collaborate with program team members, operations teams, design partners, and contractors to maintain alignment across all project phases.
- Provide regular project updates to the Data Center Global Construction Project Manager, escalating risks and decisions requiring program-level visibility.
- Support utility coordination, permitting, inspections, and AHJ approvals across assigned project locations.
- Contribute to the continuous improvement of construction standards, mechanical and BMS controls commissioning templates, TAB coordination workflows, procurement processes, and project delivery standards across the broader program.
- Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
- 7+ years of experience focused on hyperscale or large-scale colocation data center construction and commissioning.
- Demonstrated experience managing the mechanical equipment procurement lifecycle including bid leveling, PO issuance, shop drawing review coordination, and vendor milestone schedule management through just-in-time ROJ delivery.
- Hands-on experience developing and executing Commissioning (Cx) Plans, commissioning schedules, and commissioning checklists for mechanical and BMS controls systems.
- Demonstrated experience overseeing and coordinating TAB activities and reporting, including review of TAB submittals, field monitoring, and final report acceptance in accordance with ASHRAE 111, AABC, or NEBB standards.
- Working knowledge of BMS controls systems including sequence of operations development, controls submittals review, functional testing, VFD configurations, BAS/BMS setpoints, PID tuning, and alarm management for mission-critical mechanical infrastructure.
- Working knowledge of data center cooling infrastructure including chilled water systems, cooling towers, CRAHs, CRACs, AHUs, pumps, heat exchangers, and associated piping and hydronic systems.
- Ability to read and interpret construction documents including mechanical plans, piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs), BMS control schematics, points lists, equipment schedules, and specifications.
- Familiarity with ASHRAE standards, NFPA 90A, IMC, and applicable mechanical codes and construction safety standards.
- Ability to travel domestically and internationally approximately 40-50% of the time.
- Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, or equivalent.
- Professional Engineer (PE) license in Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent experience
- Hands-on experience managing Cx Level 1 through Level 5 Integrated Systems Testing (IST) coordination and documentation.
- Strong communication, collaboration, and organizational skills within a matrixed program environment.
- Familiarity with BMS platforms commonly deployed in mission-critical environments such as, Johnson Controls Metasys, or equivalent.
- Familiarity with energy modeling or mechanical system simulation tools.
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