Head of Data Centre UK/I

jll; Greater London; On-site; GBP 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

JLL in the UK&I seeks a PDS Head of Data Centres to lead strategy, growth, and delivery across the Data Centres market. You will shape the growth plan, build a high‑performing DC team, and partner with clients to deliver innovative solutions.

This senior role requires chartered credentials, 10+ years of DC experience, and a proven ability to win major pursuits, manage P&L, and drive cross‑functional collaboration across UK&I and EMEA.

Qualifications

• Significant DC sector leadership experience and a proven track record.
• Chartered professional (e.g. MRICS) with ability to manage lifecycle of technical projects.
• Strong interpersonal and executive communication skills with clients and teams.

Responsibilities

• Develop and lead a comprehensive growth strategy for UK&I Data Centres.
• Build and manage a high-performing PDS DC team across UK&I.
• Lead key client engagements, bid responses and delivery governance.
• Oversee P&L and drive profitability and growth within the DC sector.
• Champion thought leadership and innovative delivery approaches within JLL and the market.

Skills

DC leadership

Client relationships

Strategic planning

People management

Bid management

Education

MRICS / equivalent

Tools

AI platforms

Job description

JLL empowers you to shape a brighter way.

Our people at JLL are shaping the future of real estate for a better world by combining world class services, advisory and technology for our clients. We are committed to hiring the best, most talented peopleand empowering them to thrive, grow meaningful careers and to find a place where they belong. Whether you’ve got deep experience in commercial real estate, skilled trades or technology, or you’re looking to apply your relevant experience to a new industry, join our team as we help shape a brighter way forward.

PDS Head of Data Centres UK&I (P5 Senior Director)

About JLL

For over 200 years, JLL (NYSE: JLL), a leading global commercial real estate and investment management company, has helped clients buy, build, occupy, manage and invest in a variety of commercial, industrial, hotel, residential and retail properties. We bring the power of a global platform combined with local expertise. Driven by our purpose to shape the future of real estate for a better world, we help our clients, people and communities SEE A BRIGHTER WAY. JLL is the brand name, and a registered trademark, of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated. For further information, visit jll.com.

OneJLL is JLL’s global operating model and cultural framework designed to unify the firm’s services, teams, and technologies under a single, integrated client delivery platform. In UK&I OneJLL enables seamless collaboration across service lines — including Project & Development Services, Consulting, Capital Markets, Leasing, Facilities Management, and Property Asset Management — to deliver holistic, client-centric real estate solutions.

JLL REMS – Real Estate Management Services

JLL REMS partners with leading organizations across industry sectors, creating environments that achieve a more humancentric, resilient, and responsible approach to shaping a better world of work. With more than 89,000 specialists globally, the team enables clients to enhance the performance of their real estate portfolios and people to realize their ambitions for a more sustainable built environment. Through technology enabled solutions, REMS creates safe and inspiring spaces around the world for people to collaborate, innovate, and drive meaningful change anywhere that work is performed. JLL manages over 1.6 billion square feet of real estate and has averted more than 112 700 metric tons of CO2 emissions by advising clients on renewable energy projects. Primary service offerings include facilities management, sustainability initiatives, project & development services, transactions management, occupancy planning, property management and lease administration. Our vast multi-year relationships span clients across all industries including technology, industrial, financial services, public institutions, life sciences, and healthcare. In PDS, we operate across diverse sectors, service investor and occupier clients and provide comprehensive services across the Development, Design and Construction Management value chain. We have 10,000+ people globally and operate 65 design studios.

About PDS (Project and Development Services)

JLL is a world class real estate development partner for our investor and corporate clients. Our services affect how millions of people live, work, and play every day. It is our responsibility to nurture the impact we can have on all projects and bring value into every detail. From development advisory to project and cost management, from program management to engineering design, smart building and sustainability, from fit-out to asset repositioning and major base-build schemes, our services span every dimension across all asset types, sectors and regions.

JLL’s PDS team comprises 8,900 project managers, engineers, designers and architects across 50 countries and is actively managing 35,000+ projects. Join the PDS UK&I team to expect more and achieve more. There's room for you to design and build your career within the PDS community and the wider JLL ecosystem.

Job Description

Strategy

• Develop and own a comprehensive growth strategy for the Data Centres market across UK&I

• Identify and prioritize target client segments including hyperscalers, colocation providers, enterprise occupiers, investors and developers

• Define market entry strategies for emerging DC sub-sectors (edge computing, AI infrastructure, modular solutions)

• Set ambitious yet achievable revenue and profitability targets aligned with UK&I business objectives

• Establish strategic partnerships with key industry players, technology providers and specialist consultants

• Monitor market trends, competitor activity and regulatory developments to inform strategic direction

• Build the business case for capability investment, geographic expansion and service line development

• Present strategy updates and performance against targets to UK&I leadership and EMEA stakeholders

Talent and Team Building

• Develop and execute a recruitment strategy to build a best-in-class DC specialist team across UK&I

• Identify critical capability gaps and priority hires across core service lines such as project and cost management as well as data centre specialist consultancy services (MEP engineers and commissioning specialists)

• Partner with HR and Talent Acquisition to attract senior DC professionals from the market

• Establish compelling employee value propositions that differentiate JLL in a competitive talent market

• Champion diversity and inclusion in all recruitment and team-building activities

Sales

• Actively network, build and develop client relationships across the UK&I data centres market

• Relationship lead on key DC account (new and existing) leveraging the JLL platform to maximise the value we deliver to our clients

• Develop opportunities on the DC market into proposals and sales

• Work closely with wider JLL data centre specialists to build integrated multi-expertise and delivery models across our UK&I business lines

• Lead bid responses on behalf of PDS, confidently deliver client presentations and pitches

• Lead key pursuits from sourcing opportunities, identifying competitive advantage and win strategy through to successful contract negotiation

Management

• Develop, build and lead a technical team of PDS DC specialists across the UK&I region

• Be accountable for PDS P&L profitability and growth within the DC sector

• Technical oversight of the delivery of key projects

• Organize team staffing and resource allocation across UK&I

• Actively participate in talent acquisition

• Ensure rise in expertise and knowledge management

• Innovate in new methodologies and tools embracing AI platforms to drive operational and service delivery efficiencies

Thought Leadership

• Be an inspirational leader that influences internally and externally

• Represent PDS on the Data Centre market in UK&I and work with the wider EMEA team

• Participate in events, conferences and webinars

Sound like you? To apply you need to be/have:

• Chartered professional (e.g. MRICS, CIBSE, MAPM etc)

• You have significant DC sector experience (10 years at least) with a proven track record in a similar role

• You are able to manage the end-to-end lifecycle of technical projects, from planning and estimating to execution and delivery

• You have strong DC technical and management background

• You have excellent organizational skills, are detail-oriented, can work independently and are reliable

• You possess strong interpersonal skills, have excellent presentation abilities, with an ability to interact with executive level external and internal clients as well as external team members (architects, contractors, client's representatives, etc.)

• You are a team player and have a proven track record as a business and team leader