Design Manager

Digital Realty Trust, L.P.; Greater London; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Digital Realty Trust is seeking a Design Manager within its Design, Engineering & Construction function. The role oversees project setup, delivery control and technical coordination of consultant teams to ensure DEG adherence and standardised design across regional data centre projects.

With a background in CSA and/or MEPH, you will lead complex design deliverables, manage budgets and schedules, and work with stakeholders to deliver high-quality design aligned with internal standards and

Qualifications

• Experience delivering mission-critical buildings, ideally data centres.
• Background in CSA and/or MEPH design environments.
• Familiarity with gating/change-control within Owner Operator structures.
• Ability to explain complex technical issues to senior stakeholders.
• Ability to manage competing project pressures across cost, schedule and quality.

Responsibilities

• Lead project setup and end-to-end design delivery for data centre projects.
• Coordinate multi-disciplinary consultant teams across CSA and MEPH scopes.
• Govern DEG design guidelines and standardised design solutions.
• Own design governance via gating process and PID preparation.
• Control cost and schedule, supporting budgets and forecasts.
• Manage change control activities including contracts and invoices.
• Provide technical leadership and resolve escalated RFIs.
• Co-manage commissioning and IST activities for handover.
• Produce monthly project reporting and pipeline metrics.
• Promote buildability, safety and quality by design.

Skills

Mission-critical delivery

Data centre design

Gating processes

Stakeholder management

Technical communication

Project coordination

DfMA/BIM

Autonomy

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/MEPH engineering or Architecture

Tools

BIM/Revit

Job description

Your role

The Design Manager sits within the Design, Engineering & Construction function and is responsible for project set‑up, delivery control and technical coordination of consultant teams. The role ensures implementation of the company’s Design Engineering Guidelines (DEG’s) and standardised design across data centre projects within the region.

With a technical background in CSA and/or MEPH (ideally from a data centre, design consultancy or commissioning environment), the Design Manager oversees complex design deliverables, ensuring technical excellence, programme, budget and safe build outcomes. Operating with a high degree of autonomy, the role works closely with internal stakeholders to deliver high‑quality design solutions aligned with internal standards, customer expectations and business objectives.

What you’ll do

• Lead project set‑up and end‑to‑end design delivery for data centre projects, ensuring alignment with programme, budget and technical requirements


• Coordinate and manage multi‑disciplinary consultant teams across CSA and/or MEPH scopes


• Implement and govern the company’s Design Engineering Guidelines (DEG’s) and standardised design solutions


• Own design governance through the DLR Gating Process, including preparation of the Project Information Document (PID) and chairing G0/G1 calls aligned with RIBA delivery stages.


• Control and report on project cost and schedule, working closely with Delivery teams on budgets, forecasts and milestone planning


• Oversee change control activities including budget reviews, contracts, change orders and invoice approvals


• Provide technical leadership throughout delivery, resolving escalated RFIs and managing technical submittals to timely close‑out


• Co‑manage commissioning activities and Integrated Systems Testing (IST) to support safe and successful project handover


• Produce and contribute to monthly project reporting, pipeline metrics and insurance reporting in line with corporate requirements


• Champion buildability, safety and quality by design across all phases of the project lifecycle


• Lead and participate in cross‑functional design reviews, promoting innovation, DfMA strategies and best‑in‑class technical solutions


• Support the evolution of regional and global design standards by feeding in lessons learned and market insights


• Drive adoption of modern design systems and tools (e.g. BIM/Revit) and ensure standard designs are agreed at key milestones


• Collaborate closely with Portfolio, Pre‑Construction, Construction, Operations, Solutions and Sales teams to resolve design challenges and deliver project goals

What you’ll need

• Strong mission critical building delivery experience ideally in a multi-disciplinary design environment


• Data centre design experience is preferred or experience of highly serviced building designs within the mission critical sector


• Familiarity of gating processes/change control within an Owner Operator Development organisation is preferred


• Familiarity of multi‑disciplinary subject matters within the Group to cover the key technical areas relevant to the data centre industry inclusive of all CSA and MEPH disciplines.


• Bachelor’s degree in one of the CS/MEPH engineering disciplines or Architecture - equivalent experience in a related engineering, architecture or other discipline field will be considered;


• Ability to clearly explain and communicate complex technical issues, confidently defending design decisions with senior internal and external stakeholders


• Able to work proactively and collaboratively with project teams, contractors and other specialists in a multi‑stakeholder environment


• Ability to navigate competing project pressures, assessing solution options against cost, risk, schedule and quality impacts


• Organised and pragmatic in developing and appraising technical solutions, operating effectively within a process‑orientated framework and fast‑paced environment