Design Manager - Data Center Construction

Description

The company is building a hyperscale data center and needs a self-starting Design Manager to lead design coordination across disciplines, from concept through construction administration, acting as Owner's Representative.

You keep schedules accurate, documents consistent, and submittals and RFIs closed on time. You connect Project and Construction Management with the architect/engineer team so design stays clear and delivery stays on time and cost-aware.

Responsibilities

• Set up or review Autodesk Construction Cloud or Procore, run daily governance, and keep file structures and metadata conventions clean and logical.
• Make sure A/E partners follow those standards, and standardize naming, versioning, and distribution.
• Build one central tracker for meetings and actions across A/E partners, the GC, and subs, covering decisions, RFIs, submittal status, and owners.
• After the initial design, lead cross-discipline coordination across the EORs and subcontractors.
• Push submittals and shop drawings to closure, lead weekly coordination meetings, and publish minutes and actions.
• Track design packages, narratives, and Base-Build vs. Tenant Fit-Out scope splits, record lessons learned, and share them across buildings.
• Integrate customer and tenant fit-out packages (non-base-build) so they match the core design.
• Review and manage the design schedule weekly, checking accuracy, phase gate readiness, and milestones.
• Align design phase turnover with construction phasing and tenant fit-out, protecting critical items.
• Run weekly A/E partner meetings, escalate and resolve submittals and RFIs held up by the A/E or GC, and coordinate site visits with A/E and QA/QC teams.
• Oversee mock-up and first-of-kind (FOK) reviews and acceptance criteria to reduce fabrication and installation risk.
• Prepare CA reports and documentation per project requirements and Owner requirements.
• Lead change workflows (PCOs, bulletins, cost-impacting RFIs), train GC teams on contract expectations and entitlement standards, and work with Cost Management on pricing reviews.
• Validate design-related cost changes, review VE options, and document the rationale.
• Ensure QA/QC design issuance and narratives classify changes at the drawing sheet level.
• Own the overall permit strategy, submissions, and responses, and coordinate AHJ inspections and certificate-of-occupancy milestones with the project team.
• Log major decisions and events, and maintain action registers, RFIs, submittal metrics, and issue logs through design and CA.
• Support QA/QC tied to design intent and acceptance criteria, and help field teams with design clarifications and punch-list readiness.
• Keep a design risk register covering interfaces, late vendor data, and long-lead items, and drive mitigations.
• Serve as the liaison from Project/Construction Management to the A/E team, lead meetings, and communicate design decisions, constraints, and impacts.
• Provide weekly project reporting on schedule, deliverables, and open issues.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• A bachelor's degree in architecture, engineering, construction management, or a closely related field.
• 7, 10 years of design management experience on mission-critical, semiconductor, data center, or complex commercial projects.
• A track record of getting A/E partners and subcontractors aligned, closing submittals and RFIs, and balancing base-build and tenant fit-out scopes.
• Proficiency in Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC) or Procore, plus MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Project.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills.

Conditions

Salary range: $135,000 to $185,000 USD.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Life and accident insurance, plus long-term disability coverage.
• 401(k) with a 4% company match when you contribute at least 5%.
• 15 days of paid time off.
• 8 paid national holidays.
• Reimbursement for professional licenses and certifications.