Applied Digital
JOB DESCRIPTION
Position Title TFO Preconstruction Manager
Reports to Director of Integrated Platform and Execution
Position Summary Applied Digital is seeking a collaborative and commercially capable TFO Preconstruction Manager to lead the front-end planning, budgeting, scope definition, and contracting support for Tenant Fit-Out (TFO) projects across the portfolio. This individual will translate tenant requirements, work letters, design criteria, and delivery milestones into clear project budgets, Basis of Estimate and Basis of Contract documentation, procurement strategies, baseline schedules, and executable handoff packages for campus delivery teams. The role will coordinate closely with Customer Delivery, Design, Procurement, Construction, Finance, Cost Controls, Commissioning, campus leadership, general contractors, trade partners, and third-party estimating consultants. The position is intended to create consistency across TFO projects while maintaining project-specific assumptions, exclusions, risks, allowances, and commercial requirements. The position ultimately ensures each TFO project enters execution with a well-defined scope, defensible budget, realistic schedule, clear contracting strategy, and documented ownership of open items.
Key Responsibilities
TFO Front-End Planning & Scope Definition
- Lead the initial planning and definition of TFO scope from tenant requirements, work letters, technical criteria, design documents, and stakeholder input.
- Establish a clear scope boundary between base building, TFO, tenant-furnished work, owner-furnished equipment, and other enabling work.
- Develop project assumptions, exclusions, qualifications, allowances, contingencies, and risk registers appropriate to the level of design maturity.
- Identify scope gaps, overlaps, unresolved decisions, and long-lead constraints before turnover to the campus execution team.
- Create and maintain standardized TFO preconstruction deliverables, templates, and handoff requirements.
Budgeting, Basis of Estimate & Commercial Development
- Develop and maintain initial TFO budgets using available design information, tenant criteria, benchmark data, contractor input, and market intelligence.
- Prepare project-specific Basis of Estimate documentation that clearly explains scope, pricing basis, assumptions, exclusions, allowances, escalation, and contingency.
- Support preparation of the Basis of Contract and related commercial exhibits used to establish execution expectations.
- Coordinate estimate reviews, reconciliations, value engineering, and budget updates as design and tenant requirements evolve.
- Ensure budgets are organized using Applied Digital cost structures and are suitable for internal review, tenant submission, and transition to project cost control.
Procurement, Contracting & Long-Lead Strategy
- Partner with Procurement, Design, and Construction to identify early-release packages and long-lead equipment or material requirements.
- Support development of RFPs, bid forms, scope sheets, alternates, clarifications, and commercial leveling summaries.
- Evaluate contractor and trade partner proposals for scope completeness, qualifications, exclusions, schedule alignment, and commercial risk.
- Support contractor selection, negotiation, and development of contract-ready scope documentation.
- Coordinate required-on-job dates and procurement milestones with the preliminary TFO schedule.
Schedule & Execution Planning
- Develop preliminary milestone schedules and execution plans that align design, procurement, construction, commissioning, tenant deployment, early access, and Ready for Service requirements.
- Validate schedule assumptions with campus teams, contractors, design partners, Procurement, and Commissioning.
- Identify critical decisions, release dates, design deliverables, and constraints that could affect TFO execution.
- Help establish phasing, sequencing, logistics, workforce, testing, and turnover assumptions before construction begins.
Campus Handoff & Portfolio Standardization
- Lead a structured handoff to the assigned TFO Project Manager and TFO Superintendent before field execution begins.
- Transfer current budgets, schedule baselines, contract documents, open decisions, risks, procurement status, tenant commitments, and key assumptions.
- Remain available during early execution to clarify the commercial and technical basis of the project without replacing campus project ownership.
- Capture lessons learned and actual outcomes to improve future TFO budgets, contract strategies, templates, and execution plans.
- Promote consistent TFO practices while ensuring each estimate and contract package remains specific to its project and location.
Role Boundaries
- This role leads TFO preconstruction and initial commercialization but does not own daily field supervision, trade coordination, or site QA/QC.
- After formal handoff, the campus TFO Project Manager owns project execution, ongoing budget management, change control, and weekly schedule management.
- The role supports, but does not replace, Cost Controls, Procurement, Design Management, Commissioning, or campus leadership responsibilities.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
- Expert understanding of construction preconstruction, conceptual estimating, scope development, contracting, and schedule planning.
- Strong understanding of mission-critical and data center TFO systems, including electrical distribution, mechanical cooling, controls, life safety, security, telecom, architectural fit-out, and commissioning interfaces.
- Ability to translate incomplete or evolving tenant requirements into documented assumptions, risks, and executable commercial strategies.
- Experience preparing and reviewing estimates, RFPs, proposal leveling, Basis of Estimate documents, GMP packages, and contract exhibits.
- Strong ability to read and interpret work letters, drawings, specifications, schedules, and commercial agreements.
- Advanced proficiency in Excel, Bluebeam, scheduling tools, and Microsoft Office applications.
- Clear executive communication, facilitation, negotiation, and cross-functional coordination skills.
- Proactive ownership mindset with the ability to create structure in fast-moving, ambiguous project environments.
Education and Experience
- Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, Quantity Surveying, or a related field preferred.
- 8+ years of experience in preconstruction, estimating, project management, cost management, or design-build delivery on large capital projects.
- Experience supporting data center, mission-critical, industrial, advanced manufacturing, or technically complex tenant improvement projects preferred.
- Demonstrated experience developing budgets, Basis of Estimate documentation, procurement packages, milestone schedules, and contractor scope reconciliations.
- Owner-side, general contractor, or preconstruction consulting experience is preferred.
Travel
- Ability to travel up to 35%, as required, to active campuses, contractor offices, design workshops, and tenant coordination meetings.