Head of Design

PaxOcean; Singapore; On-site; SGD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

PaxOcean seeks a Head of Design to lead the engineering design function for data centre developments, overseeing MEP and CSA infrastructure across new-build, retrofit and expansion projects. This role owns design standards, leads a team of design engineers or technical specialists, and collaborates with project delivery teams to deliver reliable, efficient, and scalable data centre facilities.

You will drive energy efficiency, review vendor selections, manage timelines and budgets, and ensure

Qualifications

• 10+ years of mechanical design experience for mission-critical facilities or data centres.
• Minimum 5 years in a leadership/managerial capacity.
• Proven track record delivering mechanical design for hyperscale data centres.
• Experience with end users, EPCs, MEP consultants, and OEM vendors.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end design process for data centre projects, from concept through detailed design, construction support, and commissioning handover.
• Own and continuously improve design standards, specifications, and basis-of-design documents.
• Review and approve designs, calculations, and drawings prepared by internal teams or external consultants / contractors.
• Drive design optimization from energy efficiency, reliability, modularity, speed to build with considerations of customer requirements as well as cost to build across all projects.
• Continuously explore the latest technologies on the market and support internal design & innovation projects.
• Lead internal standardisation initiative covering not only design related documents but also project management, construction management, commissioning management & etc., which are supported by relevant discipline leads.

Skills

Mechanical design

HVAC systems

Leadership

Project management

Stakeholder management

Communication

Analytical thinking

Team development

CFD modelling

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Master's degree preferred

PE license or Chartered Engineer

Tools

AutoCAD

Revit/BIM

CFD modelling software

Job description

Job Summary

The Head of Design leads the engineering design function for data centre developments, overseeing the design of MEP plus CSA infrastructure, and related systems across new-build, retrofit, and expansion projects. This role owns design standards, leads a team of design engineers or technical specialists, and works closely with project delivery teams to deliver reliable, efficient, and scalable data centre facilities.

Key Responsibilities

Design Leadership

• Lead the end-to-end design process for data centre projects, from concept through detailed design, construction support, and commissioning handover.
• Own and continuously improve design standards, specifications, and basis-of-design documents.
• Review and approve designs, calculations, and drawings prepared by internal teams or external consultants / contractors.
• Drive design optimization from energy efficiency, reliability, modularity, speed to build with considerations of customer requirements as well as cost to build across all projects.
• Continuously explore the latest technologies on the market and support internal design & innovation projects.
• Lead internal standardisation initiative covering not only design related documents but also project management, construction management, commissioning management & etc., which are supported by relevant discipline leads.

Team Management

• Build, mentor, and manage a team of design engineers and coordinate with external design consultants.
• Set performance goals, conduct reviews, and support career development of direct reports.
• Allocate resources across multiple concurrent projects and manage workload and priorities.

Technical Oversight

• Evaluate and select power and cooling technologies appropriate to project requirements and industry trends (including AI/high-density rack cooling).
• Evaluate and select appropriate construction method from CSA side to project requirements as well as customers’ standards.
• Review vendor equipment selections, capacity calculations, etc.
• Lead value engineering exercises to balance cost, reliability, and schedule.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Coordinate closely with project delivery teams to ensure integrated design delivery.
• Liaise with clients, consultants, contractors, and regulatory bodies on design related matters.
• Work with operations/facilities teams to ensure designs support maintainability and operational requirements.

Project & Stakeholder Management

• Manage design timelines, budgets, and deliverables across multiple sites/projects.
• Present design solutions and technical recommendations to senior leadership and clients.
• Ensure compliance with local codes, standards (e.g., ASHRAE, Uptime Institute, TIA-942, LEED & etc.), and sustainability / energy regulations.

Key Requirements

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering (or related discipline); Master's degree a plus.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license or equivalent chartered engineer status preferred.

Experience

• 10+ years of mechanical engineering design experience, with at least 5 years focused on mission-critical facilities or data centres.
• 3+ years in leadership/managerial capacity overseeing a design team.
• Proven track record delivering mechanical design for hyperscale, colocation, or enterprise data centre projects.
• Experience working with end users, EPC contractors, MEP consultants, and OEM equipment vendors.

Technical Skills

• Strong knowledge of HVAC/cooling systems: CRAH/CRAC units, chillers, cooling towers, air/water-side economisers, liquid cooling & etc.
• Familiarity Power distribution systems: HV/LV, generator, UPS, battery & etc.
• Understanding of data centre redundancy topologies (N, N+1, N+2, 2N) and Uptime Institute Tier standards.
• Understanding of energy efficiency metrics (PUE, WUE) and sustainability considerations.
• Proficiency with design tools (AutoCAD, Revit/BIM, CFD modelling software).
• Working knowledge of relevant codes and standards (ASHRAE TC9.9, local mechanical/building codes, fire & life safety requirements as they relate to mechanical systems).

Leadership & Soft Skills

• Strong people management and team-building capabilities.
• Strong communication skills are required to establish effective and transparent communication channels.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, able to engage both technical and executive audiences.
• Strong project management skills; able to manage multiple concurrent design projects.
• Analytical and problem-solving mindset with attention to detail.

Others

• Willingness to travel to project sites as required.
• Experience in a fast-paced, growth-stage data centre or hyperscale environment is highly valued.

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Education

Bachelors in Electrical Engineering

Masters in Mechanical Engineering or Others