Senior Design Manager

First Point Group; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 520,000 - 820,000; Full time

Job summary

First Point Group is seeking a Senior Data Centre Design Manager in Abu Dhabi to lead the design and delivery of hyperscale and colocation data centres across the Middle East. You will own the data centre design process, guiding multidisciplinary teams from concept through construction support and handover.

The role requires deep expertise in data centre design, 10+ years in the field, and a track record leading at least five MEP data centre projects.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years' experience in Data Centre Design.
• Minimum 5 years in a Design Leadership or Design Management role.
• Data Centre Design experience is essential and non-negotiable.
• Experience delivering hyperscale, colocation, Tier III or Tier IV data centre facilities.
• Subject Matter Expert in Electrical Engineering (LV Power Systems) or Mechanical Engineering (HVAC/Cooling Systems).
• Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering.

Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end design and coordination of hyperscale and colocation data centre projects.
• Manage multidisciplinary teams across Mechanical, Electrical, CSA, and ELV disciplines.
• Ensure design compliance with international standards, client requirements, and local authority regulations.
• Drive design quality, innovation, risk management, and project delivery performance.
• Manage technical reviews, stakeholder coordination, tender processes, and contractor engagement.
• Act as a key client-facing representative throughout project delivery.
• Support technical bid submissions and business development initiatives.

Skills

Data Centre Design

Design Leadership

Stakeholder Management

Project Coordination

Multidisciplinary Coordination

Client-facing

MEP Coordination

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering

Chartered Engineer (CEng) or PE

Tools

Revit

AutoCAD

BIM platforms

Job description

Senior Data Centre Design Manager

Location: Abu Dhabi

A leading engineering consultancy specialising in mission-critical infrastructure is seeking an experienced Senior Data Centre Design Manager to lead the design and delivery of large-scale hyperscale and colocation data centre projects across the Middle East.

This is a senior leadership opportunity for a technically strong engineering professional with deep expertise in data centre design and multidisciplinary project management.

About the Role

You will take overall ownership of the data centre design process, leading multidisciplinary engineering teams through all project phases from concept and technical design through construction support and handover. You will work closely with clients, consultants, contractors, and stakeholders to deliver highly resilient, scalable, and efficient mission-critical facilities.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end design and coordination of hyperscale and colocation data centre projects.


• Manage multidisciplinary teams across Mechanical, Electrical, CSA, and ELV disciplines.


• Ensure design compliance with international standards, client requirements, and local authority regulations.


• Drive design quality, innovation, risk management, and project delivery performance.


• Manage technical reviews, stakeholder coordination, tender processes, and contractor engagement.


• Act as a key client-facing representative throughout project delivery.


• Support technical bid submissions and business development initiatives.

Mandatory Requirements

• Minimum 10 years' experience in Data Centre Design


• Minimum 5 years in a Design Leadership or Design Management role


• Data Centre Design experience is essential and non-negotiable


• Experience leading at least 5 full MEP Data Centre Design projects


• Subject Matter Expert in either:

- Electrical Engineering (LV Power Systems), or

- Mechanical Engineering (HVAC/Cooling Systems)

• Experience delivering hyperscale, colocation, Tier III or Tier IV data centre facilities.


• Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering.

Preferred Experience

• Chartered Engineer (CEng), PE or equivalent.


• PMP, Prince2 or similar project management certification.


• Strong knowledge of Uptime Institute Standards, ASHRAE TC 9.9, NFPA, IEEE, IEC, LEED


• Proficiency with Revit, AutoCAD, BIM platforms and design management tools.

What We're Looking For

• Proven leadership of complex Data Center projects.


• Exceptional stakeholder management and client-facing capabilities.


• Strong technical decision-making and multidisciplinary design coordination experience.


• Ability to deliver large-scale projects within demanding schedules while maintaining design excellence