Global Design & Planning Engineer

Digital Realty; Greater London; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Digital Realty seeks an experienced leader to own and enforce global data center design standards, ensuring consistency across regions while managing regional variations.

You will partner with regional engineering and leadership to ensure compliance with best practices, perform design audits, and lead capacity planning and expansion programs with budgeting responsibilities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Mechanical, or related Engineering discipline with significant mission-critical industry experience.
• Engineering Management experience required; PM or data center design certifications are a plus.
• Strong expertise in capacity planning, investment management, and infrastructure strategy.

Responsibilities

• Own, maintain, and enforce global data center design standards across regions.
• Partner with regional engineering and leadership teams to ensure compliance with global design principles.
• Conduct design audits and governance reviews to drive standardization and quality.
• Lead capacity planning, master planning, and infrastructure expansion programs with budgeting and ROM cost estimation.
• Develop strategic growth plans by analyzing capacity trends and forecasting future requirements.
• Direct data center modernization and regeneration initiatives to improve performance and reliability.
• Collaborate with senior leadership to develop business cases, expansion models, and investment recommendations.
• Lead engineering due diligence and asset integration for acquisitions.
• Drive standardization of operating models, design processes, and reference architectures.
• Own and update the Global Whitespace Design Engineering Guidelines and related training/docs.

Skills

Leadership

Capacity planning

Strategic planning

Governance

Stakeholder communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Mechanical Engineering

Job description

• Own, maintain, and enforce global data center design standards, ensuring consistency across regions while managing approved regional variations.
• Partner with regional engineering and leadership teams to ensure compliance with global design principles and best practices.
• Conduct design audits and governance reviews to drive standardization, quality, and continuous improvement across the portfolio.
• Lead capacity planning, master planning, and infrastructure expansion programs, including budgeting and ROM cost estimation.
• Develop strategic growth plans by analyzing capacity trends and forecasting future business and infrastructure requirements.
• Direct data center modernization and regeneration initiatives, delivering design improvements that enhance performance, efficiency, and reliability.
• Collaborate with Managing Directors and Portfolio Management teams to develop business cases, expansion models, cost analyses, and investment recommendations.
• Lead engineering due diligence and asset integration activities for acquisitions, ensuring seamless incorporation into existing operations and infrastructure.
• Drive the standardization of global operating models, design processes, reference architectures, and engineering best practices.
• Own the Global Whitespace Design Engineering Guidelines, including updates, training, documentation, and the development of repeatable design and product delivery methodologies

Job Description

• Own, maintain, and enforce global data center design standards, ensuring consistency across regions while managing approved regional variations.
• Partner with regional engineering and leadership teams to ensure compliance with global design principles and best practices.
• Conduct design audits and governance reviews to drive standardization, quality, and continuous improvement across the portfolio.
• Lead capacity planning, master planning, and infrastructure expansion programs, including budgeting and ROM cost estimation.
• Develop strategic growth plans by analyzing capacity trends and forecasting future business and infrastructure requirements.
• Direct data center modernization and regeneration initiatives, delivering design improvements that enhance performance, efficiency, and reliability.
• Collaborate with Managing Directors and Portfolio Management teams to develop business cases, expansion models, cost analyses, and investment recommendations.
• Lead engineering due diligence and asset integration activities for acquisitions, ensuring seamless incorporation into existing operations and infrastructure.
• Drive the standardization of global operating models, design processes, reference architectures, and engineering best practices.
• Own the Global Whitespace Design Engineering Guidelines, including updates, training, documentation, and the development of repeatable design and product delivery methodologies

Your role

• Own, maintain, and enforce global data center design standards, ensuring consistency across regions while managing approved regional variations.
• Partner with regional engineering and leadership teams to ensure compliance with global design principles and best practices.
• Conduct design audits and governance reviews to drive standardization, quality, and continuous improvement across the portfolio.
• Lead capacity planning, master planning, and infrastructure expansion programs, including budgeting and ROM cost estimation.
• Develop strategic growth plans by analyzing capacity trends and forecasting future business and infrastructure requirements.
• Direct data center modernization and regeneration initiatives, delivering design improvements that enhance performance, efficiency, and reliability.
• Collaborate with Managing Directors and Portfolio Management teams to develop business cases, expansion models, cost analyses, and investment recommendations.
• Lead engineering due diligence and asset integration activities for acquisitions, ensuring seamless incorporation into existing operations and infrastructure.
• Drive the standardization of global operating models, design processes, reference architectures, and engineering best practices.
• Own the Global Whitespace Design Engineering Guidelines, including updates, training, documentation, and the development of repeatable design and product delivery methodologies

What You’ll Need

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Mechanical, or related Engineering discipline, with significant mission-critical industry experience; Engineering Management experience required, and certifications in project management or data center design considered an advantage.
• Extensive engineering management experience within data centers, mission-critical facilities, and global engineering organizations.
• Strong expertise in capacity planning, investment management, infrastructure strategy, and operational support.
• Proven ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear recommendations for both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Skilled at gathering, analyzing, and converting ambiguous business requirements into practical engineering solutions.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities, with a data-driven approach to managing risk and priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously while working effectively under pressure and to tight deadlines.
• Strong commitment to engineering excellence, governance, standards, and quality, with exceptional attention to detail