Design Manager

Accenture PLC; Greater London; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Soben, part of Accenture, seeks a Design Manager to lead multidisciplinary teams delivering robust designs for hyperscale, enterprise and colocation data-centre projects. This role covers full design-cycle oversight from concept through construction support.

The ideal candidate will manage architecture, MEP, environmental and digital streams, ensuring energy efficiency and regulatory compliance across UK and international standards while coordinating with clients to shape briefs and feasibility.

Qualifications

• Experience leading design-management in mission-critical infrastructure, especially data centres.
• Strong coordination across engineering, architecture, digital and environmental inputs.
• Knowledge of UK and international standards and energy/regulatory considerations.
• Excellent communication and client-management skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead design stages across architecture, MEP, environmental, digital systems and technical advisory streams.
• Ensure integrated solutions for energy management, water systems, sustainability and resilience.
• Shape briefs, originations, and feasibility with clients; coordinate with planners and grid stakeholders.
• Ensure compliance with UK and international standards and advance energy efficiency through modular design approaches.

Skills

Design-management

Multidisciplinary coordination

Regulatory compliance

Client management

Engineering/Architecture background

Education

Engineering or Architecture degree

Job description

Grow Your Career with Us

At Soben - part of Accenture - we believe our greatest strength is our people. Your growth is central to our success, and we’re committed to helping you build a career you’re proud of. Whether it’s through training, mentoring, or taking on new challenges, every step you take is an opportunity to develop your skills, broaden your experience, and shape your future.

We encourage you to be curious, take ownership of your development, and explore the many opportunities available within our business. Speak with your manager about your goals, seek out projects that excite you, and don’t be afraid to stretch beyond your comfort zone — that’s where real growth happens.

Your career journey is unique, and we’re here to support you every step of the way. Let’s keep learning, keep improving, and keep building something exceptional together.

The Role

The Design Manager will lead multi-disciplinary teams to deliver technically robust and coordinated designs for hyperscale, enterprise and colocation data-centre projects. This role covers full design-cycle oversight, including scoping, technical assurance, regulatory compliance, stakeholder engagement and interface management from concept through to construction support. Responsibilities include:

Managing all design stages across architecture, MEP, environmental, digital systems and technical advisory streams. Ensuring integrated solutions across energy management, water systems, sustainability and operational resilience – key challenges in modern data-centre development. Working closely with clients to shape briefs, project origination, commercial definition and feasibility alignment. Steering compliance with both UK and international standards, ensuring design quality and project readiness. Supporting modular and prefabricated design approaches to accelerate programme delivery and improve energy efficiency. Coordinating planning submissions, permitting activities and interface with environmental and grid stakeholders.

The ideal candidate will bring:

• Extensive design-management experience in mission-critical or technically complex infrastructure, preferably including data centres.
• Strong multidisciplinary coordination skills, with the ability to integrate engineering, architecture, digital and environmental inputs.
• Awareness of emerging UK market drivers such as power-grid constraints, increased AI-related energy use, net-zero policies and the surge in new facility construction.
• A proactive, solutions-focused approach to navigating regulatory, environmental and technical challenges.
• Excellent communication and client-management skills.
• Degree-level qualifications in engineering, architecture or a related discipline; chartership desirable.