Data Centre Program Manager | Executive Director

Job Description: Enterprise Data Center (EDC) – Project Delivery
Level: Executive Director

Reporting to: Global Head of Enterprise Data Centers / Global Head of Data Center Construction & Delivery
Location of Role: New Jersey (primary). Candidate must be willing to travel frequently to a secondary remote data center location west of New Jersey, and periodically to other Morgan Stanley corporate and data center locations. Limited out-of-region travel may be required.

The Group
The Enterprise Data Center (EDC) organization is a global function embedded within and accountable to the Firm’s Technology Division. EDC is responsible for the end-to-end lifecycle of the Firm’s enterprise data center portfolio, including strategy definition, requirements, design, construction, commissioning, and transition into steady-state operations.
EDC supports Morgan Stanley’s business and technology requirements by delivering resilient, scalable, and efficient data center environments through a global team responsible for critical infrastructure delivery, risk management, capacity growth, operational readiness, and large-scale transformation programs.

Basic Function
This Executive Director role has ultimate accountability for the delivery of a complex, multi-site data center program, including a primary site in New Jersey and a geographically remote secondary site west of New Jersey.
The position acts as the single point of ownership and executive authority for all phases of project delivery, from early planning and design through construction, commissioning, and operational handover. The role requires senior leadership across multiple concurrent workstreams, strict governance and control of cost, schedule, quality, and risk, and close coordination with Technology, Real Estate, Security, Risk, Finance, and EDC Operations.
The role is accountable for ensuring that all program outcomes meet Morgan Stanley standards for safety, resilience, regulatory compliance, operational readiness, and long-term sustainability.

Principle Responsibilities and Duties
Program Leadership & Accountability
• Provide single-point executive ownership for the end-to-end delivery of a multi-site, mission-critical data center program.
• Establish and enforce program governance, reporting, and control frameworks across scope, cost, schedule, quality, and risk.
• Own escalation, decision-making, and resolution of all material delivery risks and issues.

Design, Construction & Commissioning Oversight
• Provide governance and oversight of design development to ensure alignment with Morgan Stanley data center standards and operational requirements.
• Oversee construction sequencing, integrated testing, commissioning, and readiness activities across all program sites.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable codes, statutory, regulatory, health & safety, and environmental requirements.

Financial, Commercial & Risk Management
• Own capital budget accountability, including forecasting, cost control, change management, and financial reporting.
• Lead commercial strategy, contract governance, and performance management for developers, contractors, designers, and consultants.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate delivery, operational, financial, and regulatory risks throughout the project lifecycle.

Stakeholder & Vendor Management
• Maintain strong executive-level relationships with internal stakeholders across Technology, EDC Engineering, EDC Operations, Corporate Real Estate, Security, Risk, Finance, and Procurement.
• Act as the Firm’s senior interface with external delivery partners, vendors, and consultants.
• Ensure alignment between construction activities and technology deployment to minimize business risk and disruption.
Operational Readiness & Handover
• Drive early and continuous engagement with EDC Operations to ensure a controlled and seamless transition into BAU operations.
• Ensure operational documentation, training, asset data, spares, and procedures are complete and validated prior to handover.
• Support post-handover stabilization and warranty management activities as required.

Reporting & Executive Communication
• Provide clear, accurate, and timely executive-level reporting on program status, risks, and key decisions.
• Deliver concise updates to senior management and governance forums, including recommended actions and mitigations.

Minimum Requirements
• Degree-level education in Engineering, Construction Management, Project

Management, or equivalent relevant industry experience.
• Extensive senior-level experience delivering large-scale, mission-critical infrastructure programs, preferably within data centers, financial services, or other highly regulated environments.
• Proven track record of executive accountability for multi-site capital delivery programs.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen, including management of large capital budgets and complex vendor contracts.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, influence, and communicate effectively at executive level.
• Ability to make sound decisions under pressure in complex, fast-paced environments.
• Strong leadership capability with experience managing geographically distributed teams and stakeholders.

Key Relationships
Enterprise Data Center Engineering and Operations; Technology Infrastructure and Application teams; Corporate Real Estate, Security, Risk, Compliance, and Finance; Procurement and Vendor Management; External developers, contractors, designers, commissioning agents, and critical infrastructure vendors.
 

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM MORGAN STANLEY:

At Morgan Stanley, we raise, manage and allocate capital for our clients – helping them reach their goals. We do it in a way that’s differentiated – and we’ve done that for 90 years.  Our values - putting clients first, doing the right thing, leading with exceptional ideas, committing to diversity and inclusion, and giving back - aren’t just beliefs, they guide the decisions we make every day to do what's best for our clients, communities and more than 80,000 employees in 1,200 offices across 42 countries. At Morgan Stanley, you’ll find an opportunity to work alongside the best and the brightest, in an environment where you are supported and empowered. Our teams are relentless collaborators and creative thinkers, fueled by their diverse backgrounds and experiences. We are proud to support our employees and their families at every point along their work-life journey, offering some of the most attractive and comprehensive employee benefits and perks in the industry. There’s also ample opportunity to move about the business for those who show passion and grit in their work.

To learn more about our offices across the globe, please copy and paste https://www.morganstanley.com/about-us/global-offices​ into your browser.

Morgan Stanley is an equal opportunity employer committed to building and maintaining a workforce that is diverse in experience and background.  Our recruiting efforts reflect our strong commitment to a culture of inclusion, where individuals are hired, developed, and advanced based on their skills and talents.

Our workforce reflects a broad cross-section of the global communities in which we operate, bringing a variety of backgrounds, talents, perspectives, and experiences.

For more information, please visit: https://www.morganstanley.com/people-opportunities/eeo.