Application Guide

How to Apply for Program Manager Facility Design, Data Centers - Remote (U.S.)

at AECOM

🏢 About AECOM

AECOM is a global leader in infrastructure consulting, partnering with clients to solve complex challenges and build sustainable legacies. Their work on data centers supports the digital backbone of modern society, and they emphasize innovation, safety, and environmental stewardship. Working here offers the chance to impact large-scale, high-tech projects while enjoying a collaborative, remote-friendly culture.

About This Role

As a Program Manager for Facility Design in Data Centers, you will lead a portfolio of concurrent design projects for hyper-scale clients, ensuring they meet performance goals for schedule, budget, and risk. This role is critical because you'll shape the physical infrastructure that powers cloud computing and AI, while also driving business growth through proposal development and client engagement.

💡 A Day in the Life

Start your day reviewing dashboards for 3-4 data center design projects, checking progress against milestones and budget. Mid-morning, you'll join a virtual client meeting to discuss program risks and next steps, then work on a proposal for a new hyperscale opportunity. After lunch, you'll lead a team stand-up to align design leads across time zones, followed by an afternoon of strategic planning for resource allocation and risk mitigation.

🚀 Application Tools

Generate Cover Letter

AI-powered, tailored for AECOM

Interview Prep

Practice questions for this role

🎯 Who AECOM Is Looking For

  • A seasoned A/E/C program manager with 10+ years leading complex, multi-project portfolios, specifically in data center design or mission-critical facilities.
  • A business-savvy leader who excels at proposal writing and has a track record of winning major contracts through compelling technical and commercial proposals.
  • Highly organized and data-driven, with expertise in using project controls (e.g., MS Project, Primavera) to monitor performance and optimize resources across remote teams.
  • A client-facing strategist who builds trusted relationships with hyper-scale data center clients and can navigate fast-paced, high-stakes environments.

📝 Tips for Applying to AECOM

1

Tailor your resume to highlight program-level leadership across multiple concurrent data center design projects, not just single projects.

2

Quantify your proposal wins: include the contract value, number of proposals led, and win rate to demonstrate business development impact.

3

Use AECOM-specific language: reference 'sustainable legacies' and 'innovative infrastructure' in your cover letter to align with their mission.

4

Showcase remote team management experience: mention tools and practices you've used to coordinate cross-functional teams across time zones.

5

Include a portfolio or case study of a data center design program you led, emphasizing how you managed budget, schedule, and risk.

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

['Emphasize your deep experience in hyper-scale data center design programs and your ability to drive operational excellence across multiple projects.', "Highlight your proposal development success, specifically how you've contributed to winning new business in the data center sector.", 'Demonstrate your client management skills with examples of strategic client interactions and program reviews that strengthened partnerships.', "Connect your leadership style to AECOM's values of sustainability and innovation, showing how you build teams that deliver lasting impact."]

Generate Cover Letter →

🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Review AECOM's recent press releases on data center projects, especially hyper-scale partnerships with major tech companies.
  • → Explore AECOM's sustainability reports to understand how they integrate environmental goals into facility design.
  • → Study AECOM's organizational structure for the Data Centers group, including key leaders and their backgrounds.
  • → Look into AECOM's remote work policies and culture, including how they support virtual collaboration and professional development.

💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 Describe a time you managed a data center design program with tight deadlines and budget constraints—how did you handle trade-offs?
2 How do you approach proposal development for a new hyper-scale client? Walk us through your process from opportunity identification to submission.
3 Tell us about a challenging client relationship you turned around. What strategies did you use to rebuild trust?
4 What metrics do you use to monitor program health across multiple projects? How do you communicate status to executives?
5 How do you foster collaboration and accountability within a remote program team? Give a specific example.
Practice Interview Questions →

⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Submitting a generic application that doesn't reference data centers or program-level experience—this role demands specificity.
  • Focusing only on technical design skills rather than program management and business development capabilities.
  • Neglecting to mention remote work experience or tools—AECOM values candidates who can thrive in a distributed environment.

📅 Application Timeline

This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.

Typical hiring timeline:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to AECOM!

← Back to Job Listing Apply Now →