Data Center Design Manager

PAE Government Services Inc.; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 200,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) matching

Educational reimbursement

Parental leave

Employee stock purchase plan

Disability and life insurance

Pet insurance

Job summary

Amentum is seeking a Data Center Design Manager to lead planning, design, engineering coordination, construction execution, and commissioning of mission-critical data center facilities in the United States. You will bridge design teams, construction management, commissioning, contractors, and client stakeholders to ensure high availability and on-time delivery.

The role covers design reviews, MEP coordination, power distribution, BAS/BMS integration, commissioning, and operational readiness

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required in a relevant engineering/construction field.
• 7+ years of experience in mission-critical facilities, data centers, power distribution, MEP engineering, controls engineering, design management, or construction management.
• Authorized to work in the United States without visa sponsorship.
• Experience managing large-scale data center projects from design through commissioning.
• Strong knowledge of critical power systems, electrical distribution, HVAC and BAS/BMS, controls integration.

Responsibilities

• Lead multidisciplinary design teams across electrical, mechanical, controls, architectural, structural, civil, and telecom disciplines.
• Manage design development from concept through construction documentation and turnover.
• Review design packages, calculations, equipment selections, and specifications.
• Develop power distribution and control system designs for greenfield and retrofit projects.
• Establish control strategies and integration requirements; set design standards.
• Collaborate with clients, end users, engineers, architects, contractors, and operations teams.
• Identify technical risks and drive resolution through design and construction phases.
• Oversee construction activities to ensure design intent, safety, and quality.
• Manage RFIs, submittals, clarifications, changes, and field coordination.
• Monitor schedules, budgets, procurements, and milestones.
• Lead commissioning planning and testing; ensure successful turnover to operations.
• Support O&M documentation and training materials.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder mgmt

Project mgmt

Design mgmt

Construction mgmt

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Construction Management, Architecture, or related field

Tools

BACnet

Modbus

Job description

Data Center Design Manager Amentum’s Digital Infrastructure Group has been at the forefront of creating a new generation of communication infrastructure for over 40 years. We specialize in everything from network development to complete telecom life cycle solutions, datacenter retrofits and modernization, to full datacenter buildouts. While these critical environments are ever changing, the demand for innovative technology and long-term support remains constant. These services include design, construction, updates, and maintenance of new and existing datacenter facilities. Amentum is seeking an experienced Data Center Design Manager to lead the planning, design, engineering coordination, construction execution, and commissioning of mission-critical infrastructure projects. This role serves as the primary technical leader bridging design teams, construction management, commissioning teams, contractors, and client stakeholders to ensure the successful delivery of high-availability data center facilities. The Design Manager is responsible for managing the full project lifecycle, including design reviews, MEP coordination, controls integration, power distribution systems, construction oversight, commissioning, quality assurance, risk mitigation, and operational readiness. The successful candidate will provide leadership across electrical, mechanical, controls, and building automation systems while ensuring projects are delivered safely, on schedule, within budget, and in compliance with all applicable standards and client requirements.

Responsibilities

Design Leadership & Engineering Management

• Lead multidisciplinary design teams including electrical, mechanical, controls, architectural, structural, civil, and telecommunications disciplines.
• Manage design development from concept through construction documentation and turnover.
• Review and approve design packages, calculations, equipment selections, and technical specifications.
• Develop and review power distribution and control system designs for greenfield and retrofit data center projects.
• Establish control strategies, sequences of operation, integration requirements, and design standards.
• Collaborate with clients, end users, MEP engineers, architects, contractors, commissioning providers, and operations teams to ensure alignment with project objectives.
• Identify technical risks early and drive resolution through design and construction phases.

Construction Management & Project Delivery

• Serve as the owner's technical representative throughout construction.
• Oversee construction activities to ensure compliance with design intent, contract documents, quality standards, and safety requirements.
• Manage RFIs, submittals, design clarifications, change orders, and field coordination activities.
• Monitor project schedules, budgets, procurement activities, and critical milestones.
• Conduct constructability reviews and coordinate issue resolution between design and construction teams.
• Lead project meetings and provide executive-level status reporting.

MEP Systems & Controls Integration

• Provide technical expertise for:
• Medium and low-voltage electrical distribution systems
• UPS systems
• Generators
• Switchgear HVAC and cooling infrastructure
• Building Management Systems (BMS)
• Electrical Power Monitoring Systems (EPMS)
• SCADA systems
• Fire alarm and life safety systems
• Ensure proper integration between building controls, security systems, fire alarm systems, and electrical monitoring platforms.
• Support system architecture development focused on reliability, scalability, efficiency, and operational resilience.
• Evaluate emerging technologies supporting AI, high-density computing, and next-generation data center infrastructure.

Commissioning & Operational Readiness

• Lead commissioning planning and execution activities.
• Oversee factory acceptance testing (FAT), site acceptance testing (SAT), integrated systems testing (IST), and startup activities.
• Validate system functionality through testing and performance verification.
• Ensure successful system turnover to operations teams.
• Support development of O&M documentation, training materials, and operating procedures.

Controls Engineering & Optimization

• Troubleshoot system faults, alarms, and operational issues.
• Drive performance optimization initiatives for power, cooling, and building management systems.
• Review and implement control sequences, automation strategies, and energy‑efficiency improvements.
• Support cybersecurity best practices related to operational technology and control systems.

Documentation & Stakeholder Management

• Manage project deliverables, technical documentation, reports, drawings, schematics, and operating manuals.
• Maintain project records and ensure design changes are properly documented.
• Build strong relationships with clients, internal stakeholders, contractors, and vendors.
• Provide mentorship and technical guidance to engineering and project teams.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Construction Management, Architecture, or related field.
• 7+ years of experience in mission-critical facilities, data centers, power distribution, MEP engineering, controls engineering, design management, or construction management.
• Must be authorized to work for any employer in the United States without visa sponsorship.
• Experience managing large-scale data center projects from design through commissioning.
• Strong knowledge of: Critical power systems Electrical distribution systems HVAC and cooling systems Building Automation Systems (BAS/BMS) Controls integration Commissioning and startup activities.
• Experience with industry protocols such as BACnet, Modbus, and other control system communications.
• Strong understanding of project management principles, scheduling, budgeting, and risk management.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to travel to project sites as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with hyperscale, colocation, or enterprise data center environments.
• Experience with Schneider Electric, Siemens, Honeywell, Johnson Controls, Niagara Framework, or similar platforms.
• Professional Engineer (PE), PMP, CDT, ATD, or equivalent industry certifications.
• Knowledge of data center standards including Uptime Institute, TIA-942, NFPA, IEEE, and ASHRAE guidelines.
• Experience with digital twins, analytics platforms, and predictive maintenance technologies.
• Knowledge of OT cybersecurity and automation technologies.
• Previous experience managing multiple concurrent mission-critical construction projects.

Compensation Details

$200,000 - $250,000 The compensation range or hourly rate listed for this position is provided as a good‑faith estimate of what the company intends to offer for this role at the time this posting was issued. Actual compensation may vary based on factors such as job responsibilities, education, experience, skills, internal equity, market data, applicable collective bargaining agreements, and relevant laws.

Benefits Overview

Our health and welfare benefits are designed to support you and your priorities. Offerings include: Health, dental, and vision insurance Paid time off and holidays Retirement benefits (including 401(k) matching) Educational reimbursement Parental leave Employee stock purchase plan Tax‑saving options Disability and life insurance Pet insurance Note: Benefits may vary based on employment type, location, and applicable agreements. Positions governed by a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), the McNamara‑O’Hara Service Contract Act (SCA), or other employment contracts may include different provisions/benefits.

Equal Opportunity

Amentum is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our hiring practices provide equal opportunity for employment without regard to race, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or medical conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding), age, ancestry, United States military or veteran status, color, religion, creed, marital or domestic partner status, medical condition, genetic information, national origin, citizenship status, low‑income status, or mental or physical disability so long as the essential functions of the job can be performed with or without reasonable accommodation, or any other protected category under federal, state, or local law. Learn more about your rights under Federal laws and supplemental language at Labor Laws Posters.

Welcome back! We encourage you to check on the status of your current job applications with us. You can also search for a list of our current job openings and see if there are any new positions that might be a good fit for you. Thank you for continued interest in employment with Amentum. For more than 100 years, Amentum has tackled the world’s toughest challenges to deliver agile and steadfast solutions to the U.S. government and its allies. With more than 50,000 employees on all seven continents and in more than 60 countries, Amentum delivers a broad range of operational support services to meet the critical needs of our clients. Our headquarters are in Chantilly, VA.

Find us online at https://www.amentum.com/.

If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please complete our Accommodation Request. Requests for accommodation will be considered on a case‑by‑case basis. If you need assistance, please reach out to [e-mail] EEO including Disability/Protected Veterans Labor Laws Posters.