Design Manager, NA

Vantage Data Centers Management Company LLC; Virginia; Hybrid; USD 145,000 - 155,000; Full time

Job summary

Vantage is seeking a Design Manager to lead the design quality, value engineering, risk mitigation, and seamless handoff to construction and operations for hyperscale data center campuses. You will coordinate across Development, Product, Engineering, and Construction to translate customer and operational needs into clear contract documents and high-quality drawings.

The role emphasizes design excellence, speed to market, and adherence to design governance, with a focus on modular design and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Architecture, Construction Management, Mechanical Engineering, or related discipline.
• 8–15+ years delivering mission-critical facilities, hyperscale data centers, or large-scale infrastructure projects.
• Experience leading design, construction, commissioning, and operational turnover of complex facilities.
• Strong leadership, cross-functional collaboration, and executive communication.
• Familiarity with BIM and coordination platforms.

Responsibilities

• Lead design phases from concept through IFC for hyperscale campuses.
• Manage external arch/consultant teams and ensure integration into internal workflows.
• Oversee milestone delivery, KPIs, and cost/schedule control.
• Coordinate regional design feedback for product and standardization improvements.
• Drive modular design, prefab concepts, and fast deployment strategies.

Skills

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Stakeholder management

Communication

Education

Engineering degree

Tools

Revit

Navisworks

AutoCAD

Bluebeam

Procore

Primavera P6

Microsoft Project

Asana

ClickUp

Job description

About Vantage

Vantage powers, cools, protects and connects the technology of the world’s well-known hyperscalers, cloud providers and large enterprises. Developing and operating across North America, EMEA and Asia Pacific, Vantage has evolved data center design in innovative ways to deliver dramatic gains in reliability, efficiency and sustainability in flexible environments that can scale as quickly as the market demands.

Design Integration Group

The Design Integration Group (DIG) at Vantage is responsible for the stewardship and execution of the data center design through the project lifecyle, from early development through construction and handover to operations, and includes the Design Management, Design Engineering and Regional Product teams. Collaborating closely with the Regional Product, Design Engineering, New Site Development, Construction and Operations teams, Design Management functions as the interconnective hub that owns the project design and its reporting and communication, bridging strategy and execution to ensure design excellence, predictability, and scalability.

Position Overview

This role can be based in any of the following locations in alignment with our flexible work policy (3 days onsite, 2 days flexible): Shackelford County, TX; Denver, CO; San Antonio, TX; Columbus, OH; Port Washington, WI; Atlanta, GA, or Ashburn, VA.

The Design Manager champions design quality, value engineering, risk mitigation, commissioning readiness, and seamless handoff to construction and operations, while upholding hyperscaler customer expectations for uptime, resiliency, speed to delivery, and total cost of ownership (TCO). The Design Manager serves as the central link between New Site Development, Product, Engineering, and Construction teams, driving the design process from early concept through project handover. This role ensures that every design decision reflects customer, stakeholder, and operational needs—captured, evaluated, and translated into contract documents that enable predictable, high-quality delivery. Design Managers combine technical acumen, stakeholder fluency, and process discipline to create a repeatable, high-performing design function that balances innovation, standardization, and speed to market.

Essential Job Functions

Strategic & Cross-Functional Leadership

• Act as the connective hub coordinating all design-related communication, milestones, and deliverables across Development, Engineering, Construction, and Operations.




• Drive product standardization efforts in collaboration with the Product and Engineering teams, ensuring design solutions are both optimized and scalable.




• Represent Design Management in project governance, risk reviews, and executive updates, providing data-backed insight into performance and decision-making.




• Collaborate with Construction, Procurement, Telecom, Power, Security, Controls, Commissioning, and Operations teams




• Manage RFI resolution, design clarifications, change controls, drawing revisions, and design risk escalations

Design Oversight & Delivery Management

• Lead concept → schematic → design development → IFC (Issued for Construction) design phases for hyperscale campuses (50–500+ MW portfolios)




• Lead external architect and consultant teams, ensuring clear scope definition, performance management, and integration into internal workflows




• Oversee design milestone delivery, reporting progress against defined KPIs including cost per MW, design cycle time, and change volume




• Coordinate regional design feedback loops to improve the next generation of product and design standards




• Manage design consultants, AE firms, specialty vendors, and technical stakeholders to deliver full drawings, specifications, calculations, BIM models, and design basis documentation




• Maintain alignment with hyperscaler design standards, reference architectures, resiliency tiers, redundancy philosophies and security frameworks




• Drive modular design, repeatability, standardization, and prefabrication strategies for speed of deployment

Performance, Cost & Risk Management

• Identify value engineering (VE) opportunities that reduce cost, schedule, and complexity without reducing resilience


• Drive TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) metrics including PUE, WUE, power density optimization and redundancy tradeoffs\\


• Lead design risk assessments, mitigation planning, and quality control (QA/QC) audits\\


• Support sequencing, schedule planning, and cost modeling for multi-wave campus builds

Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement

• Own the development and reporting of design-related metrics and dashboards.




• Lead lessons learned and change management processes to capture insights and strengthen future project predictability




• Partner with data governance and project controls to ensure data accuracy, consistency, and traceability across the portfolio




• Implement and evolve PM tools (e.g., ClickUp) to drive visibility, efficiency, and accountability across teams.

Technology & Innovation

• Promote execution strategies including prefab MEP, skids, busways, medium voltage distribution, microgrid readiness, liquid cooling enablement, and high-density design




• Validate integration for AI/ML clusters, GPU environments, and next-gen power + cooling topologies




• Ensure compliance with building codes, energy standards, safety, sustainability goals, and utility requirements

Key Deliverables

• Design packages that meet VDC and operational standards—delivered on time, on budget, and in compliance with design governance requirements




• SSOPR (Site Specific Owner’s Project Requirements) documented, optimized, and adopted across all projects




• Milestone Reporting: consistent tracking of design schedules, cost benchmarks, and progress metrics




• Project Management Framework: project kickoff documentation, risk register, design logs, change tracking, and executive reporting cadence




• Lessons Learned Repository: structured process for feedback integration and process evolution




• Additional duties as assigned by Management

Job Requirements

Experience and Technical Leadership

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Architecture, Construction Management, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related discipline (or equivalent experience).


• 8–15+ years of experience delivering mission-critical facilities, hyperscale data centers, colocation campuses, or large-scale industrial infrastructure projects.


• Proven experience leading the design, construction, commissioning, integrated systems testing (IST), and operational turnover of complex infrastructure projects.


• Demonstrated technical leadership across MEP systems, redundancy strategies, constructability reviews, and cross-functional project execution.


• Experience delivering multi-MW greenfield developments, live-site expansions, hyperscale campuses, or other large-scale critical infrastructure programs.


• Strong working knowledge of electrical and mechanical infrastructure systems including UPS, generators, switchgear, MV/LV distribution, busway, chillers, CRAH/CRAC systems, and associated controls.

Project Delivery & Stakeholder Management

• Strong project and program management skills with responsibility for scope, schedule, budget, risk, quality, and operational readiness.


• Proven ability to manage consultants, vendors, contractors, and internal stakeholders across multiple concurrent projects.


• Strong executive communication, stakeholder alignment, and cross-functional leadership capabilities.


• Experience developing processes, driving organizational change, and implementing scalable project delivery standards.


• Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities, resolve ambiguity, and make sound decisions in fast-paced environments.


• Experience with project controls, KPI reporting, forecasting, risk management, and data-driven decision making.

Tools & Systems

• Familiarity with BIM and coordination platforms such as Revit, Navisworks, AutoCAD, and Bluebeam.


• Experience utilizing project management and scheduling tools such as Procore, Primavera P6, Microsoft Project, Asana, ClickUp, or similar platforms.


• Strong understanding of commissioning processes, integrated systems testing, operational handoff, and owner turnover requirements.

Leadership & Professional Attributes

• Familiarity with BIM and coordination platforms such as Revit, Navisworks, AutoCAD, and Bluebeam.


• Experience utilizing project management and scheduling tools such as Procore, Primavera P6, Microsoft Project, Asana, ClickUp, or similar platforms.


• Strong understanding of commissioning processes, integrated systems testing, operational handoff, and owner turnover requirements.

Physical Demands and Special Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to handle, or feel objects; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop or kneel; talk and hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

Additional Details

• Salary Range: $145,000 - $155,000 + Bonus (this range is based on Colorado market data and may vary in other locations)




• This position is eligible for company benefits including but not limited to medical, dental, and vision coverage, life and AD&D, short and long-term disability coverage, paid time off, employee assistance, participation in a 401k program that includes company match, and many other additional voluntary benefits.




• Compensation for the role will depend on a number of factors, including your qualifications, skills, competencies, and experience and may fall outside of the range shown.

#LI-AO2 #LI-HYBRID

We operate with No Ego and No Arrogance. We work to build each other up and support one another, appreciating each other’s strengths and respecting each other’s weaknesses. We find joy in our work and each other, actively seeking opportunities to inject fun into what we do. Our hard and efficient work is rewarded with an above market total compensation package. We offer a comprehensive suite of health and welfare, retirement, and paid leave benefits exceeding local expectations.

Throughout the year, the advantage of being part of the Vantage team is evident with an array of benefits, recognition, training and development, and the knowledge that your contribution adds value to the company and our community.

Vantage is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Vantage does not accept unsolicited resumes from search firm agencies. Fees will not be paid in the event a candidate submitted by a recruiter without an agreement in place is hired; such resumes will be deemed the sole property of Vantage.