Data Center Project Associate

Position Overview

Align seeks an eager, energetic, professional with 1 to 3 years of relevant Data Center, Construction Project Management, or IT experience. We prefer someone with relevant project coordination experience, but this could also be a great opportunity for a recent college graduate with a technical degree related to project management, construction management, electrical engineering or engineering management to start a career in a rapidly growing industry. Qualified candidates must be detail-oriented with excellent communication and writing skills.

The Data Center Project Associate will address the pivotal role of project support in both a project management and hands-on data center build out capacity.  This role will help with coordinating projects and vendors, helping manage critical deliverables, and communicate status to customers. The Associate will learn about project management and data center design and build best practices. The focus of these projects is designing the "white space" of a data center within a Co-Location Facility or for a Hyperscaler. Align operates as a general contractor managing multiple subcontractors for Data Center White Space Fit Out including structured cabling, power distribution, space planning and HVAC. The person we hire will assist with data center projects and will assist with installing equipment on data center projects, coordinating project plans, managing vendors, communicating status to clients and maintaining documentation. They will also help with ensuring quality control for critical client interactions.

You will learn about analyzing, designing, and building enterprise data centers. Associates receive training while being mentored by senior IT consultants and Project Managers. You will have the opportunity to shape your career as you hone your technical, consultative, client relationship management and project management skills.  

• The Data Center Project Associate will be working on data center projects throughout the Greater Phoenix Area office; however you should expect to work onsite in Goodyear for the next 9 to 12 months. We are often on construction sites in full blown PPE construction environment. Some travel outside of the Phoenix area may be required.
• This is a full-time position offering full benefits, a competitive salary, and paid training

Responsibilities

• Provide on-site consulting support for Align clients as directed by the assigned a Data Center Solutions Director or Project Manager
• Participate in various IT and engineering project management activities including site surveys, needs assessments, preparation of documentation, scheduling vendor installations, data analysis and coordination of various project deliverables
• Follow up on and help coordinate data center project activities as needed
• Learn about and contribute to the RFP process, project planning and client presentations
• Assist with the administration of projects including documenting meeting minutes and action items, making updates to budget and project plans, creating project schedules, etc.
• Install equipment within data center and co-location facilities
• While your learn to be a project manager, you will be a hands on resource to install and remove data center equipment during data center commissioning and de-commissioning projects
• Assist with trouble shooting technical issues that arise during data center installation and build-out
• Create visuals of data center cabinet elevations, network diagrams and floor plans using graphics programs, such as Visio and Asset Point
• Assist with client billing as needed
• Become knowledgeable of company standards and procedures
• Learn the Align toolset including Revit, CAD, ASMT, CFD, etc.
• Take opportunity to learn, grow your career, multi-task, be willing to take on new challenges
• Align professionals are expected to continually enhance their professional and business skills, and are encouraged to take advantage of opportunities provided on the job and through participation in training programs both internally and externally

Qualifications

• 1 to 3 years of Data Center experience, preferably related to data center white space fit out 
• Bachelor’s degree related to IT, Electrical Engineering, Engineering Management, Business Analysis or Project Management is a plus
• IT, engineering, or construction related Project Management career trajectory
• The ideal candidate will have a combination of technical and soft skills, including the ability to think critically and possess a strong grasp of data analysis
• Must be organized, and disciplined with the ability to manage multiple deadlines simultaneously in a fast-paced environment
• Advanced Microsoft Office Suite skills: Teams, Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Project, Visio
• Some IT infrastructure (Systems, Network, Security, Storage) product/industry knowledge
• Interest in consulting and client relationship management
• Be mechanically inclined and willing to be hands on with several data center white space fit out oriented tasks.
• Must be eager to learn IT physical infrastructure and data center technologies
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, organizational and writing skills are required
• Excellent analytical and facilitation skills, with proven ability to manage multiple projects, resolve and escalate issues and prioritize technical resources
• Ability to maintain focus, shift attention quickly to respond to the unexpected while progressing on tasks/projects