Lease Construction Manager in London

Overview The Lease Construction Manager serves as Microsoft’s Employer’s Representative, overseeing the construction of one or more leased data centre projects across a metro or country. LCM is responsible for ensuring that the lease provider is complying with the MSFT requirements in the lease contract when delivering a project. This position requires strong communication skills, technical depth in data centre design and construction, and the ability to lead in a fast-paced, highly technical environment. Microsoft’s Cloud Operations & Innovation (CO+I) is the engine that powers our cloud services. As a group, CO+I is focused on the personal and professional development of all employees and offers training and growth opportunities including Career Rotation Programs, Diversity & Inclusion training and events, and professional certifications.

Our infrastructure is comprised of a large global portfolio of more than 200 data centers in 32 countries and millions of servers. Our foundation is built upon and managed by a team of subject matter experts working to support services for more than 1 billion customers and 20 million businesses in over 90 countries worldwide. With environmental sustainability and optimization at the forefront of our data center design and operations, we continue to grow and evolve as we meet the ever-changing business demands that hold Microsoft as a world-class cloud provider. Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end delivery of lease construction projects, ensuring sites achieve Ready for Service (RFS) on time, within scope, and budget.
• Act as the single point of contact, coordinating lease providers, vendors, and internal Microsoft teams (E2E, DCE, DC Ops, Security, SSA, EHS).
• Drive a safety-first culture, ensuring compliance with Microsoft standards and lease contract requirements.
• Manage stakeholder dependencies, contracts, and hand-offs, while facilitating decisions, resolving risks, and driving schedule alignment.
• Track and report on project progress, KPIs, and regional capacity goals, providing insights and recommendations to leadership.
• Lead governance and communication rhythms (OAC meetings, status reports), ensuring transparency across scope, schedule, and budget.
• Identify and implement process improvements and scalable solutions, sharing lessons learned across the Data Center Delivery organization.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Construction Management or an equivalent engineering science.
• Extensive experience in construction management of large, complex projects involving large-scale mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) plants.
• Construction Health & Safety Knowledge.
• Ability to read and understand commercial lease agreements.

Background Check Requirements: Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements are required for this role. These requirements include, but are not limited to the following specialized security screenings: Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud background check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Professional accreditation in Engineering such as IMechE & IEL.
• Qualifications in Construction Contracts Management.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances.