Data Center Project Manager
Job Title: Data Center Project Manager - GPU & Research Compute Infrastructure
Location: Chicago, IL (with regular travel to Aurora, IL)
About the Role
An Elite high frequency trading firm is looking to bring on a Data Center Project manager focused on building and scaling cutting-edge GPU infrastructure to support advanced research and compute workloads. This is a unique opportunity to shape the foundation of a high-performance, bare-metal environment that powers some of the most demanding computational workloads in the industry.
This role blends strategic project leadership with hands-on technical execution, ideal for someone who thrives in fast-paced, high-stakes environments and is passionate about data center operations and infrastructure innovation.
Key Responsibilities
- Project Management & Execution
- Lead end-to-end project management for data center build-outs, expansions, and infrastructure upgrades.
- Develop and maintain detailed project plans, timelines, and budgets.
- Coordinate with internal stakeholders, vendors, and contractors to ensure timely and high-quality delivery.
- Vendor & Stakeholder Management
- Manage relationships with hardware vendors, colocation providers, and service contractors.
- Oversee procurement, delivery, and installation of GPU servers and supporting infrastructure.
- Hands-On Infrastructure Deployment
- Participate in physical racking, stacking, and cabling of servers and networking equipment.
- Perform on-site inspections and validations to ensure compliance with design and operational standards.
- Infrastructure Operations & Scaling
- Support the ongoing operation and scaling of bare-metal research compute environments.
- Monitor and optimize power, cooling (including liquid cooling systems), and space utilization across data centers in Chicago and Aurora.
- Collaborate with engineering and research teams to align infrastructure capabilities with compute needs.
Qualifications
- Required:
- 8+ years of experience in data center operations or infrastructure project management.
- Strong knowledge of data center design, power and cooling systems (including liquid cooling), and physical infrastructure.
- Experience with bare-metal server deployments and large-scale hardware rollouts.
- Proven ability to manage complex projects with multiple stakeholders and vendors.
- Willingness and ability to be hands-on in the data center environment.
- Preferred:
- Experience supporting GPU-based compute environments or high-performance computing (HPC).
- Familiarity with research computing workflows and infrastructure needs.
- Technical certifications (e.g., CDCP, CDCS, PMP) are a plus.
Work Environment
- Based in Chicago, with regular travel to our Aurora data center.
- This is a hybrid role combining strategic project leadership with on-site technical execution.
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