Mission-Critical Data Center Architect & Lead Designer

SWI Digital; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

SWI Digital seeks a Senior Architect / Architectural Design Manager for mission-critical data center projects in the United States, based in Houston, TX. The role demands strong BIM coordination, US code mastery, and leadership across distributed teams to deliver complex designs and ensure regulatory alignment.

The candidate will oversee architecture and design coordination with consultants, EPCs, vendors and client teams, providing localization for US and Texas requirements while actively

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Architecture from an accredited institution.
• 5+ years of relevant professional architectural experience, with 8+ years preferred. Data center experience preferred.
• Meaningful experience in data center, mission-critical, industrial or technically complex building design, with hyperscale data center experience strongly preferred.
• Experience working on projects in the United States.
• Strong working knowledge of US building codes, standards and architectural practice.

Responsibilities

• Provide architectural and multidisciplinary design support for hyperscale, AI and other mission-critical data center developments in the United States.
• Act as a local architectural and design coordination interface between the client team, design consultants, EPC contractors, vendors and other project stakeholders.
• Review and develop architectural design documentation including general arrangements, plans, sections, elevations, details, schedules and technical documentation.
• Advise and client teams on localization of designs for applicable US, Texas and local building codes, regulations and authority requirements.
• Support architectural code reviews including occupancy, egress, accessibility, fire and life-safety interfaces, spatial requirements and other applicable building-code matters.
• Support coordination with Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs), local consultants and permitting teams as required.
• Review consultant, EPC and vendor architectural designs for compliance with project requirements, design intent, applicable codes and good professional practice.
• Identify design risks, coordination issues, code concerns and material deviations and communicate these clearly to the wider project team.
• Coordinate architectural requirements and interfaces with electrical, mechanical, structural, civil, fire/life-safety, security, controls and BIM disciplines.
• Lead or support multidisciplinary model and drawing coordination, including review of Revit models and federated BIM information.
• Support the development and coordination of data halls, plant areas, support spaces, offices, operational areas, logistics routes and other mission-critical building requirements.
• Participate in design reviews, value engineering, technical workshops and multidisciplinary coordination meetings.
• Review technical submittals, shop drawings, RFIs and other construction-stage information where required.
• Undertake site visits, surveys, inspections and construction support as required.
• Provide direct technical and design support to the Houston-based client development team on day-to-day project matters.
• Coordinate closely with architectural and multidisciplinary design leadership based internationally, maintaining clear communication of decisions, risks and actions.
• Contribute to the development and improvement of US architectural standards, BIM processes, design guidelines and technical documentation.

Skills

Revit / BIM coordination

Data center design

US building codes knowledge

Cross-team collaboration

US project experience

Education

Bachelor's or Master's Degree in Architecture

Tools

Revit

BIM software

Job description

SWI Digital seeks a Senior Architect / Architectural Design Manager for mission-critical data center projects in the United States, based in Houston, TX. The role demands strong BIM coordination, US code mastery, and leadership across distributed teams to deliver complex designs and ensure regulatory alignment.

The candidate will oversee architecture and design coordination with consultants, EPCs, vendors and client teams, providing localization for US and Texas requirements while actively