Project Controls Lead - Data Centre in England

About the Opportunity

We're seeking an exceptional Data Centre Project Controls Lead to spearhead integrated controls delivery for large-scale, mission-critical data centre projects serving the world's most demanding clients. You'll join Soben during a pivotal phase of our global growth. As a senior member of our project delivery team, you'll drive strategic client relationships, lead high-performing project controls teams, and deliver complex hyperscale and colocation developments from inception to completion. This role requires regular travel to Norway to support project delivery, client engagement, and on-site leadership.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end project controls delivery for major data centre programmes, ensuring alignment with commercial, technical, and operational goals to control time, cost, quality objectives, and scope.
• Serve as senior point of contact for project controls matters with clients, fostering trusted partnerships through clear communication.
• Provide strategic oversight of cost, schedule, change control, risk registers, baseline management, and progress & performance tracking.
• Drive integrated project governance, reporting, and performance management across multiple workstreams.
• Lead and mentor project controls teams, fostering accountability, high performance, and knowledge sharing.
• Provide on-site project controls leadership during key project phases, including regular travel to construction sites.
• Oversee development and maintenance of robust performance measurement baselines to enable accurate progress and performance tracking aligned with client goals and objectives.
• Identify, analyse, and mitigate cost, schedule, and commercial risks and critical path threats.
• Challenge construction phasing, sequencing, and commercial approaches to optimise programme delivery and value engineering.
• Ensure robust schedule health, cost forecasting, earned value performance reporting, and change control.
• Contribute to business development through project controls expertise in proposals and client presentations.
• Uphold Soben's Leadership Principles in all client and internal engagements.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• Significant experience delivering large-scale, mission-critical data centre or hyperscale infrastructure projects.
• Proven track record leading complex construction programmes (£100m+ value) as Project Controls Lead/Manager.
• Proficient at writing project controls procedures, plans, and governance frameworks.
• Advanced proficiency with management information tools such as Primavera P6, MS Project, Asta Powerproject, and Power BI.
• Advanced proficiency with project controls methodologies independent of management information software used, and ability to adapt across different platforms.
• Strong commercial acumen with expertise in cost/schedule integration, earned value management, and change control.
• Experience operating at senior stakeholder level, managing executive client relationships.
• Demonstrable leadership of high-performing, geographically diverse project controls teams.
• Deep understanding of data centre construction methodologies, phasing, commissioning, MEP constraints, and commercial drivers.
• Comfortable with travel, including regular travel to construction sites.
• Experience with NEC, JCT, FIDIC or other major contract forms used in Europe.
• Outstanding communication skills for presenting complex project controls information clearly.
• Degree qualified in Quantity Surveying, Construction Management, Engineering, or related discipline (MRICS, MAPM or equivalent preferred—an asset).
• Chartered professional status such as Association for Project Management (APM) or Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CASA) advantageous.