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.