Data Center Architect, CSA

Anthropic; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 320,000 - 405,000; Full time

Job summary

Anthropic seeks a Principal Data Center Architect to lead civil, structural, and architectural design for its data center portfolio. You will own the reference design standards, guide feasibility studies, and review deliverables from design-build partners to ensure high-density AI compute readiness.

You will collaborate with MEP and IT teams, drive standardization across multi-site projects, and travel up to 40% for reviews and commissioning.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in a field related to civil, structural, or architectural design.
• 10+ years delivering mission-critical facility infrastructure with hyperscale experience.
• Experience as an owner's engineer or technical authority setting standards.
• Familiar with building codes and standards across geographies (IBC/IFC/ASCE7).

Responsibilities

• Own CSA reference design standards for Anthropic’s data center portfolio across sites.
• Lead site feasibility studies, evaluate structural approaches and code compliance.
• Review CSA deliverables from design-build partners and AE firms.
• Coordinate CSA with MEP and IT teams for integrated designs.
• Drive campus planning for high compute density and optimized phasing.
• Provide technical oversight during construction and support commissioning.
• Build relationships with design partners and subcontractors.
• Maintain facility support area standards and modular construction opportunities.
• Travel to project sites globally for design reviews and audits.

Skills

Civil site development

Structural design

Architectural programming

IBC/IFC/ASCE7

Direct liquid cooling

Owner's engineer

Design standardization

Team leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field

Job description

About Anthropic

Anthropic’s mission is to create reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems. We want AI to be safe and beneficial for our users and for society as a whole. Our team is a quickly growing group of committed researchers, engineers, policy experts, and business leaders working together to build beneficial AI systems.

About the Role

We are looking for a Principal Data Center Architect with deep expertise in Civil, Structural, and Architectural (CSA) design to join our growing infrastructure team. This role is the technical owner for the physical building fabric of Anthropic's AI compute facilities — from the earliest site feasibility studies and test fits through reference design development, design partner oversight, and construction delivery.

As Anthropic scales its data center program across multiple sites in the United States and internationally, you will set the civil, structural, and architectural standards that govern how our facilities are designed and built. You will work directly with design-build partners, AE firms, and internal mechanical, electrical, and IT infrastructure teams to ensure our facilities are optimized for high-density AI workloads, constructable on aggressive timelines, and replicable across a growing portfolio.

This is an owner's engineer role — you are the technical authority, not a consultant. You will be expected to make binding design decisions, identify problems before they reach the field, and drive standardization across a pipeline of concurrent projects globally.

What You'll Do

• Own the civil, structural, and architectural reference design standards for Anthropic’s data center portfolio, establishing repeatable design elements deployable across multiple sites and jurisdictions
• Lead front-end test fits and site feasibility studies, evaluating structural approaches, site constraints, utility interfaces, and code compliance to inform site selection and design direction
• Review and approve CSA deliverables from design-build partners and AE firms at each design stage (SD, DD, CD, IFC), including drawings, structural calculations, specifications, and geotechnical reports
• Integrate CSA design with mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, and IT infrastructure teams to produce coordinated designs that support high-density AI compute and direct liquid-cooling systems
• Drive site and campus planning to maximize compute density, optimize construction phasing, and align physical layout with IT and operational requirements
• Partner with the construction and delivery team to provide technical oversight during construction, resolve field issues, and support commissioning activities
• Evaluate and develop relationships with design partners, structural engineering sub-consultants, and prefabrication / modular vendors; define qualification and performance standards
• Establish and maintain facility support area standards — logistics staging, loading, maintenance access, and operational support spaces — scaled for hyperscale deployments
• Identify modular and prefabricated construction opportunities that reduce schedule, cost, and design risk across the project pipeline
• Manage review cycles and coordinate across internal and external stakeholders to resolve design conflicts and keep projects moving on aggressive timelines
• Travel to project sites globally for design reviews, construction audits, and commissioning milestones (up to 40%)

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years delivering mission-critical facility infrastructure, with at least 6 years directly in hyperscale or large-scale data center CSA design
• Deep technical expertise across civil site development, structural design, and architectural programming for industrial or mission-critical facilities
• Demonstrated experience as an owner's engineer or lead technical authority — setting standards, approving deliverables, and managing external design teams
• Proficiency with applicable building codes and standards including IBC, IFC, ASCE 7, ACI 318, AISC, FM Global, and local jurisdictional requirements across multiple geographies
• Experience with high-density compute environments, including structural and architectural accommodation of direct liquid-cooling systems, overhead busway, and dense rack deployments
• Track record of driving design standardization and developing repeatable reference designs across a multi-site portfolio
• Ability to evaluate and red-line structural calculations, civil site plans, and architectural construction documents for accuracy, completeness, and constructability
• Experience coordinating across MEP disciplines and IT infrastructure teams in a fast-paced, multi-project environment
• Clear and direct communication with both technical and non-technical audiences; ability to make and defend design decisions with incomplete information

Preferred Qualifications

• Licensed Professional Engineer (PE) in civil or structural engineering, or licensed architect (AIA / RA)
• Experience with prefabricated and modular construction strategies for data center applications
• Familiarity with geotechnical risk assessment and foundation design for large industrial facilities
• LEED accreditation, Uptime Institute AOS/M&O certification, or equivalent mission-critical credentials
• International project delivery experience (Europe, Asia-Pacific, or other regions)
• Experience reviewing design packages in Autodesk Construction Cloud, Revit, or Navisworks

Compensation

Annual Salary: $320,000—$405,000 USD

Logistics

Minimum education: Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education, training, and/or experience

Required field of study: A field relevant to the role as demonstrated through coursework, training, or professional experience

Minimum years of experience: Years of experience required will correlate with the internal job level requirements for the position

Location-based hybrid policy: Currently, we expect all staff to be in one of our offices at least 25% of the time. However, some roles may require more time in our offices.

Visa sponsorship: We do sponsor visas! However, we aren't able to successfully sponsor visas for every role and every candidate. But if we make you an offer, we will make every reasonable effort to get you a visa, and we retain an immigration lawyer to help with this.

Anthropic is a public benefit corporation headquartered in San Francisco. We offer competitive compensation and benefits, optional equity donation matching, generous vacation and parental leave, flexible working hours, and a lovely office space in which to collaborate with colleagues.