Senior Technical Program Manager, Data Center Expansion

Senior Technical Program Manager, Data Center Expansion

Full-Time 63000 - 77000 £ / year (est.) Home office (partial)
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At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead the expansion of data centres from concept to operational capacity.
  • Company: Join Verda, a pioneering AI cloud company focused on sustainability.
  • Benefits: Enjoy hybrid work, competitive salary, and opportunities for growth.
  • Other info: Fast-paced environment with significant travel and career advancement potential.
  • Why this job: Be part of building cutting-edge AI infrastructure that makes a real difference.
  • Qualifications: Experience in technical program management and complex infrastructure projects.

The predicted salary is between 63000 - 77000 £ per year.

At Verda, we're building a fully featured European AI cloud, covering everything needed to train, experiment with, and deploy AI models at scale. We are a full-stack AI infrastructure company, meaning we design, operate, and optimize the compute powering modern AI workloads across training and inference. Our infrastructure runs on 100% renewable energy, helping build a more sustainable AI ecosystem.

About the role

You will own the program that turns a new site or expansion from empty space into live, operational capacity. You will coordinate every team involved and streamline the whole path, from fit-out, through hardware deployment, to a clean handover to operations, so each site comes online faster and more predictably than the last.

What You’ll Do

  • Build and own the master schedule and critical path across every parallel workstream: site fit-out, electrical and thermal build, structured cabling and fiber plant, hardware deployment (rack‑and‑stack, InfiniBand and Ethernet fabric, liquid‑cooled Blackwell and Rubin systems), commissioning, and operational handover.
  • Coordinate the full cast turning a plan into capacity: Architecture, Electrical, Thermal, Structural, Hardware, Networking, Operations, and Procurement, along with external contractors and OEM partners (including Supermicro).
  • Keep dependencies visible, hand‑offs clean, and decisions moving so no workstream waits on another longer than it has to.
  • Manage risk, budget tracking, and reporting across the program: RAID logs, stage‑gates, and the escalations that keep a slip from becoming a stall, always driving toward time‑to‑live.
  • Run the handover to operations: acceptance criteria, punch lists, and documentation, so the Operations team inherits a site that is genuinely ready to run, not one still being finished around them.
  • Turn each build into a repeatable playbook, so the sequencing, dependencies, and hand‑offs you get right once become the default for every expansion that follows.

Representative projects: drive a new‑market site from lease and fit‑out to first racks online and handed over to operations, on schedule; build the master program plan that sequences fit‑out, deployment, commissioning, and handover across every team; stand up the expansion playbook so the next site launches faster than the last; own the operational handover so operations inherits a site that is truly ready.

What We’re Looking For

  • Proven technical program management of complex, multi‑team infrastructure builds in data center, construction, telecom, or large‑scale IT deployment.
  • Ability to build and own a real critical‑path schedule across many parallel workstreams, and hold every team to it.
  • Fluency coordinating across engineering, construction and fit‑out, hardware deployment, networking, and operations teams.
  • Understanding of the data center build lifecycle (fit‑out, power and cooling commissioning, structured cabling, GPU/HPC hardware deployment, and operational handover), enough to be credible, with the specialist engineering owned by the respective teams.
  • Strong risk, dependency, and stakeholder management: RAID logs, stage‑gates, and clear escalation.
  • Experience running vendor and contractor relationships against schedule and scope.
  • Track record standardizing a repeatable delivery process across multiple projects or sites.
  • Bias toward speed and ownership, comfortable making decisions with incomplete information and driving them to a deployed result.

Practicalities

  • Work mode: Hybrid, office (Helsinki, Finland or London, UK) or remote.
  • Travel: Significant travel to sites during fit‑out and deployment phases.
  • Employment type: Full‑time and permanent.

What's Next

We're building fast and this role needs the right person behind it. There's no artificial deadline, but when we find who we're looking for, we move.

Senior Technical Program Manager, Data Center Expansion employer: Verda

Verda is an exceptional employer that offers a dynamic and innovative work culture, perfect for those looking to make a significant impact in the field of global rewards. Located in London, employees benefit from a collaborative environment that fosters professional growth and development, alongside competitive compensation packages and comprehensive benefits. Join us to be part of a fast-paced scale-up where your contributions will directly shape the future of our international team.

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Contact Details:

Verda Recruitment Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫

We think this is how you could land Senior Technical Program Manager, Data Center Expansion

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We think you need these skills to ace Senior Technical Program Manager, Data Center Expansion

Technical Program Management
Infrastructure Builds
Critical Path Scheduling
Multi-Team Coordination
Data Center Build Lifecycle
Risk Management
Dependency Management

Some tips for your application 🫡

Showcase Your Technical Expertise:When applying for an engineering role like Senior Technical Program Manager, Data Center Expansion, it’s essential to highlight your technical skills. Include any relevant software or tools you're proficient in on your CV—think CAD software, simulation tools, or programming languages. Don't skimp on any engineering projects you've worked on that demonstrate your ability to solve complex problems.

Focus on Results and Impact:In the engineering world, we love numbers and real-world impact. Quantify your achievements wherever possible—like reducing costs by a certain percentage, improving efficiency, or successfully completing a project ahead of schedule. This gives your future employers at Verda a clear picture of the value you can bring.

Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Use your cover letter to express your passion for engineering and explain why you’re drawn to Verda specifically. Share what aspects of their work excite you and how your values align with theirs. This is your chance to show a bit of personality while keeping it professional!

Include Relevant Certifications:If you have any engineering certifications, especially ones that are recognised in your field, make sure to feature them prominently on your CV. They demonstrate not just your knowledge, but also your commitment to professional development, which is something we at StudySmarter value highly.

How to prepare for a job interview at Verda

Brush Up on Core Engineering Principles

Before heading into the interview with Verda, make sure you're solid on the fundamental engineering principles relevant to the role. Be ready to discuss concepts such as thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, or structural analysis, depending on the specifics mentioned in the job description. Don’t skip any hands-on projects or coursework; these can be excellent talking points!

Show Off Your Problem-Solving Skills

Expect technical questions or case studies during your interview—after all, engineering is all about solving problems! Prepare a few examples of how you've tackled engineering challenges in the past, whether at university or in any practical experience. Practising with mock technical interviews can really help you articulate your thought process and solutions.

Relate Your Experience to the Role

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Know Your Tools and Software

Most engineering roles require familiarity with specific tools and software. Prepare to talk about your proficiency with programmes like AutoCAD, MATLAB, or SolidWorks if they’re relevant to the role. Even better, have examples of projects where you’ve used these tools, as it'll demonstrate your hands-on experience and readiness for the job.