Multi-Disciplinary Design Manager - Data Centres

Reports To: Project Director/Project Manager

Summary of Role:
The Multi-Disciplinary Design Manager is responsible for leading and coordinating the delivery of complex mission critical and hyperscale data centre projects from concept design, detailed design, procurement support, construction administration, commissioning and handover.
The role serves as the primary interface between the client, design disciplines, specialist consultants, contractors and project management teams, ensuring that all designs are fully integrated, coordinated, compliant and aligned with project objectives relating to reliability, resilience, sustainability, programme and cost.
The Design Manager will lead multidisciplinary teams comprising Architecture, Civil & Structural, Electrical, Mechanical, Public Health, Fire Protection, ICT, Security, Sustainability, BIM and specialist data centre consultants.

Key Responsibilities:
Design Leadership:

• Lead the multidisciplinary design team throughout all project phases.
• Develop and implement design management plans, deliverable schedules and design review processes.
• Ensure design solutions satisfy client requirements, operational needs and business objectives.
• Drive technical excellence and design consistency across all disciplines.
• Manage design risks, assumptions, constraints and interfaces.

Data Centre Technical Leadership

• Coordinate the development of mission critical infrastructure solutions including:
  • Utility power systems
  • HV and MV electrical distribution
  • UPS systems
  • Generator systems
  • Cooling systems
  • Data hall architecture
  • Telecoms and ICT infrastructure
  • Security systems
  • Fire protection systems
• Facilitate the development and approval of Basis of Design (BoD) documentation.
• Ensure designs meet required Tier, redundancy and availability requirements.
• Support certification strategies including:
  • Uptime Institute
  • TIA-942
  • Green Mark Data Centre
  • Local regulatory requirements

Stakeholder Management

• Act as the primary design interface for clients and key stakeholders.
• Lead design workshops, coordination meetings and technical reviews.
• Present design solutions and recommendations to senior client representatives.
• Manage specialist consultants and subcontract design partners.

Programme and Deliverables Management

• Monitor and manage design programmes against project milestones.
• Ensure timely production of:
  • Concept designs
  • Schematic designs
  • Detailed designs
  • Tender documentation
  • Construction documentation
• Manage design change processes and document control procedures.

BIM and Digital Delivery

• Lead BIM implementation and model coordination activities.
• Ensure multidisciplinary model integration and clash avoidance.
• Promote digital engineering and design automation opportunities.

Construction Support

• Support procurement and tender evaluations.
• Review contractor submissions, shop drawings and RFIs.
• Provide technical support during construction and commissioning phases.
• Coordinate design responses to site issues.

Quality & Goverannce

• Ensure compliance with company quality management systems.
• Conduct multidisciplinary design reviews and stage gate approvals.
• Ensure adherence to client standards, codes and regulatory requirements.
• Promote safety in design principles and risk reduction measures.

Required Qualifications & Experiences:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Architecture or related discipline.
• Chartered Engineer, Professional Engineer, Registered Architect or equivalent preferred.
• Formal project management qualification advantageous (PMP, PRINCE2 or equivalent)
• Min. 10 years of multidisciplinary design experience
• Min. 5 years in mission crtiical facilities or data centre projects
• Demonstrated experience deliverying hyperscale, colocation or enterprise data centres
• Experience managing large mutlidisciplinary consultancy teams
• Proven track record delivery projects exceeding 20MW IT load capacity
• Experience across concept, detailed design, construction and commissioning phases
• Strong understanding of Data Centre topology and redundancy strategies.
• Strong understanding in mission critical electrical infrastructure, cooling system, reliability and availaility analysis, commissioning and integrated systems testing, BIM and digital delivery processes, sustainability and energy efficiency strategies and building codes and statutory approval requirements.

Key Competencies

• Leadership and team management
• Client relationship management
• Strategic planning and decision making
• Technical problem solving
• Commercial awareness
• Risk management
• Strong verbal and written communication
• Negotiation and influencing skills
• Stakeholder engagement
• Programme and resource management