Regional Design Leader – Data Centers

Sisk Group; Netherlands; Remote; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

26 days annual leave

Pension and benefits

Job summary

Sisk Group in the Netherlands is looking for a Regional Design Manager to lead the design management for our Data Centre portfolio. You will guide design teams, ensure governance from concept to delivery, and drive integration with sustainability, digital transformation, and preconstruction efforts.

The role requires extensive experience in design management across multiple projects, strong stakeholder engagement, and leadership capabilities to mentor and develop regional teams.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in managing design across multiple projects or a regional portfolio.
• Strong technical knowledge of design management processes, buildability and regulatory frameworks.
• Proven ability to lead multi-disciplinary teams and develop staff capability.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to influence senior stakeholders.
• Strong problem-solving, analytical thinking and decision-making skills.
• Commercial acumen with the ability to balance programme, cost and design quality considerations.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the Design management function across the BU, with Design Management Teams and Package Managers reporting directly or indirectly.
• Provide strategic direction, vision, and leadership for design management operations, ensuring alignment with overall BU objectives.
• Develop, mentor, and coach Design Management Teams and Package Managers to enhance their capabilities and effectiveness, in particular identifying technical skills or knowledge gaps and behavioral competencies that can be developed.
• Establish a succession plan within the design management team to ensure continuity and future leadership.
• Ensure consistent compliance with governance related to design management activities.
• Lead Preconstruction Design reviews into Design Delivery stage, ensuring design governance from concept to implementation across all D&B projects (including contracts with substantial CDP packages).
• Review and scrutinize monthly design reports from each project, summarizing into a concise, actionable BU plan reported at BU board level.
• Identify design performance trends, areas requiring intervention, and opportunities for sharing best practices, including but not limited to technical solutions such as Off-Site Manufacture, as well as system level improvements.
• Present consultant performance updates, insights, and make recommendations to regional or divisional boards and senior stakeholders as required.
• Act as the primary liaison representing the design management function with other internal departments, including Digital Project Delivery, Information Management, and Sustainable Design (ISS) – collaborating on joint initiatives and projects and integrating with the BU operational/commercial representative for these other areas.
• Facilitate effective communication and collaboration to streamline workflows and integrate design activities with broader organisational initiatives such as Digital Transformation.
• Close involvement with design/project cost controls and risk management, estimating and preconstruction teams, and ensuring design management and design solutions proposed contributes to margin protection and profitability.
• Engage with business unit leaders and key stakeholders to understand evolving needs and ensure design management services meet business expectations.
• Regular interaction with key clients, partners, or external stakeholders to position the design function as a strategic asset and drive client satisfaction.
• Engagement with external design consultants, subcontractors, and partners to ensure collaborative delivery, adherence to company standards and technical excellence in design.
• Setting performance standards and managing key supplier relationships relevant to design delivery.
• Engagement with industry groups on technical and innovation matters eg. design standards and certification, off-site construction (MMC) and the future of design and digital integration.
• Lead initiatives to review, optimize, and streamline design processes and procedures across business units.
• Champion the integration of design systems and workflows with other management systems to enhance efficiency and data consistency.
• Drive continuous improvement by adopting innovative tools, technologies, and methodologies aligned with industry best practices.
• Establish KPIs and performance metrics for design teams in collaboration with project teams and the Head of Design and review reports on performance bi-monthly, feeding into an overall design partner engagement plan.
• Carry out monitoring ‘checks and balances’ on design delivery performance, design quality standards, and compliance with contractual and regulatory requirements at a project level, in collaboration with the project design resource and other BU leads (Commercial, Functions and Operations).
• Regularly visit sites to review design progress and status, or integrate as a site team member in particular projects that are deemed to be of a high risk to ascertain the qualitative and quantitative status of design operations, identifying potential improvements.
• Intervene where necessary and provide technical assistance/guidance and leadership to ensure the successful close out of projects requiring escalation.
• Use data-driven and technical level insights to recommend and implement corrective actions (eg. design ‘deep dives’) or process changes as necessary.

Skills

Leadership

Design management

Stakeholder engagement

Buildability knowledge

Education

Degree in Architecture, Engineering, Construction Management or related discipline

Professional qualification (RIBA, MCIOB, Engineers Ireland or equivalent)

Postgraduate qualification in Design Management, Project Management or related subject

Minimum 12 years’ experience in design management within the construction industry preferably with Data Centre experience

Leadership training or professional development in management and strategy

Job description

Sisk Group in the Netherlands is looking for a Regional Design Manager to lead the design management for our Data Centre portfolio. You will guide design teams, ensure governance from concept to delivery, and drive integration with sustainability, digital transformation, and preconstruction efforts.

The role requires extensive experience in design management across multiple projects, strong stakeholder engagement, and leadership capabilities to mentor and develop regional teams.