Director, Intake, Planning

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Program Strategy & Early Planning

· Lead the early planning phase for new data center builds—from concept through "Ready-to-Build (R2B)"—coordinating inputs across Platform Delivery, Commercial, Engineering, Procurement, and Commissioning & Quality.

· Establish and maintain the program roadmap and integrated master schedule (IMS) with defined gate reviews (Feasibility → Design → Procurement → R2B → Handoff).

· Translate business requirements and customer demand into executable deployment plans that balance schedule, cost, and risk.

· Partner with Feasibility and Constructability teams to validate site readiness, design maturity, and utility timing.

· Maintain and communicate program risk registers and decision logs; drive proactive mitigation and issue resolution with clear accountability.

· Orchestrate stage-gate reviews (Intake → Feasibility → Concept → Funding) with crisp executive readouts and decision memos.

· Partner with stakeholder teams on site feasibility, aligning with delivery teams to ensure market and infrastructure readiness.

· Assist with building and maintaining cost models for new market entry and build-to-suit projects—both nationally and internationally—and provide pre-construction support to revenue teams during the RFP process.

· Collaborate closely with Procurement, Platform, and Finance during the pre-con process to define production requirements and resolve challenges.

· Work directly with stakeholder and Platform Delivery teams to optimize and improve project delivery schedules and efficiencies.

· Publish executive one-pagers and dashboards summarizing scope, cost, schedule, risk, and gating status.

· Coordinate with teams on permitting strategy and community/authority engagement plans, ensuring key requirements and due dates are reflected in planning schedules.

Design Integration & Technical Readiness

· Lead coordination across engineering disciplines (civil, structural, electrical, mechanical, controls) to ensure designs align with Aligned's productized templates, DFMA/OSM standards, and modular assembly philosophy.

· Partner with Engineering to coordinate design readiness reviews at key milestones (30/60/90/IFC) to confirm constructability, scope completeness, and schedule alignment.

· Partner with Commissioning & Quality & Engineering teams to ensure early commissioning readiness (L1–L5/IST) is embedded into design deliverables to support factory-first testing and accelerated start-up.

· Partner with Platform Engineering to integrate lessons learned, value engineering, and reliability improvements into future design iterations.

· Conduct technical review of construction and architectural plans to ensure alignment with Aligned's design standards and customer requirements; communicate conceptual designs and documentation to internal teams prior to and during construction.

· Collaborate with stakeholders to ensure timely and accurate communication of design status, cost modeling, and risk assessments across all active programs.

· Provide expertise in data center infrastructure to guide customers through base build and fit-out phases, ensuring facilities meet both operational and technical requirements.

Schedule, Cost, & Risk Governance

· Lead efforts creating Level 2/3 preliminary schedules and key milestones (permits, utilities, long-lead PO dates).

· Lead efforts to build and maintain integrated master schedules in Primavera P6 or MS Project, capturing all dependencies—design, procurement, permitting, and long-lead manufacturing.

· Maintain cost models and variance logs; partner with Commercial/Pre-Construction and Finance to ensure estimates reflect scope evolution and current market conditions.

· Lead efforts to quantify and manage schedule, cost, and delivery risks; provide leadership with actionable mitigation plans.

· Lead R2B readiness reviews confirming closure of all open items before construction mobilization.

· Provide weekly and monthly executive dashboards summarizing schedule health, cost performance, and risk exposure.

· Lead cost/design/schedule validation workshops; document outcomes and actions.

· Assist in setup and management of project budgets according to senior leadership's project controls procedures; maintain accuracy through Aligned's cost tracking system.

· Ownership of communication of design status, cost modeling, and risk assessment, ensuring alignment across all internal and external stakeholders.

· Identify potential project risks early, partner with stakeholders to develop mitigation strategies to ensure successful outcomes throughout the project lifecycle.

Procurement, Logistics, & Supply Chain Alignment

· Collaborate with ADC Procurement and the Director of Delivery Planning to identify long-lead materials, factory capacity, and shipping constraints to protect schedule.

· Develop and coordinate make/buy/mix strategies for skidded and modular assemblies; confirm supplier capacity and slotting align with the master plan.

· Support pre-purchase and early-release packages for long-lead equipment (switchgear, transformers, UPS, chillers, busway, controls).

· Partner with ADC Procurement & Director of Delivery Planning to validate vendor logistics, packaging, and environmental controls (shock/tilt/temp/humidity) to preserve warranties and ensure smooth delivery to site.

· Support day-to-day program activities and initiatives, engaging with architects, consultants, and equipment providers to ensure material readiness and supplier coordination.

· Align with PD and Procurement teams to ensure contractual dates and vendor requirements are accurately communicated and reflected in program schedules.

Permitting, Utilities, & Site Readiness

· Track and assist in managing permitting, utility interconnection, and entitlement milestones; as required, engage directly with AHJs and utility partners to ensure transparency and pace.

· Validate site readiness—including access, temporary works, and safety planning—prior to handoff to Construction Delivery.

· Ensure all enabling works, procurement activities, and long-lead items are synchronized with the construction start plan.

· Coordinate efforts ensuring permit matrices are created, maintained, and socialized with all stakeholders throughout the planning phase.

Transition to Construction Delivery

· Lead the formal Ready-to-Build (R2B) process, ensuring every element of the project is validated and approved before construction start.

· Deliver a complete handoff package including:

o Final IFC design set and revision log

o Baseline schedule and cost model

o Risk register and mitigation plan

o Commissioning & quality plan

o Logistics & warranty documentation

o Governance and lessons-learned summary

· Conduct a structured handoff meeting with Construction Delivery to confirm scope continuity, accountability, and execution readiness.

· Partner with stakeholder teams to align on contractual and technical requirements prior to construction start to ensure seamless transition.

Continuous Improvement & Leadership

· Capture and document lessons learned post-handoff and incorporate them into Aligned's Platform Delivery Playbooks.

· Drive continuous improvement in planning & pre-construction governance, process efficiency, and documentation consistency.

· Mentor Construction Managers and Project Controls staff in early-phase integration, schedule management, and stakeholder communication.

· Own all administrative duties associated with Aligned technical programs, ensuring consistent documentation, reporting accuracy, and internal transparency.

Program Strategy & Early Planning

· Lead the early planning phase for new data center builds—from concept through "Ready-to-Build (R2B)"—coordinating inputs across Platform Delivery, Commercial, Engineering, Procurement, and Commissioning & Quality.

· Establish and maintain the program roadmap and integrated master schedule (IMS) with defined gate reviews (Feasibility → Design → Procurement → R2B → Handoff).

· Translate business requirements and customer demand into executable deployment plans that balance schedule, cost, and risk.

· Partner with Feasibility and Constructability teams to validate site readiness, design maturity, and utility timing.

· Maintain and communicate program risk registers and decision logs; drive proactive mitigation and issue resolution with clear accountability.

· Orchestrate stage-gate reviews (Intake → Feasibility → Concept → Funding) with crisp executive readouts and decision memos.

· Partner with stakeholder teams on site feasibility, aligning with delivery teams to ensure market and infrastructure readiness.

· Assist with building and maintaining cost models for new market entry and build-to-suit projects—both nationally and internationally—and provide pre-construction support to revenue teams during the RFP process.

· Collaborate closely with Procurement, Platform, and Finance during the pre-con process to define production requirements and resolve challenges.

· Work directly with stakeholder and Platform Delivery teams to optimize and improve project delivery schedules and efficiencies.

· Publish executive one-pagers and dashboards summarizing scope, cost, schedule, risk, and gating status.

· Coordinate with teams on permitting strategy and community/authority engagement plans, ensuring key requirements and due dates are reflected in planning schedules.

Design Integration & Technical Readiness

· Lead coordination across engineering disciplines (civil, structural, electrical, mechanical, controls) to ensure designs align with Aligned's productized templates, DFMA/OSM standards, and modular assembly philosophy.

· Partner with Engineering to coordinate design readiness reviews at key milestones (30/60/90/IFC) to confirm constructability, scope completeness, and schedule alignment.

· Partner with Commissioning & Quality & Engineering teams to ensure early commissioning readiness (L1–L5/IST) is embedded into design deliverables to support factory-first testing and accelerated start-up.

· Partner with Platform Engineering to integrate lessons learned, value engineering, and reliability improvements into future design iterations.

· Conduct technical review of construction and architectural plans to ensure alignment with Aligned's design standards and customer requirements; communicate conceptual designs and documentation to internal teams prior to and during construction.

· Collaborate with stakeholders to ensure timely and accurate communication of design status, cost modeling, and risk assessments across all active programs.

· Provide expertise in data center infrastructure to guide customers through base build and fit-out phases, ensuring facilities meet both operational and technical requirements.

Schedule, Cost, & Risk Governance

· Lead efforts creating Level 2/3 preliminary schedules and key milestones (permits, utilities, long-lead PO dates).

· Lead efforts to build and maintain integrated master schedules in Primavera P6 or MS Project, capturing all dependencies—design, procurement, permitting, and long-lead manufacturing.

· Maintain cost models and variance logs; partner with Commercial/Pre-Construction and Finance to ensure estimates reflect scope evolution and current market conditions.

· Lead efforts to quantify and manage schedule, cost, and delivery risks; provide leadership with actionable mitigation plans.

· Lead R2B readiness reviews confirming closure of all open items before construction mobilization.

· Provide weekly and monthly executive dashboards summarizing schedule health, cost performance, and risk exposure.

· Lead cost/design/schedule validation workshops; document outcomes and actions.

· Assist in setup and management of project budgets according to senior leadership's project controls procedures; maintain accuracy through Aligned's cost tracking system.

· Ownership of communication of design status, cost modeling, and risk assessment, ensuring alignment across all internal and external stakeholders.

· Identify potential project risks early, partner with stakeholders to develop mitigation strategies to ensure successful outcomes throughout the project lifecycle.

Procurement, Logistics, & Supply Chain Alignment

· Collaborate with ADC Procurement and the Director of Delivery Planning to identify long-lead materials, factory capacity, and shipping constraints to protect schedule.

· Develop and coordinate make/buy/mix strategies for skidded and modular assemblies; confirm supplier capacity and slotting align with the master plan.

· Support pre-purchase and early-release packages for long-lead equipment (switchgear, transformers, UPS, chillers, busway, controls).

· Partner with ADC Procurement & Director of Delivery Planning to validate vendor logistics, packaging, and environmental controls (shock/tilt/temp/humidity) to preserve warranties and ensure smooth delivery to site.

· Support day-to-day program activities and initiatives, engaging with architects, consultants, and equipment providers to ensure material readiness and supplier coordination.

· Align with PD and Procurement teams to ensure contractual dates and vendor requirements are accurately communicated and reflected in program schedules.

Permitting, Utilities, & Site Readiness

· Track and assist in managing permitting, utility interconnection, and entitlement milestones; as required, engage directly with AHJs and utility partners to ensure transparency and pace.

· Validate site readiness—including access, temporary works, and safety planning—prior to handoff to Construction Delivery.

· Ensure all enabling works, procurement activities, and long-lead items are synchronized with the construction start plan.

· Coordinate efforts ensuring permit matrices are created, maintained, and socialized with all stakeholders throughout the planning phase.

Transition to Construction Delivery

· Lead the formal Ready-to-Build (R2B) process, ensuring every element of the project is validated and approved before construction start.

· Deliver a complete handoff package including:

o Final IFC design set and revision log

o Baseline schedule and cost model

o Risk register and mitigation plan

o Commissioning & quality plan

o Logistics & warranty documentation

o Governance and lessons-learned summary

· Conduct a structured handoff meeting with Construction Delivery to confirm scope continuity, accountability, and execution readiness.

· Partner with stakeholder teams to align on contractual and technical requirements prior to construction start to ensure seamless transition.

Continuous Improvement & Leadership

· Capture and document lessons learned post-handoff and incorporate them into Aligned's Platform Delivery Playbooks.

· Drive continuous improvement in planning & pre-construction governance, process efficiency, and documentation consistency.

· Mentor Construction Managers and Project Controls staff in early-phase integration, schedule management, and stakeholder communication.

· Own all administrative duties associated with Aligned technical programs, ensuring consistent documentation, reporting accuracy, and internal transparency.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Minimum Qualifications

· Education: Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, or related field (or equivalent experience).

· Experience: 10+ years in mission-critical/industrial delivery (data centers strongly preferred), including 5+ years leading design and/or project management and multi-site/program portfolios.

· Technical depth: Strong knowledge of MEP systems (MV/LV powertrain, UPS/energy storage, switchgear/transformers, busway, cooling/CRAH/CRAC/liquid-cooling, BMS/EPMS) and constructability; ability to interpret drawings/specifications.

· Commissioning: Proficiency across L1–L5 with IST; defect tracking, and CAPA close-out.

· Financial acumen: Budget setup and management, variance analysis, and TCO/ROI business-case development.

· Tools: Advanced Excel; Smartsheet, Bluebeam, AutoCAD; project controls (P6 or MS Project); Procore/BIM 360; analytics (Power BI/Tableau); ERP/PLM familiarity.

· Soft skills: Exceptional leadership, stakeholder management, written/verbal communication, and cross-functional collaboration; strong time-management and organizational skills; discretion and confidentiality at all times.

· Contracting: Expertise with various project delivery models (IPD, Design-Build, Design-Assist, EPC, CM at Risk).

· Travel: Up to 50% to manufacturers, integrators, sites, and construction sites.

· Change Management: Track record of building programs from the ground up and driving organizational change.

· Proven ability to integrate cost, schedule, and design data into a cohesive, risk-managed program plan.

· Experience leading complex cross-functional teams and influencing decisions at the executive level.

· Proficiency with Primavera P6, MS Project, Procore, Bluebeam, and analytics tools (Power BI/Tableau).

· Demonstrated success implementing governance frameworks and driving early risk elimination.

· Excellent communication, stakeholder engagement, and presentation skills

· Ability to interpret construction drawings and specifications

· Travel up to 50%

· Knowledge of construction cost estimating methods and development of scopes of work

Preferred Qualifications:

· Supply chain & vendors: Make/buy/mix strategy, multi-sourcing, vendor scorecards, capacity management, and commercial negotiation.

· Logistics: Heavy-haul/multimodal planning, OS/OW permitting, and packaging/preservation standards (shock/tilt/temp); familiarity with Incoterms and customs processes.

· Productization/OSM: Demonstrated success with OSM/prefab, DFMA, and modular skids/assemblies that drive measurable schedule and quality gains.

· Certifications: PMP, PE, CxA, Six Sigma; advanced degree (MS/MBA) a plus.

· Deep relationships across regional data-center GC/trade/design communities.

· Expertise with project delivery models (IPD, Design-Build, CM at Risk).

· Experience with regional zoning, permitting strategies, and AHJ coordination.