Design Manager (Data Centres)

Kapitol; City of Melbourne; On-site; AUD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Career development opportunities

Health and wellbeing initiatives

Innovation culture

Exposure to advanced BIM and digital‑t

Advanced BIM and digital delivery

Job summary

Kapitol, a Melbourne-based leader in data centre design and construction, is seeking an experienced Design Manager to join its Data Centre team. You will bridge design, digital engineering and construction, overseeing design through IFC and delivery, and you will coordinate with consultants and internal stakeholders to deliver high-quality, compliant outcomes.

You will influence design decisions on critical, aggressive timelines and work across hyperscale and mission-critical facilities to

Qualifications

• Relevant qualification in Architecture, Engineering, Construction Management or a related built environment discipline.
• Proven design management experience on large-scale commercial/industrial or mission-critical projects.
• Experience with Tier 1 or Tier 2 head contractors and strong design coordination.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate all design activities from design development to IFC and construction.
• Drive alignment between design deliverables and construction milestones.
• Collaborate with Project Manager, site team and consultants to manage design risks and opportunities.
• Manage consultant teams and key project stakeholders through the design process.
• Ensure design documentation meets project requirements and Australian standards.
• Coordinate with Services and Digital Engineering to optimise outcomes.
• Resolve design coordination, buildability and compliance issues.
• Oversee handover of coordinated design information to delivery teams.
• Foster relationships with consultants, subcontractors and internal stakeholders.

Skills

Design leadership

Stakeholder management

Design coordination

Project delivery

Coordination across disciplines

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Architecture/Engineering/Construction Management

Tools

BIM

Digital delivery

Job description

About Us

Kapitol is an innovation-driven construction company based in Melbourne set to outpace and disrupt the industry. As one of Australia's fastest-growing design and construct enterprises, we proudly combine a fresh approach with decades of expertise.

The result is smarter, safer, more agile building solutions, coupled with a diverse portfolio spanning commercial, residential, education and mission-critical infrastructure projects.

We're driven by our core values Supportive, Authentic, Inspirational, Driven and Customer-Centric, and we're looking for an experienced Design Manager to join our growing Data Centre team.

The Opportunity

This is a rare opportunity to play a key role in the delivery of some of Australia's most critical digital infrastructure projects.

Australia is experiencing unprecedented investment in data centres, driven by cloud computing, artificial intelligence and the exponential growth of digital services. At Kapitol, we're at the forefront of this transformation, delivering complex, mission-critical facilities that power the country's digital future.

Joining Kapitol's Data Centre team means becoming part of one of APAC's largest data centre builders, delivering projects that combine scale, technical complexity and innovation. From hyperscale developments through to highly specialised mission-critical facilities, our projects demand exceptional coordination, precision and design leadership. Kapitol has delivered more than 300MW of data centre capacity across 30+ projects and is recognised within its capability statement as one of the largest data centre builders in APAC.

You’ll work alongside some of the industry's strongest Design, Services, Digital Engineering and Project Delivery professionals, collaborating to deliver facilities where performance, resilience and speed-to-market are paramount.

This is an opportunity to influence design outcomes on projects where every decision matters, construction programmes are aggressive, technical requirements are exacting and the built outcome supports critical infrastructure relied upon every day.

Most importantly, you’ll have the opportunity to help shape the infrastructure powering Australia's digital future.

Role Overview

The Design Manager sits at the heart of the project team, bridging design, digital engineering and construction to ensure high-quality, compliant and buildable outcomes.

You will oversee and manage all design-related aspects of the project from design development through to IFC and construction delivery, working closely with project teams, consultants and stakeholders to achieve exceptional outcomes across highly technical, services-intensive projects.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate all design activities from design development through to IFC and construction
• Drive alignment between design deliverables and construction milestones
• Work closely with the Project Manager, site team and consultants to proactively manage design risks, opportunities and project outcomes
• Manage consultant teams and key project stakeholders throughout the design process
• Ensure design documentation meets project requirements, Australian Standards and statutory approval requirements
• Collaborate closely with Services and Digital Engineering teams to optimise coordination outcomes
• Identify and resolve design coordination, buildability and compliance issues
• Manage the effective handover of coordinated design information to project delivery teams
• Foster strong relationships across consultants, subcontractors and internal stakeholders
• Support the delivery of highly coordinated building services and mission-critical infrastructure packages

About You

• Relevant qualification in Architecture, Engineering, Construction Management or a related built environment discipline
• Proven Design Management experience delivering large-scale commercial, industrial, mission-critical or complex building projects
• Experience working for a Tier 1 or Tier 2 head contractor within the building construction sector
• Strong understanding of design coordination, consultant management and project delivery
• Experience managing projects from design development through to construction delivery
• Strong understanding of Australian codes, standards and approval processes
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills
• Ability to manage multiple disciplines and interfaces across complex project environments
• Passion for design excellence and delivering high-quality built outcomes

Why Kapitol?

At Kapitol, we are redefining construction through innovation, technology and an uncompromising commitment to excellence.

• Ranked Australia's #1 builder in Hubexo’s 2026 Construction League Report
• Join one of APAC's largest data centre builders delivering critical digital infrastructure projects across Australia
• Be part of Australia's digital infrastructure boom and help deliver the facilities powering cloud computing, artificial intelligence and the digital economy
• Exposure to major hyperscale and mission-critical developments within a rapidly expanding national portfolio
• Work alongside industry-leading Design, Services and Digital Engineering teams delivering some of the most technically complex projects in the market.
• Leverage advanced BIM, digital delivery, design coordination and prefabrication methodologies to drive exceptional project outcomes.
• Join a business recognised for innovation, delivery excellence and a relentless focus on quality
• Access innovative health and wellbeing initiatives, including Kapitol's partnership with preventative health provider Everlab
• Join a business that embraces a lessons learned culture, continuously improving the way we design, plan and deliver projects
• Career development opportunities within one of Australia's fastest-growing construction companies
• The opportunity to help shape the infrastructure powering Australia's digital future

To learn more about Kapitol and our growing Data Centre portfolio, visit our Projects page, where you can explore some of the hyperscale and mission-critical facilities we've delivered across Australia.

You can also follow our LinkedIn page, where we regularly share project highlights, company updates and insights from across the business.