Design Manager

GagaMuller Group; Regina; Hybrid; CAD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Retirement savings

Paid vacation

Technology & equipment

Collaborative environment

Mentorship

Job summary

GagaMuller Group is seeking an experienced MEP Design Manager to act as Owner's Representative on data center projects, leading coordination of HVAC, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, and building systems design from concept to design development.

This remote Canada-based role requires strong leadership, cross-disciplinary collaboration with consultants and contractors, and a focus on constructability, reliability, and long-term operational performance, with occasional travel to Regina as

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or building systems engineering.
• Significant experience in MEP design and coordination on large-scale projects.
• Experience in data centers or mission-critical facilities preferred.
• Strong understanding of HVAC, electrical distribution, and building controls.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate MEP design activities from concept through detailed design.
• Review consultant designs for code compliance and performance.
• Ensure full coordination of HVAC, chilled water, plumbing, power distribution, standby generation, fire protection, and building controls.
• Provide technical oversight and design assurance during procurement and early construction.
• Mentor junior engineers and coordinate with stakeholders.

Skills

MEP design

Coordination

Owner-side experience

Data center experience

Building systems knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering

Electrical Engineering

Building Systems Engineering

Job description

Travel: Occasional travel to Regina, Saskatchewan required

Company Overview

GagaMuller is a project management consultancy with specialized divisions providing Project Management, Cost Management, and Digital services to owner organizations across the construction industry.

With a proven track record working alongside global technology leaders and data center developers, we combine local expertise with global standards to ensure projects are delivered on schedule, within budget, and to the highest quality standards.

At GagaMuller, we empower people and organizations to build with data.

Role Description

We are seeking an experienced MEP Design Manager to act as an Owner's Representative, leading and coordinating mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, and building systems design across data center projects.

This is a remote role based in Canada, with occasional travel to Regina, Saskatchewan required. The MEP Design Manager will provide technical leadership and design oversight throughout design development, procurement, and early construction, ensuring MEP systems are fully coordinated, constructable, compliant with applicable codes and standards, and aligned with the Owner's technical and performance requirements.

The successful candidate will bring a strong MEP engineering background and deep technical knowledge of mission-critical building systems. This is an owner-side/client-side role focused on technical oversight, coordination, integration, and design assurance rather than detailed design production.

The Opportunity

This position offers the opportunity to influence the technical direction and successful delivery of large-scale, complex data center projects.

You will work closely with design consultants, contractors, vendors, and internal Owner's Representative teams to ensure MEP design intent is successfully translated into construction-ready solutions and reliable, high-performing facilities.

The role combines strategic oversight with technical expertise, ensuring design decisions support schedule certainty, cost control, constructability, commissioning, and long-term operational performance.

Responsibilities

1. Design & Delivery Management

Lead and coordinate MEP design activities on behalf of the Owner from concept through detailed design and construction documentation.

Review and validate consultant design deliverables to ensure compliance with Owner standards, applicable codes and regulations, and data center performance requirements.

Ensure MEP systems, including HVAC, chilled water, plumbing, power distribution, standby generation, fire protection, and building controls, are fully coordinated and integrated.

Monitor design progress against project schedule milestones and identify potential design-related delays or risks.

Ensure design documentation is sufficiently developed to support procurement, construction sequencing, installation, and commissioning.

Review designs for constructability, maintainability, reliability, and long-term operational requirements.

2. Stakeholder Coordination

Serve as the primary Owner-side technical point of contact for MEP design consultants and specialty designers.

Coordinate closely with CSA (Civil, Structural, Architectural), Commercial/Cost, Procurement, and Scheduling teams to align technical solutions with project budget, schedule, and delivery requirements.

Lead and facilitate design workshops and coordination meetings to resolve technical conflicts, interface risks, and system integration challenges.

Support site-based Owner's Representatives and construction teams to ensure design intent is maintained throughout project delivery.

Provide clear, structured updates to senior stakeholders regarding design status, technical risks, key decisions, and required actions.

3. Risk, Quality & Compliance

Identify and manage technical design risks and ensure appropriate mitigation strategies are developed and implemented.

Ensure designs comply with applicable local and national codes, regulatory requirements, industry standards, and Owner-specific technical requirements.

Review technical submittals, design changes, and proposed deviations to ensure system reliability, redundancy, and operational requirements are maintained.

Ensure design change control processes are followed and that potential impacts to cost, schedule, constructability, and operations are clearly understood.

Support project risk reviews with a particular focus on system reliability, redundancy, maintainability, and operational resilience.

4. Reporting & Documentation

Provide clear and structured reporting on MEP design progress, technical risks, outstanding decisions, and coordination status.

Review and approve key technical documentation in accordance with established project governance and approval processes.

Ensure technical decisions, design clarifications, revisions, and changes are properly documented and traceable.

Support the preparation of executive-level updates regarding design readiness, key technical issues, and overall risk exposure.

Ensure seamless integration of MEP systems with civil, structural, architectural, building envelope, controls, and operational technology systems.

Support commissioning and turnover planning by ensuring systems are designed with testing, validation, startup, and phased energization requirements in mind.

Collaborate with Commercial/Cost and Procurement teams to ensure technical specifications are clear, coordinated, and aligned with procurement and contracting strategies.

Drive continuous improvement in design standards, coordination processes, and technical delivery across projects.

Provide technical guidance and mentorship to junior engineers and discipline representatives as required.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, Electrical Engineering, Building Systems Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.

Significant experience in MEP design, engineering, and coordination on large-scale construction projects, ideally within data centers, mission-critical facilities, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, or other complex technical environments.

Strong understanding of both mechanical and electrical building systems used in high-reliability facilities.

What We're Looking For

Proven experience leading or managing MEP design development and coordination on complex construction projects.

Strong technical knowledge of HVAC, chilled water systems, electrical power distribution, standby generation, building controls, redundancy strategies, and commissioning requirements.

Experience working in an owner-side, client-side, engineering consultancy, or design management capacity.

Strong multidisciplinary coordination skills with the ability to work effectively across engineering, construction, cost, scheduling, procurement, and commissioning teams.

Ability to critically review and challenge technical designs while maintaining collaborative relationships with consultants, contractors, vendors, and project stakeholders.

Experience with mission-critical or data center projects is strongly preferred.

• Comprehensive health and benefits coverage.
• Competitive retirement savings benefits.
• Competitive paid vacation and time-off benefits.
• State-of-the-art technology and hardware.
• Collaborative work environment that values teamwork and open communication.
• Mentorship and professional development opportunities.