Principal Technical Program Manager, Customer Requirements

Fleet Data Centers designs, builds and operates mega-scale data center campuses.  Fleet provides its customers with flexibility and predictability to meet their upside demand forecasts, addressing a key need in the market as traditional leased models are struggling to keep pace with the demand for new Cloud and AI infrastructure.  Fleet is led by a team of industry veterans that have already made a lasting imprint on the evolution of global digital infrastructure and are committed and uniquely capable of upleveling data center development scale and operations in the face of rising demand. Fleet is well positioned to bring in-house design, engineering and operational capabilities to collaborate with customers on tailored solutions for campuses of 500MW+.  This unique model enables Fleet to provide the world’s largest and most sophisticated customers with a seamless extension of their own data center fleets with constant access to design innovation. Fleet is headquartered in Denver, Colorado, with satellite offices in Seattle, WA and Arlington, VA. 

Position Overview:

This Principal Technical Program Manager, Customer Requirements role manages direct engagement with the customer technical team to refine requirements and manage the ongoing change process.  Success in this role will require a blend of customer-facing skills, ability to manage process rigor and successfully document and drive consensus (internally and externally) on datacenter requirements.   
 

Key Responsibilities:

The successful candidate will have experience and practical expertise in the following: 

• Execute independently to drive regular external engagements with customers and translate requirements into formats needed for execution teams to deliver on time and within cost commitments. 
• Leading through influence.  This role is a leadership position that will require influencing customers externally and design engineering, supply chain and commercial leadership internally to drive a successful delivery engagement with Fleet’s end customer. 
• Partner with end-users/customers to drive closure on their needs into artifacts that define: building form factor, availability requirements, datacenter whitespace layout (busways, cooling systems, networking) into clear requirements that can be executable and well-defined requirements.  The right candidate can strike the right balance between ensuring execution teams have sufficient detail to progress their work while maintaining customer satisfaction around flexibility and openness to meeting their needs  
• Shape and define our external engineering change request process that manages scope, schedule and cost changes.  They must be capable of adapting the process to meet the evolving and unique nature of individual engagements, driving adherence to process and capable of applying the correct judgement to the right size process situationally. 
• Post lease signature, the person in this role must be capable of adapting product definitions and working with internal commercial and legal teams (as necessary) to update commercial contracts. 
• The right candidate shall be capable of engaging SMEs and experts across a broad range of subject areas including: Datacenter form factor, power and cooling, network and whitespace layout, utility and behind-the-meter power contracting and whitespace definition (rack layout, containment, power and cooling distribution, etc.) 
• Candidates must have excellent communication skills to synthesize complex requirements and their implementation details into a quick executive summary. They should also understand TCO and schedule the impact of a desired change. 

Qualifications: 

• 10 years of experience managing complex programs in technical solution delivery (preferably in the datacenter space) at scale: either as part of a cloud operator (Fleet customer) or through another datacenter developer. 

• The right candidate will possess demonstrable technical depth in key data center domains such as power, cooling, and networking, and will be capable of rapidly expanding their knowledge across adjacent disciplines to support evolving customer and project needs.  While expertise across a broad array of disciplines isn’t strictly required you must be able to engage across all disciplines needed to deliver a product.

• Demonstrated examples of leading complex programs from inception to delivery is a must. 
• Communication/Presentation Skills: Skill in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.  Experiencing using/adapting JIRA is a strong plus.  Process mapping experience is also valuable. 

• Ability to analyze schedule data and communicate findings clearly. 

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or Computer Science or related field is preferred. 

• Detail-oriented with strong organizational skills. 

• Effective communication and collaboration across multidisciplinary teams. 

• Analytical mindset for identifying risks and optimizing schedules. 

• Ability to work under pressure and manage multiple priorities. 

• Strong analytical, organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities 

Required Traits and Skills: 

• Integrity and Ethical Standards: Build trust, ensure fairness, and foster long-term, transparent relationships with suppliers. 

• Effective Communication: The ability to clearly convey expectations and requirements to suppliers and negotiation parties, while understanding their needs and concerns. Comfortable delivering written and verbal presentations to internal leadership teams. 

• Emotional Intelligence (EQ):  Ability to understand the emotions, cultural nuances, and motivations of others, while effectively managing one's own emotions during high-pressure negotiations. 

• Strategic Thinking: Recognize how supplier relationships and negotiations align with the broader organizational goals, while aiming for outcomes that benefit both parties. 

• Critical Thinking Skills: Finding innovative solutions and being flexible in addressing unexpected challenges. 

• Analytical Ability: Make data-driven decisions, assess cost structures, and identify potential risks, ensuring informed and strategic outcomes.  

• Influence and Persuasion: Able to effectively advocate for their position, build consensus, and secure favorable agreements without compromising relationships. 

• Operational Paranoia: Anticipate risks, identify vulnerabilities, and proactively implement mechanisms to prevent and minimize disruptions and safeguard safety, security, availability, and scale.  

• Relationship Management: Cultivate trust, collaboration, and long-term partnerships, while building a broad network that provides valuable benchmarking, industry insights, and alternative sourcing options.  

Expected Salary Range:  $160,000 - $200,000 Salary + Bonus

Fleet Data Centers Employment 

Fleet Data Center employees enjoy competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits, including 100% employer-covered medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401K program, standard paid holidays, and unlimited PTO.   

NOTE: This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employees may perform other related duties as assigned to meet the organization's ongoing needs. 

Fleet Data Centers is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants are considered for employment regardless of age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or veteran status. 

If you need assistance applying for any of our open positions, please contact us at [email protected].