Senior Manager – Project Delivery

Role Overview

The Senior Manager – Project Delivery will own both the execution and the commercial health of the MEP Data Centre project portfolio across India. Reporting to the AVP – Project Delivery, the role ensures every project is delivered on time, within budget, to the required quality and safety standards, and is commercially controlled from order booking to handover.

The role covers the full project lifecycle: planning, design coordination, procurement and material tracking, construction, testing, commissioning and handover, alongside revenue, billing and collection planning, cash flow, cost-to-go reviews, variations and claims, risk and escalation management, and contractual securities (BG, PDC, LC).

The ideal candidate combines hands-on MEP data centre delivery experience with strong commercial acumen, so that schedule threats, cost variances and project risks are identified early and acted upon. The role works closely with Project Directors / Project Managers, Design & Engineering, Supply Chain Management (SCM), Project Controls, Finance, Legal and client teams.

Key Responsibilities

A. Project Planning & Execution

• Oversee project mobilization, planning, resource allocation, execution, testing, commissioning and handover across the data centre portfolio.

• Ensure project teams translate contracts, specifications, drawings, schedules and business objectives into effective execution plans.

• Monitor progress against approved schedules, budgets, manpower plans, procurement plans and key milestones.

• Identify critical delays and the critical path early; drive recovery plans and corrective actions.

• Ensure effective integration between design, procurement, construction, commissioning and handover functions.

• Drive continuous improvement in delivery processes, productivity, cost efficiency and execution methodologies.

B. MEP Technical & Engineering Coordination

• Provide technical oversight across power, cooling, HVAC, fire protection, BMS, low-voltage, plumbing / public health and associated building services for data centres.

• Review and challenge engineering strategies, design coordination, technical submissions and project methodologies.

• Ensure constructability, maintainability, energy efficiency, statutory compliance and adherence to project specifications.

• Lead resolution of technical issues, design conflicts, interface challenges, RFIs and technical deviations.

• Promote adoption of BIM, digital project management tools and modern construction practices.

C. Revenue, Billing & Collections

• Prepare and own the revenue, billing and collection plan for the complete financial year for all MEP Data Centre projects across India, and track monthly actuals against plan.

• Ensure RA bills are raised on time through the account leads, and that billing data is provided to the billing engineer by project teams on schedule as per the financial plan.

• Track milestone billing, retention release and final account closure in line with contract terms; follow up on certification and collections with clients.

• Monitor outstanding receivables and ageing; drive recovery of overdue amounts in coordination with project teams, Finance and the client.

• Prepare and review project-wise revenue recognition inputs (percentage completion / WIP) in coordination with Finance.

D. Cash Flow & Procurement Planning

• Prepare the cash-out plan for purchases against each project in coordination with SCM, aligned to billing and collection inflows to ensure positive project cash flow.

• Review and validate purchase commitments against approved project budgets before PR/PO release; flag budget overruns and ensure approvals as per delegation of authority.

• Support SCM in vendor and subcontractor commercial finalisation, payment terms, back-to-back terms and contract closure for high-value packages (e.g., DG sets, HT/LT panels, transformers, UPS, chillers, CRAH/CRAC, precision cooling, BMS, fire and cabling packages).

• Ensure timely procurement of long-lead and critical items; review vendor and subcontractor performance, capability, capacity, quality and delivery commitments.

• Support negotiations and resolution of critical vendor / subcontractor issues.

E. Material Delivery Tracking & Engineering Quantities

• Create and maintain a dashboard for material delivery tracking from MTO to PR to PO and delivery at site, highlighting delays, lead-time risks and long-lead items.

• Coordinate with Design & Engineering to obtain engineering quantities (MTO / BOQ) for each project in time to enable ordering; track revisions and scope changes.

• Reconcile engineering quantities against contract BOQ, identify variances, and report quantity gaps and potential additional claims.

F. Cost Control & Management Reporting

• Carry out cost and budget tracking and Cost-to-Go (CTG) review for all projects; prepare a detailed report and summary for the AVP – Project Delivery every month, including budget vs actual, forecast at completion and margin analysis.

• Track project margins, identify margin leakage and recommend corrective actions.

• Identify opportunities for cost optimisation, value engineering, productivity improvement and resource optimisation.

• Prepare MIS and dashboards on project financials, billing, collection, cash flow, schedule, quality, safety, procurement, manpower and risk for management review.

• Provide timely forecasts, insights, escalation points and recommendations to senior management.

G. Contract, Variation & Claims Management

• Review client contracts, work orders and amendments to understand commercial terms, scope boundaries, LDs, retention, price variation and payment conditions.

• Identify, quantify and submit variation orders, change requests, extension-of-time and cost claims with supporting documentation; track approval and recovery.

• Maintain contract documentation, correspondence records and a variation / claims register for every project.

• Partner with commercial and contracts teams to protect organisational interests and project margins.

H. Contractual Securities & Compliance

• Create and maintain a database for Bank Guarantees (BG), Post-Dated Cheques (PDC) and Letters of Credit (LC), covering issue, validity, extension, release and encashment status, for both client-side and vendor-side requirements, linked to material ordering and payment milestones.

• Ensure compliance with contractual obligations, statutory requirements (GST, TDS, labour and other applicable laws) and project documentation, in coordination with Legal, Finance and Compliance teams.

I. Risk Management & Project Controls

• Coordinate with the Project Controls team to understand risks in each project, highlight red flags and the critical path, and drive mitigation actions.

• Maintain a risk register for all projects, with owners, impact (cost / time), mitigation plan and status; review it periodically with the AVP – Project Delivery.

• Review portfolio-level risks, dependencies, constraints and recovery strategies.

J. Quality, HSE & Compliance

• Promote a strong culture of quality, safety, compliance and operational discipline across project sites.

• Ensure implementation of approved quality management systems, inspection and test plans and project procedures.

• Drive reduction in rework, defects, NCRs and safety incidents; ensure timely corrective and preventive actions on major quality and safety risks.

• Ensure compliance with statutory requirements, organisational policies, contractual obligations and project-specific HSE requirements.

K. Testing, Commissioning & Handover

• Oversee pre-commissioning, testing, commissioning, integrated systems testing and performance verification, aligned to project requirements and client expectations.

• Drive timely closure of snags, punch points, technical deficiencies and outstanding works.

• Ensure completion of as-built drawings, O&M manuals, warranties, test certificates, training records and other handover documentation.

• Ensure smooth transition of completed projects to clients, operations and facilities management teams; support final account closure.

L. Customer Escalations & Stakeholder Management

• Work closely with the AVP – Project Delivery to ensure timely completion of all projects.

• Act as a senior interface for clients, consultants, contractors, architects, authorities and vendors; support the AVP in engagements with senior client stakeholders.

• Lead / participate in project review meetings, progress reviews and escalation discussions; manage stakeholder expectations with transparent communication on progress, risks and commercial matters.

• Maintain a tracker for all customer escalations and their resolutions; ensure closure within agreed timelines and provide regular status updates to the AVP – Project Delivery.

• Support project teams in client negotiations, commercial meetings and dispute resolution.

• Support future opportunities through strong client relationships and delivery track record.

M. Governance, Team & Process Leadership

• Implement project governance and review mechanisms across the portfolio; drive accountability and performance discipline in project teams.

• Lead and mentor Project Managers, project-level commercial coordinators, the commercial / contracts team and other project functions.

• Build capability through coaching, knowledge sharing and succession planning; ensure optimum manpower deployment and productivity.

• Develop and standardise delivery and commercial processes, templates and controls for the Project Delivery department; implement ERP / digital tools for tracking.

• Participate in monthly business review (MBR) and project review meetings, and support management in forecasting and budgeting.