Director of Construction - Data Center

Lambda, The Superintelligence Cloud, is a leader in AI cloud infrastructure serving tens of thousands of customers. Our customers range from AI researchers to enterprises and hyperscalers. Lambda's mission is to make compute as ubiquitous as electricity and give everyone the power of superintelligence. One person, one GPU.

If you'd like to build the world's best AI cloud, join us.

*Note: This position requires presence in our San Francisco or upcoming Bellevue office location 4 days per week; Lambda’s designated work from home day is currently Tuesday.

About the Job

You will own the full lifecycle of Lambda’s AI-ready data center build program — from greenfield site development through commissioning. You’ll define construction strategy, manage budgets and vendors, and deliver facilities on time and on budget to power the world’s fastest AI training clusters. This is a highly visible role, interfacing directly with executive leadership and driving innovation in how Lambda builds mission-critical infrastructure at scale.

What You’ll Do

- Lead all phases of data center construction: site prep, utilities, core/shell, CSA/MEP systems, commissioning, substantial completion, deferred commissioning, and warranty resolution.

- Build and manage relationships with general contractors, EPCs, and subcontractors; oversee bids, contracts, and change orders, ensuring accountability.

- Partner with design engineering, operations, real estate, and supply chain to align builds with Lambda’s capacity roadmap.

- Coordinate with capacity, construction contractors, equipment suppliers and internal financing/accounting teams to ensure efficient use of capital in line with reported projections.

- Establish scalable standards for cost, schedule, safety, and quality across multiple programs.

- Report progress, risks, and financials directly to executive leadership.

- Push innovation in delivery models (modular builds, prefabrication, liquid cooling) to accelerate timelines and boost resiliency.

- Guide teams through troubleshooting and root-cause analysis during commissioning.

You

- Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Civil, Structural, or Architectural Engineering (or related).

- 15+ years of construction leadership, including hyperscale data centers or other mission-critical facilities, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role.

- Deep understanding of constructability elements of CSA and MEP systems, high-density compute environments, and large-scale commissioning.

- General contractor and vendor management experience (RFPs, bidding, change orders, QA/QC, RFIs, submittals).

- Proven track record delivering $100M+ construction projects with full budget accountability.

- Strong financial acumen and contract negotiation skills, with demonstrated ability to deliver projects on budget.

- Experience building and scaling high-performing teams; demonstrated success in talent attraction, development, and retention.

Nice to Have

- Proficient in enterprise construction tools (Procore, MS Project, Primavera, Bluebeam).

- Familiarity with sustainable building practices and green certifications (LEED, ISO, etc.).

- Professional certifications such as PE, PMP, CCM, or OSHA 30.

- Deep knowledge of construction codes, regulations, and permitting processes.

- Demonstrated ability to attract, develop, and scale high-performing teams.

- Strong cross-functional MEP system knowledge.

Salary Range Information

The annual salary range for this position has been set based on market data and other factors. However, a salary higher or lower than this range may be appropriate for a candidate whose qualifications differ meaningfully from those listed in the job description.

About Lambda

- Founded in 2012, with 500+ employees, and growing fast

- Our investors notably include TWG Global, US Innovative Technology Fund (USIT), Andra Capital, SGW, Andrej Karpathy, ARK Invest, Fincadia Advisors, G Squared, In-Q-Tel (IQT), KHK & Partners, NVIDIA, Pegatron, Supermicro, Wistron, Wiwynn, Gradient Ventures, Mercato Partners, SVB, 1517, and Crescent Cove

- We have research papers accepted at top machine learning and graphics conferences, including NeurIPS, ICCV, SIGGRAPH, and TOG

- Our values are publicly available: https://lambda.ai/careers

- We offer generous cash & equity compensation

- Health, dental, and vision coverage for you and your dependents

- Wellness and commuter stipends for select roles

- 401k Plan with 2% company match (USA employees)

- Flexible paid time off plan that we all actually use

A Final Note:

You do not need to match all of the listed expectations to apply for this position. We are committed to building a team with a variety of backgrounds, experiences, and skills.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Lambda is an Equal Opportunity employer. Applicants are considered without regard to race, color, religion, creed, national origin, age, sex, gender, marital status, sexual orientation and identity, genetic information, veteran status, citizenship, or any other factors prohibited by local, state, or federal law.