Job Description

The Design Manager is the central figure responsible for leading the design and documentation phases of mission-critical data center projects. This role requires a deep technical background in the Architectural and Engineering (A/E) disciplines relevant to data center infrastructure, including power, cooling, and structural design. The Design Manager will lead multi-disciplinary teams (internal and external) from conceptual design through to the completion of construction documents, ensuring all designs meet performance, cost, schedule, and quality standards for a 24/7/365 operational environment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design Leadership: Lead the Architectural and Engineering (A/E) consultants and internal design teams through all phases of design (Conceptual, Schematic, Design Development, and Construction Documents) for new builds and existing facility retrofits.

• Technical Coordination: Serve as the primary point of contact for integrating the work of Architectural, Structural, Mechanical, Electrical, and Civil (A/E/C) engineering disciplines, ensuring a fully coordinated and clash-free design.

• Standards Adherence: Ensure all design documents strictly adhere to company Data Center Design Standards, industry best practices (e.g., Uptime Institute tiers, ASHRAE TC 9.9), and all local/national codes and regulations.

• Scope and Budget Control: Manage the design scope and track consultant fees against the approved budget. Identify, mitigate, and process changes to the A/E scope promptly.

• Deliverable Management: Own the schedule and quality of all design deliverables, including drawing sets, technical specifications, and Basis of Design (BOD) documents.

• QA/QC Oversight: Implement a robust Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) process for all technical documentation prior to internal review, permitting, or release for construction bid.

• BIM/Revit Coordination: Oversee the project's adherence to Building Information Modeling (BIM) standards and protocols, ensuring a high level of coordination and data integrity across the design models.

• Stakeholder Alignment: Liaise with internal stakeholders, including Operations, Equipment, Solutions Engineering, Architects, Engineers, IT, Security, and Commissioning teams, to capture and validate project requirements and ensure the design supports long-term operational needs.

• Construction Administration Support: Support the Construction team by leading the review and timely response to Requests for Information (RFIs) and Submittals during the construction phase, specifically focusing on technical compliance with design intent.

• Vendor Engagement: Collaborate with internal critical equipment team (e.g., generators, UPS, cooling units) to ensure their technical data is accurately integrated into the overall A/E design package.

Qualifications:

• Experience: [5]+ years of Project Management experience managing large-scale, complex Data Center, Mission Critical, or heavy industrial projects.

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Construction Management, or a related technical field.

• Domain Expertise: Demonstrated professional expertise and deep knowledge of the mechanical and electrical infrastructure of a data center (e.g., critical power paths, cooling topologies, structural load requirements).

• Project Management: Proven experience in managing multi-disciplinary design teams and external A/E firms.

• Software Proficiency: Proficiency in project management software (Procore), collaboration tools (e.g., Bluebeam), and familiarity with Revit/BIM environments