Design Director - Data Centres

Skilled Careers; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 900,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation support

Job summary

Skilled Careers is collaborating with a leading Design & Build contractor to appoint a Technical Director for a major new data centre in Abu Dhabi. You will own the Technical Office end to end, driving design, engineering, BIM and material approvals while steering the project from design through commissioning.

You will lead the Technical Office, set the technical strategy, and coordinate across MEP, utilities and specialist systems, ensuring a resilient, mission-critical facility is delivered

Qualifications

• Extensive experience leading design offices on Design & Build projects.
• 20+ years in engineering and design leadership.
• 10+ years in large-scale data centres or mission-critical projects.
• Experience with Tier III/IV requirements and critical power/cooling systems.
• GCC experience is a plus but not essential.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Technical Office, Design Management, Engineering, BIM and Material Management teams.
• Set technical strategy and governance; act as senior technical authority.
• Oversee design coordination across CSA, MEP, ELV, ICT, fire protection, utilities and specialists.
• Run design reviews, VE workshops and constructability assessments.
• Control submittals, RFIs, technical queries and material approvals.
• Support procurement through vendor evaluation and material selection.
• Provide technical direction for MV/LV, UPS, generators, cooling, BMS/EPMS, ELV and security systems.
• Support FAT, SAT, IST and Operational Readiness; ensure smooth handovers.
• Act as main technical contact for clients, consultants, authorities and OEMs.

Skills

Technical leadership

Design governance

BIM & digital engineering

Stakeholder management

Quality assurance

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Engineering

Tools

BIM software (Revit)

AutoCAD

Navisworks

Job description

Technical Director – Hyperscale Data Centre (Design & Build)

Location: Abu Dhabi | Main Contractor

Skilled Careers is partnering with a leading Design & Build contractor to appoint a Technical Director for a major new data centre in Abu Dhabi.

This is the most senior technical role on the project. You'll own the Technical Office end to end, covering design, engineering, BIM, submittals and material approvals. You'll steer the facility from early design through to commissioning and handover, and be the final word on every engineering decision. The job is to get Design, Procurement, Construction and Commissioning working as one team so the client gets a resilient, mission-critical facility delivered right first time.

We're open to candidates already based in the GCC and to strong international candidates looking to make their first move to the region. If you've delivered at this level elsewhere and are ready to relocate, we'd still like to hear from you. [Relocation support is available.]

What you’ll be doing

• Leading the Technical Office, Design Management, Engineering, BIM and Material Management teams, and mentoring Design Managers, Package Managers and Engineers
• Setting the technical strategy and governance for the project, and acting as the senior technical authority internally and with the client
• Overseeing design and coordination across CSA, MEP, ELV, ICT, fire protection, utilities and specialist systems
• Running design reviews, VE workshops and constructability assessments, and solving critical design issues before they reach site
• Controlling submittals, RFIs, technical queries, material approvals and consultant coordination, so deliverables stay accurate and on programme
• Supporting procurement through vendor evaluation, technical bid assessments and material selection
• Giving technical direction across MV/LV, UPS, generators, chilled water, CRAH/CRAC, fire detection and suppression, BMS/EPMS, ELV and security systems
• Supporting FAT, SAT, IST and Operational Readiness, and making sure handovers from design through to commissioning are smooth
• Acting as the main technical contact for clients, consultants, authorities and OEMs, and taking part in executive and governance reviews

What you’ll bring

• A degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Electromechanical or Civil Engineering (a Masters is a plus)
• 20+ years in engineering, design management and technical leadership, including 10+ years on large-scale data centres, hyperscale, mission-critical, industrial or major infrastructure projects
• Experience leading a Technical Office or design team on the contractor side of Design & Build projects (essential)
• Strong knowledge of Tier III/IV requirements and critical power, cooling, fire and monitoring systems
• A track record in design governance, value engineering and integrating design with construction
• Working familiarity with BIM and digital engineering platforms
• The leadership and stakeholder skills to hold your ground with clients, consultants and senior management
• GCC experience is a plus but not essential. Experience on comparable projects internationally will be considered equally.

If you’ve led the technical side of a major data centre build and want to own the next one, I’d like to hear from you.