Director, Data Center Solutions & Engineering Strategy

Cushman & Wakefield; Charleston (WV); On-site; USD 145,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Cushman & Wakefield is seeking a Director, Solutions Data Centers to lead the design of integrated facilities management solutions for hyperscale, colocation, enterprise, and AI/HPC data centers. The role is client-facing and focuses on converting complex requirements into operating models, staffing plans, and commercial constructs.

The position emphasizes engineering solutioning and staffing, building the engineering organization, wage and labor-market strategies, and recruiting ramp plans;

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering, Facilities/Construction Management, or related technical discipline.
• 10+ years in facilities management with 5+ years in data center or mission-critical environments.
• 5+ years in FM solutions development, bid management, or a senior operations role with direct ownership of staffing models and cost build-ups.
• Demonstrated experience building critical-facilities engineering staffing models and defending them to sophisticated technical clients.
• Working command of data center infrastructure: electrical distribution and redundancy topologies, UPS and generator systems, mechanical cooling including liquid cooling, BMS/EPMS, and fire life safety.
• Fluency in FM commercial models, SLA/KPI regimes, and pricing mechanics; advanced Excel modeling capability.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; able to author a technical solution narrative and present it to C-suite and engineering audiences alike.
• Willingness to travel domestically (typically 25-30%).

Responsibilities

• Lead solution architecture for data center IFM pursuits - new business, expansions, renewals, and rebids - across single-site, regional, and global portfolios.
• Interrogate client requirements (RFI/RFP/RFQ, SLAs, KPIs, MOPs/SOPs, uptime standards) and translate them into a defensible operating model.
• Build the labor model, organizational chart, span of control, and scope matrix underpinning price and governance.
• Partner with Sales, Operations, HR, Talent Acquisition, Procurement, Finance, EHS, Sustainability, Legal, and Technology to assemble an integrated solution.
• Author and orchestrate the technical response: solution narrative, staffing plan, mobilization and transition plan, technology stack, governance model, risk register, and exclusions.
• Lead solution workshops, site walks, due-diligence visits, and client orals; present and defend the engineering and FM approach.
• Conduct win/loss reviews and feed outcomes back into standard assets, benchmark libraries, and pricing templates.
• Maintain a reusable library of data center solution components - role profiles, coverage models, PM libraries, scope matrices, staffing ratios.
• Design the critical-facilities engineering operating model: on-site teams, 24x7x365 shift coverage, on-call structures, remote ops, and vendor-augmented models.
• Define the maintenance program across critical systems and BMS/EPMS, including electrical, mechanical, cooling, and fire life safety.
• Quantify the engineering solution: headcount, overtime, shift differentials, tools, PPE, training, spares, and subcontracted services.
• Benchmark engineering ratios and justify deviations; develop staffing models by site and portfolio.

Skills

Solution architecture

Staffing models

Bid management

Pricing mechanics

Excel modeling

Client presentations

Data center FM

Project leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering, Facilities/Construction Management

Tools

CMMS/IWMS platforms

BMS/EPMS integration

Job description

Cushman & Wakefield is seeking a Director, Solutions Data Centers to lead the design of integrated facilities management solutions for hyperscale, colocation, enterprise, and AI/HPC data centers. The role is client-facing and focuses on converting complex requirements into operating models, staffing plans, and commercial constructs.

The position emphasizes engineering solutioning and staffing, building the engineering organization, wage and labor-market strategies, and recruiting ramp plans;