Senior Design Manager

Sphere Solutions; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 83,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Sphere Solutions is seeking an experienced Freelance Senior Design Manager to lead the final design workstream for a hyperscale data centre bid. You will coordinate architectural, structural and MEP inputs, ensuring clash-free, budget-aligned outputs for a December 2026 submission.

You will manage external consultants, drive risk mitigation, and apply value engineering while meeting tight deadlines in a hybrid remote/office setting.

Qualifications

• Immediate availability to start a 2‑month freelance contract.
• Proven track record as Design Manager/Senior Design Manager delivering bids in data centre or critical infra.
• Deep technical understanding of data centre layouts, structural loads, and complex MEP integration.
• Familiarity with data centre tier classifications, cooling configs, and modular build methods.
• Strong leadership to drive multi-disciplinary consultants to meet tender deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Bid finalization and technical review to satisfy employer information requirements.
• Coordinate external architectural, structural, and MEP consultants for fully coordinated tender designs.
• Identify and mitigate design risks and optimize spatial configurations for substations and plant areas.
• Implement value engineering to optimize envelope performance and modular construction without delaying submission.
• Prepare technical design docs and presentation materials for dialogues and clarifications.

Skills

Design management

BIM (Revit/Navisworks)

Bid coordination

Leadership

Coordination of multidisciplinary team

Tools

Revit

Navisworks

Document management systems

Job description

Freelance Senior Design Manager (Data Centre Bid)

Sector: Hyperscale Data Centres / Critical Infrastructure
Contract Duration: 2 Months (Starting ASAP - December 2026)
Location: Remote / Hybrid with regional bid office attendance
Day Rate: Competitive
Reporting To: Commercial Director

Project Overview
We require an experienced Freelance Senior Design Manager for an immediate 2-month sprint to finalize the pre-construction design phase for a major hyperscale data centre bid. This fast-tracked role demands a design leader who can immediately step in to coordinate the final structural, architectural, and MEP requirements of mission-critical facilities. You will work under tight deadlines to ensure a technically compliant and commercially optimized tender submission by December 2026.

Core Responsibilities

Bid Finalization & Technical Review: Oversee the final stages of the design workstream for the data centre bid. Ensure all outputs strictly satisfy the client employer information requirements and technical parameters.

Consultant Coordination: Actively manage and challenge external architectural, structural, and specialist MEP design consultants. Ensure their final tender designs are fully coordinated, clash-free, and aligned with budget targets.

Risk Mitigation & Space Planning: Identify and resolve remaining design risks or omissions. Pay specific attention to final spatial configurations for high-voltage substations, generator yards, cooling plant infrastructure, and white space layouts.

Value Engineering Sprint: Implement immediate value engineering solutions to optimize building envelope performance and modular construction methods without delaying the submission timeline.

Client Clarifications: Prepare high-quality technical design documentation and presentation materials for upcoming competitive dialogue sessions and post-tender clarification meetings.

Requirements & Qualifications

Immediate availability to start a 2-month freelance contract.

Proven track record as a Design Manager or Senior Design Manager delivering successful bids within the data centre, critical infrastructure, or heavy industrial sectors.

Deep technical understanding of data centre architectural layouts, structural load capacities, and complex MEP services integration.

Familiarity with data centre tier classifications, cooling configurations, power distribution, and modular build methodologies.

Strong leadership capability with the ability to drive multi-disciplinary consulting teams to meet strict tender deadlines.

Proficiency in BIM software, Revit, Navisworks, and standard digital document management platforms.

Working Conditions

This is an intensive, short-term freelance assignment running from onboarding through to final bid submission in December 2026. The role offers a hybrid work pattern, combining remote working with required attendance at the bid office for final review workshops.