Design Manager – Electrical

Zerra DC; Western Downs Regional; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Zerra DC in Queensland is seeking an experienced Design Manager - Electrical to lead electrical design management for the Western Downs Digital Park (WDDP). You will translate project requirements into coordinated, compliant electrical design outcomes and report to the Technical Director as the electrical SME through design reviews and delivery-stage resolution.

You will collaborate with mechanical, controls, energy storage, civil, structural and fire/life-safety teams, uphold Zerra standards

Qualifications

• Degree qualification in Electrical Engineering or equivalent; Chartered status with Engineers Australia preferred.
• Registration on the National Engineering Register or equivalent encouraged.
• At least 10 years of electrical design or design-management experience, with hyperscale data centres or large-scale facilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead electrical design management from concept to buildable outcomes.
• Provide QA/QC assurance over electrical deliverables for compliance with codes.
• Audit designs to identify inconsistencies and track close-out.
• Act as electrical SME in design reviews and handle escalations.
• Coordinate electrical interfaces with mechanical, controls, energy storage, civil, and other disciplines.
• Support development of Zerra Design Engineering Guidelines and standards.
• Participate in gating reviews and advise on maturity, risks, and actions.
• Provide leadership across the WDDP Design and Engineering team on electrical matters.
• Select and evaluate electrical design consultants and specialists.

Skills

Electrical design

Design management

QA/QC

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Education

Electrical Engineering degree

Chartered status (EA)

Job description

Zerra develops and operates hyperscale data centre campuses across Australia, Japan and India, delivering capacity at scale into markets driven by the growth of cloud and AI. Zerra's flexible campus developments support hyperscale and neocloud organisations, enabling some of the world's fastest-scaling technology businesses to grow with certainty and ambition.
At Zerra, we empower exceptional people to challenge convention, drive innovation and make a real impact in digital infrastructure. Our culture fuses entrepreneurial agility with global expertise, enabling our teams to deliver results that matter.
We believe that diverse perspectives, inclusive leadership and equitable opportunities are essential to building stronger teams and better outcomes. We are committed to fostering a workplace where everyone feels respected, supported and empowered to thrive.
Zerra is part of AGP, an independently owned investor and asset manager that develops and operates real assets across the energy, digital and real estate sectors.
Western Downs Digital Park (WDDP) is a master-planned digital and energy precinct in regional Queensland, developed and operated by Zerra. Planned across multiple delivery phases, WDDP brings together AI-ready data centres, energy infrastructure and a purpose-built campus environment.
Located close to major power infrastructure within the Western Downs Special Industry Area, WDDP represents a major investment in Queensland's digital future and an opportunity to help deliver the critical infrastructure supporting the continued growth of cloud computing and artificial intelligence.

Job Description

The Design Manager - Electrical will lead electrical design management and quality assurance for WDDP, translating project requirements into coordinated, compliant and buildable electrical design outcomes. Reporting to the Technical Director, the role will act as the electrical subject matter expert through design reviews, technical assurance and delivery-stage resolution.

The role will work across the multidisciplinary design and engineering team and with external consultants to maintain Zerra standards, manage electrical design interfaces and improve quality, performance and cost effectiveness throughout the project lifecycle.

Responsibilities

• Lead electrical design management, with the technical ability to conceptualise, review and drive electrical designs to the required outcome.
• Review and provide QA/QC assurance over electrical design deliverables to ensure compliance with the approved project baseline, Zerra standards and applicable Australian codes and standards.
• Audit electrical designs to identify inconsistencies, discrepancies, missing information and interface risks, and track observations through to close-out.
• Act as the electrical subject matter expert in design reviews and respond to electrical design escalations from the WDDP project team.
• Coordinate electrical design interfaces with mechanical, high-voltage, controls, energy storage, civil, structural, architectural, fire and life-safety disciplines.
• Support technical discussions, knowledge sharing and the continued development of Zerra Design Engineering Guidelines and standards.
• Participate in project gating reviews and provide clear advice on electrical design maturity, risks, decisions and required actions.
• Provide leadership and guidance across the WDDP Design and Engineering team on electrical design matters.

• Support the selection, briefing and performance review of electrical design consultants and specialist advisers.
• Enforce the use of Zerra standards and templates for electrical design documentation, adapted where required to Australian codes, standards and grid-connection requirements.
• Engage actively with external consultants, contractors, suppliers and internal workstreams to improve electrical design management and delivery.
• Identify electrical quality and latent-defect risks and lead design development toward practical, safe and durable resolution.
• Evaluate electrical product, vendor and digital design improvements that may improve performance, resilience, constructability or whole-of-life cost.

Experience, Skills and Competencies

• Degree qualification in Electrical Engineering or equivalent relevant experience. Chartered status with Engineers Australia and registration on the National Engineering Register, or equivalent, is preferred.
• At least 10 years of electrical design or design-management experience, with meaningful exposure to hyperscale data centres, mission-critical facilities or comparable large-scale industrial infrastructure.
• Strong working knowledge of Australian electrical codes and standards, including relevant AS/NZS requirements, NCC provisions and applicable DNSP, AER and AEMO connection requirements.
• Demonstrated capability in electrical systems relevant to data centres, including power distribution, resilience, redundancy, protection, earthing, standby power and interfaces with controls and building services.
• Strong design assurance and problem-solving capability, with the judgement to distinguish critical issues and translate complex technical matters into clear actions.
• Commercial awareness and an understanding of Australian construction-market dynamics, electrical vendor capability and major cost drivers.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder-management skills, with the confidence to engage consultants, contractors, suppliers and senior project leaders.
• Ability to adapt to changing project needs, manage competing priorities and drive technical decisions to closure in a high-pressure delivery environment.
• Willingness to travel regularly to WDDP and other project locations as required.