Technical Project & Development Services Director (EMEA Data Centers)

JLL; Greater London; On-site; GBP 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

JLL in London seeks a Technical Director, EMEA Data Centers to lead delivery across hyperscale, colocation, and enterprise engagements, ensuring high technical standards, on programme, and regulatory compliance.

You will provide hands-on leadership, establish governance, mentor teams, and collaborate with regional leadership on strategy, risk management, and client relationships.

Qualifications

• Degree in engineering, construction management, or related technical discipline; MRICS/CEng preferred.
• 15+ years in data centre design, construction, or project delivery with hyperscale/colocation experience.
• Proven track record leading complex multi-disciplinary technical delivery across multiple EMEA jurisdictions.
• Strong MEP systems knowledge and data centre operating requirements.
• Experience engaging with hyperscale or colocation client leadership.
• Excellent stakeholder management with credibility at senior levels.
• Fluent English; additional European languages advantageous.
• Willingness to travel extensively across EMEA.

Responsibilities

• Provide hands-on technical leadership across live projects while building capability, standards, and governance.
• Own and develop EMEA data center technical delivery framework including design review, commissioning, and handover.
• Act as senior technical escalation point for complex engineering, MEP, and construction issues.
• Set and enforce minimum technical governance standards across all data center projects.
• Represent PDS in technical forums, industry bodies, and standards groups relevant to hyperscale and colocation infrastructure.
• Provide direct technical oversight on the region's most complex projects from feasibility through to commissioning and energisation.
• Partner with Project Directors to identify and resolve programme, cost, and technical risk.
• Drive consistent application of project controls and technical documentation across markets.
• Lead technical due diligence and lessons-learned reviews with clients following project completion.
• Champion adoption of the Ingenious platform and digital delivery tools across data center projects.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Technical leadership

MEP systems knowledge

Data center design

Regulatory/compliance knowledge

Travel willingness

Education

Engineering degree

Construction management

MRICS/CEng preferred

Job description

Reporting Structure

Reports to: EMEA Head of Data Centers

Matrix reporting line: EMEA Head of Operations, PDS & Tetris

Location: London (preferred)

Direct reports: None but strong matrix on technical oversight of in country delivery teams

Collaborates With

• EMEA Head of Data Centers (strategic direction, commercial ownership, client relationships)
• EMEA Head of Operations, PDS & Tetris (delivery governance, resourcing, operational standards)
• Country PDS Directors and market leadership teams
• Client technical, engineering, and procurement leads across hyperscale and colocation accounts
• MEP, commissioning, and specialist engineering partners
• Ingenious platform and digital delivery teams
• HSSE, Risk, and Legal functions

Role Overview

The Technical Director, EMEA Data Centers is the senior technical authority for data center project delivery across the region, responsible for ensuring that every hyperscale, colocation, and enterprise data center engagement is delivered to a consistently high technical standard, on programme, and in line with client and regulatory requirements. The role provides hands‑on technical leadership across live projects while building the technical capability, standards, and governance that underpin PDS's data centre practice in EMEA. Working in close partnership with the EMEA Head of Data Centers on strategy and client relationships, and with the EMEA Head of Operations on delivery governance and resourcing, the Technical Director ensures technical excellence is embedded consistently across markets.

• Technical Leadership & Standards
• Own and continuously develop PDS's EMEA data center technical delivery framework, covering design review, commissioning, and handover standards
• Act as the senior technical escalation point for complex engineering, MEP, and construction issues across the regional project portfolio
• Set and enforce minimum technical governance standards for all data center projects, including design stage gates and quality assurance protocols
• Represent PDS in technical forums, industry bodies, and standards groups relevant to hyperscale and colocation infrastructure
• Project Delivery Excellence
• Provide direct technical oversight on the region's most complex or highest-value data center projects, from feasibility through to commissioning and energisation
• Partner with Project Directors to identify and resolve programme, cost, and technical risk before it impacts delivery
• Drive consistent application of project controls, risk registers, and technical documentation across all markets
• Support recovery planning and remediation on any project falling outside agreed technical or programme tolerances
• Client & Stakeholder Engagement
• Build and maintain trusted technical relationships with client engineering, construction, and operations leadership at key hyperscale and colocation accounts
• Support the EMEA Head of Data Centers in technical input to pursuits, proposals, and framework negotiations
• Lead technical due diligence and lessons‑learned reviews with clients following project completion
• Sector & Technical Expertise
• Maintain deep, current expertise in hyperscale and colocation data center design, construction, and commissioning methodologies
• Track emerging technical requirements driven by AI infrastructure, high‑density cooling, and power availability constraints across EMEA markets
• Provide guidance on jurisdiction‑specific regulatory, planning, and grid‑connection considerations across core EMEA markets
• Innovation & Digital Delivery
• Champion adoption of the Ingenious platform and other digital delivery tools across data center projects to improve programme visibility and reporting
• Identify and pilot new technologies, methods, or delivery models that improve speed‑to‑energisation or reduce delivery risk
• Partner with clients on innovation initiatives that create measurable technical or commercial value
• Risk, Compliance & HSSE
• Ensure all data center projects meet JLL and client HSSE requirements, with zero tolerance for critical safety non‑compliance
• Own technical risk reporting into regional governance forums, flagging material issues to the EMEA Head of Data Centers and EMEA Head of Operations
• Ensure commissioning and handover documentation meets both client and regulatory audit requirements
• Team Development & Capability Building
• Build technical capability across country delivery teams through mentoring, training, and structured knowledge‑sharing
• Support recruitment and development of senior technical talent for the EMEA data centre practice
• Establish and lead a data center technical community of practice across EMEA markets

Qualifications & Experience

• Degree-qualified in engineering, construction management, or a related technical discipline; chartered status (e.g. MRICS, CEng) preferred
• 15+ years' experience in data centre design, construction, or project delivery, including significant hyperscale or colocation experience
• Proven track record leading complex, multi‑disciplinary technical delivery across multiple EMEA jurisdictions
• Strong working knowledge of MEP systems, commissioning processes, and data centre operational requirements
• Experience engaging directly with hyperscale or colocation client technical and engineering leadership
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the credibility to influence both client and internal senior leadership
• Fluent English; additional European language capability an advantage
• Willingness to travel extensively across EMEA markets

JLL Behaviours

The successful candidate will embody and amplify JLL's core behaviours across all activities:

• Be humble - Create a compelling vision for JLL's Data Centre technical excellence that motivates teams and attracts top talent
• Win Together - Drive successful outcomes through effective collaboration across country teams by deepening client relationships
• Simplify - Streamline complex technical delivery processes to improve client experience and operational efficiency
• Be Decisive - Apply strategic focus to the highest‑risk, highest‑value technical challenges across the regional portfolio as a trusted team member
• Be Curious - Anticipate emerging technical requirements (AI infrastructure, high‑density cooling, power availability) and position JLL ahead of market shifts leading with agility

JLL is committed to hiring and developing the most talented people, reflecting the diversity of the communities in which we operate.