Sr. Manager Business Controls – Data Center

Description AFL manufactures industry-leading fiber optic cable, connectivity and accessories and provides engineering and installation services for some of the largest telecom customers in the world. Our company was founded in 1984 with a single fiber optic cable and today, we manufacture thousands of products, generate an excess of $3B in revenue, and employ approximately 12,000 associates worldwide. At AFL, we recognize that our employees are our greatest asset. We hire and train each individual, investing in them to ensure success in their careers. With a commitment to professional development and growth, let us connect you to your next career opportunity. What We Offer: A hybrid in office schedule for qualifying employees Flexible time off policy 401K Company match (up to 4% - dollar for dollar) Professional development, training, and tuition reimbursement programs Excellent medical, dental, vision, and life insurance policy options Opportunities for career advancement with an industry leading company! Position Summary The Senior Manager, Business Controls is responsible for leading contractual governance, commercial controls, and compliance management across AFL’s Data Center Services business. This role serves as the primary link between Contracts, Operations, Project Management, Finance, Legal, and Customer stakeholders, ensuring contractual requirements are clearly translated into operational execution plans and consistently adhered to throughout the project lifecycle. The Senior Manager, Business Controls is accountable for contract administration, scope management, change order governance, commercial risk mitigation, and compliance oversight for large-scale data center construction, commissioning, infrastructure deployment, and related services programs. This role protects profitability, minimizes contractual risk, ensures customer obligations are fulfilled, and enables operational teams to execute with clarity and confidence. The position plays a critical leadership role in supporting business growth, maintaining customer trust, and driving operational excellence through disciplined contract execution and business governance. Scope of Responsibility The Senior Manager, Business Controls provides oversight and governance for: Customer contract administration Contract compliance and performance monitoring Scope management and change control Commercial risk identification and mitigation Change order development and recovery Customer deliverables tracking Contractual reporting requirements Business process governance Executive reporting and performance analytics Data center construction and commissioning projects The role partners closely with Operations, Construction Management, Project Controls, Commissioning Teams, Finance, Legal, Procurement, and Business Development. Key Responsibilities Contract Interpretation & Execution Support Serve as the business lead for contract administration across data center projects and programs. Review customer contracts, statements of work, master service agreements, work orders, and amendments. Translate contractual requirements into actionable execution plans for project teams and vendor partners. Ensure project managers, operations leaders, field teams and vendor partners understand contractual obligations, deliverables, assumptions, exclusions, and performance requirements. Facilitate project startup reviews to align operational execution with contractual commitments. Develop tools and processes that enable operational teams to execute within established contract parameters. Contract Compliance & Governance Establish and maintain governance processes that monitor adherence to contractual obligations. Develop and enforce vendor flow-down requirements based on prime contract obligations, ensuring MSAs and SOWs are properly aligned, documented, and compliant. Coordinate with project staff to track performance against customer requirements, schedules, milestones, service levels, and reporting commitments. Identify contractual compliance risks and partner with project teams to implement corrective actions. Ensure required project documentation is maintained and supports customer and contractual requirements. Support customer audits, compliance reviews, contract assessments, and executive governance meetings. Provide leadership updates regarding contractual performance, issues, and risk exposure. Scope Management & Change Order Administration Lead the contract change management process across all assigned programs. Oversee adherence to contractual change management requirements by ensuring Project Managers, Program Managers, and Operations teams appropriately document, substantiate, and escalate scope changes, customer-directed modifications, schedule impacts, and unforeseen work for commercial review and recovery. Collaborate with project teams to quantify commercial impacts associated with scope changes. Develop and manage change order requests, pricing packages, supporting documentation, and customer submissions. Monitor unapproved work and proactively prevent unrecoverable scope growth. Maximize recovery of additional revenue and costs associated with customer-driven changes. Commercial Risk Management Assess contractual, financial, and operational risks associated with customer agreements. Maintain risk registers and contractual exposure assessments. Support resolution of project disputes, claims, exceptions, and customer escalations. Work closely with Legal and executive leadership on complex contractual matters. Escalate significant commercial risks that could impact profitability, customer relationships, or project success. Develop mitigation strategies that protect company interests while supporting customer objectives. Operational Partnership & Customer Interface Act as a strategic business partner to Operations, Project Management, and Construction leadership. Participate in customer meetings, project reviews, startup planning sessions, and executive business reviews. Provide guidance on contract interpretation and commercial implications of operational decisions. Ensure alignment between contractual commitments and execution strategies. Support customer negotiations, contract amendments, and commercial discussions as required. Foster strong working relationships with customer program managers, procurement teams, and commercial stakeholders. Financial Controls & Performance Management Partner with Finance and Project Controls teams to monitor project financial performance. Partner with Operations and Project Teams to track contract value, approved changes, pending claims, revenue opportunities, and margin impacts. Ensure change orders and commercial recoveries are appropriately reflected in project forecasts. Develop executive reporting dashboards tracking: Contract compliance Change order status Scope growth Commercial recovery Risk exposure Revenue and margin performance Customer contractual deliverables Support monthly business reviews and operational performance discussions. Process Improvement & Business Governance Develop and implement standardized contract administration and business control processes across the Data Center business. Establish best practices for contract reviews, scope management, and change order governance. Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on risk reduction, operational discipline, and commercial performance. Improve visibility through dashboards, automated workflows, and reporting tools. Support implementation of systems and technologies that enhance contract management and project controls effectiveness. Leadership & Team Development Lead and develop contract administrators, business analysts, project controls personnel, and other support resources as assigned. Establish clear performance expectations and accountability standards. Mentor project leaders on commercial awareness, contract compliance, and scope management. Promote a culture of ownership, accountability, risk awareness, and operational excellence. Build strong partnerships across all functional areas supporting Data Center operations. Success Measures / KPIs Contract compliance performance Change order capture and recovery rates Reduction in unapproved scope growth Margin protection and enhancement Timeliness of change order processing and approvals Customer satisfaction and contractual performance outcomes Reduction in contract-related disputes and claims Accuracy of contract and financial reporting Commercial risk mitigation effectiveness Operational adherence to contractual requirements Qualifications Required Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Construction Management, Engineering, Project Management, or related field. 10+ years of experience in contract management, commercial operations, project controls, business operations, or program governance. Experience supporting large-scale construction, commissioning, mission-critical facilities, or data center projects. Strong understanding of customer contracts, commercial risk, scope management, and change order administration. Demonstrated experience translating contractual language into operational execution requirements. Strong financial acumen including forecasting, revenue analysis, project controls, and profitability management. Exceptional communication, negotiation, analytical, and problem-solving skills. Preferred MBA or advanced business degree. Experience supporting hyperscale or colocation data center customers. Experience with commissioning, construction management, or mission-critical infrastructure programs. PMP, CCM, CPCM, or similar professional certification. Experience with ERP, contract management, project controls, and business intelligence platforms. Leadership Competencies Commercial Acumen Strategic Thinking Contractual Risk Management Operational Excellence Customer Focus Influencing Without Authority Executive Communication Financial Analysis Cross-Functional Leadership Results Orientation Work Environment Hybrid office and project support environment. Frequent interaction with customers, project leadership, construction teams, commissioning personnel, and executive stakeholders. Occasional travel to active data center construction and commissioning sites. Fast-paced environment requiring strong decision-making, prioritization, and commercial judgment.