Design Manager - Data Centers - Dubai

Ramboll; Dubai; On-site; AED 400,000 - 700,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Investment in development

Leadership guidance

Collaborative culture

Foundation-backed stability

Job summary

Ramboll in Dubai is seeking a Design Manager / Project Manager to own end-to-end delivery for large, multidisciplinary data centre projects, responsible for scope, schedules, design quality, client engagement and commercial success.

You will lead multidisciplinary teams across Mechanical, Electrical, ELV/IBMS, Architecture and Civil, manage third-party consultants, establish coordination processes, and drive buildable, compliant designs in line with UAE regulations.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of project or design management experience on data centre or mission-critical facilities.
• Strong knowledge of HVAC, electrical power, ELV/IBMS, architecture and structure.
• Proven ability to lead diverse teams across geographies and manage client expectations.
• Experience with BIM coordination and coordinating multi-disciplinary outputs.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end project delivery for large, multidisciplinary data centre projects.
• Lead client engagement, design reviews and executive steering sessions.
• Set up project tools, schedules, teams and WBS; manage cross-discipline coordination.
• Review design outputs for buildability, operability and regulatory compliance.
• Identify risks, manage changes and communicate project status to stakeholders.

Skills

HVAC systems

Electrical design

Multidisciplinary coordination

Client management

Leadership

BIM coordination

Education

BE in Mechanical/Electrical/Building Services

PMP or equivalent

Tools

Revit

Navisworks

BIM workflows

Job description

Working at Ramboll

Working at Ramboll means being part of a people organisation focused on knowledge sharing and collaboration across competence areas and geography, with a strong commitment to diversity. It offers opportunities to solve a broad range of projects and invests heavily in the development of people, offering career paths tailored to each individual.

Company Description

Ramboll has more than 1,500 experts across 15 offices in the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa, including Dubai, Doha, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, China, India, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and South Africa. Experts apply their passion to deliver innovative solutions in Buildings, Transport, Planning & Urban Design, Water, Environment & Health and Energy. Founded in Denmark, Ramboll is a people company that invites you to contribute to a sustainable future in an open, collaborative culture.

Job Description

The Design Manager / Project Manager will own end-to-end project delivery for large, multidisciplinary data centre and mission‑critical facility projects, responsible for scope definition, schedule management, integrated design quality, client engagement, and commercial success. The role requires full lifecycle ownership from concept development and team assembly through detailed design delivery, construction support, commissioning coordination and project close‑out.

Client Engagement

• Act as the primary project interface with clients and senior stakeholders, leading design review meetings and executive steering committee sessions
• Continuously engage clients on deliverables, priorities, risks and schedule/budget performance, proactively surfacing issues and managing expectations
• Resolve scope ambiguities, change requests and conflicts between client needs and project constraints
• Build and maintain strong client relationships through clear communication, demonstrated progress and reliable delivery

Design Management & LDC

• Initiate and set up the project tools, schedule, teams, workstreams, draft and monitor the WBS
• Lead and oversee all technical disciplines – Mechanical, Electrical, ELV/IBMS, Architecture, Structural and Civil
• Manage and coordinate third‑party consultants and stakeholders, establishing communication processes and ensuring quality coordination
• Establish and maintain a structured coordination process and resolve cross‑discipline conflicts early
• Ensure all discipline outputs (SLDs, P&IDs, layouts, specifications) are coordinated, integrated and constructible before client submission
• Review design for buildability and operability
• Identify and assess technical, schedule, budget and commercial risks at inception and throughout delivery, develop mitigation strategies and track status
• Manage change requests and scope variations using a formal change control process, quantify impact and communicate schedule status and risks to client
• Develop and maintain the master project schedule incorporating all disciplines, design stages, client reviews and permitting milestones, track performance, identify delays early and implement corrective actions

Technical Oversight & Design Quality

• Review key design deliverables across all disciplines to ensure compliance with TIA‑942, Uptime Tier standards, ASHRAE, NFPA/NBC fire codes and local UAE regulations
• Guide multidisciplinary teams to solve complex technical challenges, ensuring optimal, integrated solutions aligned with project objectives
• Manage BIM coordination workflow and maintain quality standards across all project stages

Support to Project Manager

• Provide information for monthly reporting on budget vs actual, timesheets and utilisation
• Prepare monthly EVM reports
• Monitor resource utilisation efficiency and provide input for monthly P&L reports

Team Leadership & Capability Building

• Lead and motivate a multidisciplinary project team, creating a collaborative culture
• Excellent verbal and written communication in English; ability to communicate with C‑suite clients, internal senior leadership and teams
• Accountability, decision‑making, client‑facing skills and senior stakeholder relationship management
• Proven ability to mentor engineers and develop high‑performing teams

Qualifications

Technical Expertise

• Strong working knowledge across HVAC, mechanical, electrical power, ELV/IBMS, architecture and structural design
• Understanding of data centre design processes and extended knowledge of AI infrastructure, construction methods and current requirements
• Ability to review and understand design outputs such as SLDs, P&ID drawings, system layouts, BIM models, equipment schedules and technical specifications
• Understanding of how design decisions cascade across disciplines
• Familiarity with data centre standards and requirements: TIA‑942, Uptime Institute Tier III/IV, ASHRAE 90.4, fire codes and UAE regulatory landscape

Project & Delivery Management

• 8+ years of project management or design management experience, with at least 5 years managing data centre or mission‑critical facility projects
• Proven track record of delivering large multidisciplinary projects on schedule and within budget
• Experience managing teams of engineers across multiple disciplines and geographies
• Demonstrated ability to identify schedule/budget risks early and implement corrective actions

Qualifications & Experience

• BE in Mechanical, Electrical, or Building Services (or equivalent)
• PMP or equivalent certification (strongly preferred)
• Hands‑on experience in hyperscale or mission‑critical data centre projects
• Familiarity with Uptime Institute certification processes (ATD, ATS, CAP, ICCA)
• Experience with global project delivery across multiple geographies/time zones
• Knowledge of UAE regulatory landscape and authority approval processes (DEWA, ADDC, Civil Defence)
• Experience with BIM workflows and coordination (Revit, Navisworks or equivalent)

Good to Have

• Experience with integrated project delivery (IPD) or collaborative design methodologies

What We Can Offer You

• Investment in your development
• Leaders you can count on, guided by our Leadership Principles
• Be valued for the unique person you are
• Never be short of inspiration from colleagues, clients and projects
• The long‑term thinking of a foundation‑owned company

We Offer

• A challenging and interesting workday characterised by continuous learning in an environment with many opportunities to collaborate and learn from others
• Opportunity to work with varied tasks across the organisation
• Opportunity to develop and influence your own area of responsibility

Work at the Heart of Sustainable Change

Ramboll is a global architecture, engineering and consultancy company that believes the purpose of sustainable change is to create a thriving world for nature and people. Our culture is open, curious and inclusive, cultivating an environment where everyone can flourish and reach their full potential.