Project Director

Project Director

Melbourne, Australia

Job Description

Job Summary

The Project Director – Customer Delivery is responsible for the end-to-end execution of customer contracts, from order intake through to final handover and acceptance. This role ensures projects are delivered safely, on time, within budget, and to Vertiv quality standards, while maintaining strong customer relationships and protecting company margins.

The Project Director leads cross-functional teams across engineering, supply chain, manufacturing, logistics, installation, and commissioning to deliver integrated critical infrastructure solutions, including power, thermal, and IT systems.

Key Responsibilities

• 1. End-to-End Project Ownership

• Own full lifecycle delivery from order booking to customer handover

• Ensure alignment with contractual scope, commercial terms, and technical requirements

• Act as the single point of accountability for project performance

• 2. Customer & Stakeholder Management

• Serve as the primary executive interface with the customer

• Build and maintain strong relationships with hyperscale, colocation, and enterprise clients

• Manage expectations, communications, and escalations

• Lead governance forums (steering committees, project reviews)

• 3. Commercial & Financial Management

• Own project P&L, including revenue, margin, and cash flow

• Drive cost control, forecasting accuracy, and risk mitigation

• Manage variations, claims, and change orders

• Ensure billing milestones and cash collection targets are achieved

• 4. Project Execution & Delivery Excellence

• Lead integrated project planning across engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning

• Ensure adherence to schedule, quality, and safety standards

• Drive execution using Lean, Agile, and structured project management methodologies

• Monitor and report KPIs (schedule adherence, cost variance, quality metrics)

• 5. Risk & Compliance Management

• Identify, assess, and mitigate project risks (technical, commercial, supply chain, regulatory)

• Ensure compliance with contractual obligations, local regulations, and Vertiv standards

• Lead issue resolution and recovery planning where required

• 6. Cross-Functional Leadership

• Lead and coordinate global, regional, and local teams

• Align internal stakeholders across:

• Engineering

• Manufacturing

• Supply Chain

• Field Services

• Quality & EHS

• Foster a high-performance, accountable delivery culture

• 7. Supply Chain & Manufacturing Integration

• Ensure alignment with manufacturing schedules and supply chain constraints

• Mitigate risks related to long lead items and logistics

• Drive collaboration between factories and project teams

• 8. Installation, Commissioning & Handover

• Oversee site execution, installation, and commissioning activities

• Ensure successful system integration and performance validation

• Lead final acceptance, documentation, and customer handover

• Ensure smooth transition to service and lifecycle support teams

• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• On-time project delivery

• Gross margin achievement / improvement

• Forecast accuracy

• Customer satisfaction (e.g., NPS)

• Change order capture and claims recovery

• Safety performance (zero harm)

• Quality metrics (defects, rework rates)

• Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Project Management, or related field

• 12–15+ years of experience in data center, critical infrastructure, or EPC project delivery

• Proven track record managing large-scale, complex projects ($10M–$100M+)

• Strong commercial and contractual management experience

• Experience working with hyperscale or colocation customers preferred

• Skills & Competencies

• Executive-level stakeholder management

• Strong commercial and financial acumen

• Deep understanding of mission-critical infrastructure systems

• Leadership across matrix organizations

• Risk management and problem-solving

• Excellent communication and negotiation skills

• Ability to operate in fast-paced, high-pressure environments

• Travel Requirements

• Willingness to travel (30–50%) depending on project location

• Why This Role is Critical to Vertiv

• This role directly impacts customer satisfaction, revenue realization, and profitability by ensuring that complex, high-value contracts are delivered with excellence. It is central to Vertiv’s ability to support the rapid growth of hyperscale and AI-driven data center infrastructure globally.

• About Us

• The successful candidate will embrace Vertiv’s Core Principles & Behaviors to help execute our Strategic Priorities.

• OUR CORE PRINCIPLES: Safety. Integrity. Respect. Teamwork. Inclusion.

• OUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES

• High-Performance Culture

• Customer Focus

• Operational Excellence

• Innovation

• Financial Strength

• VERTIV BEHAVIORS

• Own it

• Act with urgency

• Foster a customer-first mindset

• Think big and execute

• Lead by example

• Drive continuous improvement

• Learn and seek out development

• Promote transparent & open communication

• About Vertiv

• Vertiv (NYSE: VRT) brings together hardware, software, analytics and ongoing services to enable its customers’ vital applications to run continuously, perform optimally and grow with their business needs. Vertiv solves the most important challenges facing today’s data centers, communication networks, and commercial and industrial facilities with a portfolio of power, cooling and IT infrastructure solutions and services that extend from the cloud to the edge of the network. Headquartered in Westerville, Ohio, USA, Vertiv employs around 34,000 people and does business in more than 130 countries. Visit Vertiv.com to learn more.

• Equal Opportunity Employer

• Vertiv is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. We promote equal opportunities for all with respect to hiring, terms of employment, mobility, training, compensation, and occupational health, without discrimination as to age, race, color, religion, creed, sex, pregnancy status (including childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity / expression (including transgender status or sexual stereotypes), genetic information, citizenship status, national origin, protected veteran status, political affiliation, or disability. If you have a disability and are having difficulty accessing or using this website to apply for a position, you can request help by sending an email to [email protected]