At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead preconstruction for major data centre projects, challenging contractors and ensuring client interests are protected.
- Company: Join a leading firm in critical infrastructure with a focus on innovation.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, remote/hybrid work options, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Dynamic role with significant responsibility and career advancement potential.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in the heavy civils sector while working on cutting-edge data centre projects.
- Qualifications: Experience in project management, heavy civils, and strong communication skills required.
The predicted salary is between 90000 - 110000 £ per year.
Location: Remote / Hybrid – London-based preferred
Salary: £90,000 – £110,000
Sector: Hyperscale Data Centres / Critical Infrastructure
Role Type: Client Representative / Consultant-side Preconstruction
This is for a heavy civils / remediation specialist who can challenge contractors, interrogate proposals and protect the client’s position before works start — not someone looking for a standard delivery role.
About the role
You will act as the client’s representative during preconstruction and tender-stage activity on major hyperscale data centre projects. The focus is heavy civils, earthworks, enabling works, remediation, contaminated land and PFAS-related scopes. You will review contractor proposals, challenge methodology, assess delivery risk and help ensure the project is properly set up before site works begin. This role needs someone who understands delivery well enough to know when a contractor’s proposal is realistic — but has the client-side judgement to remain objective, commercial and risk-focused.
Key responsibilities
- Represent the client during preconstruction, tender and contractor engagement stages.
- Review contractor and consultant proposals for civils, enabling works, remediation and PFAS-related scopes.
- Assess buildability, sequencing, logistics, programme and delivery risk.
- Challenge methodology, assumptions, exclusions, clarifications and technical submissions.
- Identify risks around ground conditions, contamination, PFAS, remediation strategy and regulatory requirements.
- Coordinate input from design, cost, planning, environmental, commercial and delivery teams.
- Support procurement strategy and engagement with specialist civils and remediation contractors.
- Provide clear reporting, recommendations and risk commentary to senior client stakeholders.
Requirements
- Strong preconstruction, project management, technical management or client-side delivery background.
- Heavy civils, earthworks, enabling works, remediation or contaminated land experience.
- Ability to review contractor submissions and challenge technical assumptions.
- Strong understanding of programme, sequencing, buildability and delivery risk.
- Commercial awareness and the confidence to protect the client’s position.
- Clear communicator who can give direct advice to senior stakeholders, consultants and contractors.
Desirable / nice-to-have background
- Hyperscale data centre project experience.
- PFAS remediation or PFAS-related risk exposure.
- Client-side, consultant-side or client representative experience.
- Main contractor preconstruction background moving into a client-side role.
- Experience with specialist remediation, enabling works or contaminated land contractors.
About the environment
You will be working in a client-side / consultant-side capacity on major critical infrastructure schemes, supporting high-value hyperscale data centre projects before delivery starts. This is not a coordination-only role. The client needs someone who can interrogate, challenge, advise and steer the preconstruction process with authority.
Best-Fit Candidates / Useful Matching Context
Strong matches may come from client-side project management, data centre consultancy, main contractor preconstruction, civil engineering contractors, remediation specialists, contaminated land consultancies, heavy civils contractors, enabling works contractors or infrastructure consultancies.
Relevant job titles may include Preconstruction Manager, Senior Project Manager, Technical Manager, Civils Project Manager, Remediation Project Manager, Enabling Works Manager, Client Representative, Construction Manager, Development Manager or Project Director.
Relevant environments include hyperscale data centres, critical infrastructure, heavy civils, earthworks, remediation, contaminated land, PFAS, enabling works, utilities, infrastructure, large-scale logistics and complex brownfield development.
Recommended LinkedIn posting skills
- Preconstruction
- Heavy Civil Engineering
- Remediation
- Data Centres
Client-Side Preconstruction Manager in London employer: DARA PEOPLE LTD.
As a leading player in the hyperscale data centre sector, our company offers an exceptional work environment that prioritises innovation and collaboration. With a focus on employee growth, we provide extensive training and development opportunities, ensuring that our team members are equipped to tackle complex challenges in heavy civils and remediation. Our hybrid working model allows for flexibility while being based in London, fostering a culture of trust and empowerment that makes us an outstanding employer for those seeking meaningful and impactful careers.
