Manager, MEP Construction Delivery

Our Company

Zerra develops and operates hyperscale data centre campuses across Australia, Japan and India, delivering capacity at scale into markets driven by the growth of cloud and AI. Our flexible campus developments support hyperscale and neocloud organisations, enabling some of the world’s fastest-scaling technology businesses to grow with certainty and ambition.

At Zerra, we empower exceptional people to challenge convention, drive innovation and make a real impact in digital infrastructure. Our culture fuses entrepreneurial agility with global expertise, enabling our teams to deliver results that matter.

Zerra is part of AGP, an independently owned investor and asset manager that develops and operates real assets across the energy, digital and real estate sectors.

Responsibilities

Safety Leadership (Injury & Incident Free)

• Maintain a consistent, visible safety presence across all work fronts — personally conducting regular site walks and enforcing Zerra’s safety standards across all trades and subcontractors
• Drive a safety culture within the Construction team where hazards are raised early, near-misses are reported without blame, and every team member feels accountable for those around them
• Ensure full compliance with Indian Labour Law and Zerra critical safety requirements across all MEP works — mandatory inductions, permits-to-work, LOTO procedures, and HV safety protocols enforced consistently
• Lead MEP-specific incident investigations and corrective action closeout; escalate findings and systemic issues to the Regional Safety Manager and Construction Director promptly
• Conduct MEP-specific toolbox talks and trade-level risk observations; use findings to coach subcontractor supervisors, not just correct individuals
• Lead initiatives to enhance offsite manufacturing, prefabrication, and containerisation as safety levers — reducing on-site labour density, minimising high-risk activities, and lowering overall site risk exposure
• Conduct MEP-specific toolbox talks and trade-level risk observations; use findings to coach subcontractor supervisors, not just correct individuals
• Lead initiatives to enhance offsite manufacturing, prefabrication, and containerisation as safety levers — reducing on-site labour density, minimising high-risk activities, and lowering overall site risk exposure

MEP Construction Delivery & Programme Management

• Own the on-site delivery of all MEP systems — including HVAC systems (chillers, CRAH/CRAC, liquid cooling), MV/LV electrical distribution, UPS, diesel generators, switchgear, busducts, fire detection and suppression (VESDA, gas suppression), plumbing, water management, HSD, ELV, and ICT — across the Mukand campus
• Maintain a detailed MEP programme integrated into the master construction schedule; identify critical path activities, float, and dependencies, and flag variances to the Construction Director immediately with recovery proposals
• Define and implement the construction sequencing and staging of all MEPF works throughout the build — coordinating interfaces with civil teams, testing and commissioning, and operations to ensure a structured, conflict-free path to building handover
• Define, promote, and implement prefabrication, modularisation, and containerisation strategies to maximise offsite construction, create parallel work and install opportunities, and fast-track delivery without compromising quality or safety
• Coordinate MEP installation sequences with civil, structural, and OSE works to eliminate clashes, rework, and programme disruption
• Manage MEP subcontractor performance, scope interfaces, and site productivity — holding trades to clear delivery expectations through visibility, accountability, and structured progress reviews
• Lead the onboarding of MEP contractors and OEM vendors; manage day-to-day performance, productivity, and adherence to ZerraDC’s safety, quality, and programme standards
• Manage interfaces between multiple vendors and OEMs to ensure seamless system integration across all MEPF disciplines
• Oversee MEP material procurement schedules, on-site logistics, and equipment staging in coordination with the Commercial Manager and Construction Director
• Implement standardised design and delivery templates defined at a regional level, ensuring India delivery is consistent with ZerraDC’s broader APAC product and execution standards.
• Drive lessons learned capture at key MEP milestones; feed findings back into delivery governance and future project planning

High Voltage & Utility Delivery

• Work closely with the HV delivery lead to manage HV substation installation, testing, and commissioning activities on-site, ensuring alignment with the Construction Director’s HV delivery programme
• Coordinate directly with HV subcontractors and, where required, local utility representatives to ensure HV works are sequenced correctly and energisation milestones are met
• Treat HV connection readiness as a critical path dependency — flag any risks to the Construction Director immediately and without ambiguity
• Manage MEP utility interface works (power, water, fibre terminations) ensuring compliance, sequencing, and coordination with external providers

Design Coordination & Value Engineering

• Collaborate actively with design consultants to validate constructability, identify value engineering opportunities, and ensure MEP designs are optimised for efficient on-site execution
• Review IFC drawings, technical submittals, and shop drawings — ensuring full alignment with design intent, ZerraDC standards, and site conditions before works proceed
• Identify and resolve design coordination issues and clashes early through structured BIM coordination and multi-discipline design reviews, preventing rework and programme disruption on site
• Partner with the Design Manager and regional team to ensure India-specific site conditions, local code requirements, and constructability constraints are captured and resolved at design stage

Quality Assurance & Commissioning

• Develop and implement a MEP quality assurance programme covering ITPs, hold points, inspection records, and subcontractor compliance with ZerraDC standards and design intent
• Enforce quality standards through active on-site inspection — not desk review — ensuring non-conformances are identified early, documented, and closed out before works proceed
• Support the T&C Manager throughout pre-commissioning, commissioning, and integrated systems testing (IST) of all MEPF systems — ensuring MEP works are sequenced, resourced, and technically ready to support the commissioning programme
• Coordinate white space readiness and critical environment commissioning, ensuring the facility meets ZerraDC’s and the customer’s operational requirements prior to handover
• Ensure customer MEP performance and reliability requirements are fully incorporated into testing protocols and verified through IST outcomes
• Drive a zero-defect handover standard — ensuring all MEP systems are fully tested, documented, and signed off before handover to operations or the customer, with no open items that could affect operational readiness
• Capture and implement lessons learned to continuously improve MEP delivery quality across future ZerraDC projects

In-Construction Approvals & Regulatory Compliance

• Manage MEP-specific statutory inspections and approvals — coordinating with fire departments, MIDC, and municipal authorities for MEP sign-offs without programme disruption
• Ensure all MEP installations comply with India-specific regulatory requirements including NBC, ECBC, and relevant fire and electrical codes
• Maintain a live MEP approvals tracker; ensure all statutory sign-offs are sequenced into the MEP programme and reported to the Construction Director

Stakeholder & Vendor Management

• Serve as the primary on-site interface for MEP subcontractors and specialist vendors — managing performance, scope governance, and accountability with clear expectations and structured review cadences
• Coordinate MEP interfaces with the GC, OSE vendors, Design Manager, Technology team, and customer representatives to maintain construction sequencing and commissioning readiness
• Remain flexible and responsive to evolving customer requirements — integrating MEP fitout scopes, technical changes, and customer milestones into the live MEP programme without disrupting base build delivery
• Provide the Construction Director with transparent, structured MEP progress reporting — programme status, quality performance, risk exposure, and cost inputs communicated proactively and without ambiguity

Risk Management

• Maintain a live MEP risk register covering technical, procurement, programme, and installation risks across all active packages
• Surface MEP risks early — escalate to the Construction Director promptly; issues should never reach formal review without prior visibility
• Embed risk review into weekly MEP governance and subcontractor management; ensure mitigation actions are owned, tracked, and closed out
• Partner with the Commercial Manager to ensure MEP risk exposures are accurately reflected in cost forecasts and contingency provisions
• Resolve technical clashes and design coordination issues proactively before they impact site progress

Development & Capital Integration

• Provide the Capital Project Controls team and Construction Director with accurate, timely MEP cost inputs — committed costs, procurement status, change events, and cost-to-complete — to support capital forecasting and project reporting
• Flag emerging MEP cost or programme risks proactively; never surface an issue for the first time at a formal review
• Ensure MEP procurement strategies and subcontractor award recommendations are structured in alignment with project financial governance frameworks

Sustainability & ESG

• Integrate sustainability requirements into MEP construction delivery — supporting waste management, energy-efficient MEP solutions, and water stewardship on-site
• Lead offsite manufacturing, prefabrication, and containerisation initiatives as a means of reducing waste, lowering carbon emissions, and improving on-site safety — embedding these approaches as standard practice across MEP delivery
• Ensure MEP systems and installation practices support alignment with relevant certification pathways (IGBC, LEED, GRIHA) and customer ESG commitments
• Track and report MEP-specific sustainability benchmarks to the Construction Director and ESG team

AI, Digital & Productivity Enablement

• Operate within ZerraDC’s digital delivery frameworks — ensuring MEP programme, quality, and risk data is accurate, timely, and structured to project standards
• Use BIM coordination, digital QA/QC tools, and digital commissioning platforms to improve accuracy, reduce rework, and maintain clear as-built records
• Promote a data-driven delivery culture within the MEP team: decisions backed by live information, not lagging reports

Experience, skills and competencies (Mandatory)

Experience

• 10+ years in MEP construction delivery on large-scale infrastructure, industrial, or mission-critical projects, with significant on-site experience in India.
• Proven end-to-end MEP delivery from mobilisation through commissioning and handover on complex, multi-discipline projects.
• Direct experience managing MEP subcontractors and OEM vendors under formal contract structures in the Indian market.
• Deep technical expertise across HVAC (chillers, CRAH/CRAC, liquid cooling), MV/LV electrical distribution, UPS, diesel generators, switchgear, busducts, fire detection and suppression (VESDA, gas suppression), plumbing, water management, HSD, ELV, and ICT.
• Demonstrated experience managing HV substation installation, testing, and energisation, including coordination with Indian DISCOMs and utility authorities.
• Hands-on commissioning and IST experience on data centre, pharmaceutical, industrial, or equivalent mission-critical facilities.
• Strong QA track record: ITP development, hold-point management, non-conformance resolution, and zero-defect handover.
• Working knowledge of India-specific regulatory requirements: NBC, ECBC, fire NOC, CEA, and relevant state-level construction compliance.
• Experience implementing prefabrication, modularisation, and offsite construction strategies to improve programme, safety, and quality outcomes.
• Fluency in English and Hindi (or relevant regional language) — able to operate across ZerraDC’s international leadership environment and on-the-ground contractor, vendor, and authority engagement in India.
• Prior data centre or hyperscale facility experience highly regarded. Experience working alongside international delivery standards within an Indian market context is an advantage.

Skills

• Deep technical knowledge of MEP systems in mission-critical environments — commands credibility with subcontractors and OEM vendors through systems expertise, not just management authority.
• MEP programme management: detailed scheduling, critical path analysis, float management, and recovery planning integrated into the master programme.
• Design coordination: BIM coordination, IFC drawing review, shop drawing and submittal assessment, and constructability review across MEP disciplines.
• Quality management: development and enforcement of ITPs, hold points, and inspection protocols across multiple concurrent MEP packages.
• Commissioning management: structured approach to pre-commissioning, commissioning, and IST across complex, interdependent MEP systems.
• Risk identification: maintains a live MEP risk register and translates technical risks into clear programme and cost exposure reporting.
• Communication and stakeholder management: translates MEP complexity into structured reporting for leadership; confident managing subcontractor and vendor relationships directly; coordinates effectively across civil, technology, and operations interfaces without escalating every issue upward.
• Digital literacy: BIM platforms, digital QA/QC tools, digital commissioning systems, and ZerraDC’s project reporting frameworks.

Desirable qualifications / professional certification (if applicable)

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Professional membership with IE(I), ASHRAE, CIBSE, or equivalent recognised engineering bodies is desirable.
• CEA or HV electrical safety qualification is a practical advantage given the significance of power delivery on this project.
• IGBC AP, LEED AP, or equivalent sustainability accreditation is advantageous.