Principal, Design Lead

Ada Infrastructure; Bellevue (WA); On-site; USD 250,000 - 275,000; Full time

Job summary

Ada Infrastructure is a global data center business, committed to reliable, safe, secure, and sustainable digital infrastructure. The Design Lead, North America will steer design execution across Ada's development portfolio, adapt global standards to regional codes, and partner with Development & Delivery to ensure constructable, cost-effective solutions.

You will lead a multidisciplinary team and drive continuous improvement across regional projects.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Design or Engineering relevant field.
• 12+ years in engineering, design, design management, or technical leadership within data centers.
• Proven track record of building high-performing teams.
• Strong understanding of data center systems: mechanical, electrical, controls, commissioning.
• Experience leading design execution across multiple projects with quality, schedule, budget balance.
• Experience standardizing design approaches while adapting to local codes and site conditions.
• Strong commercial and operational acumen, including procurement and risk awareness.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management; able to influence executives.
• Willingness to travel as required to support project sites and teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead design execution across Ada's North American development portfolio.
• Build, lead, and develop a high-performing multidisciplinary design organization.
• Adapt global standards to local codes, permitting, and site-specific conditions.
• Collaborate with Development and Delivery teams to ensure constructable, cost-effective designs.
• Serve as regional design authority through planning, design, procurement, construction, and turnover.
• Establish KPIs to measure regional design performance and risk mitigation.
• Collaborate with Global Design & Innovation for continuous standard improvements.
• Support evaluation and implementation of new technologies and design innovations.
• Partner with Supply Chain to align designs with procurement strategies.
• Collaborate with Operations and Commissioning for reliability and lifecycle performance.
• Champion digital engineering, BIM, automation, and data-driven design practices.
• Foster relationships with consultants, manufacturers, and industry stakeholders.
• Provide regular executive-level reporting on project performance and opportunities.
• Support customer engagements and communicate Ada's design capabilities.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Stakeholder management

Team building

Project execution

Travel willingness

Education

Bachelor's degree in Design or Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Civil, Architectural, or related)

Tools

BIM

Job description

Ada Infrastructure is a global data center business committed to being a positive force for technology, people, and the planet. As part of the digital infrastructure platform of Ares Management Corporation (NYSE:ARES), a leading global alternative investment manager, Ada Infrastructure is positioned to be a leader in the industry in reliable, safe, secure, and sustainable digital infrastructure. With eight in-flight campuses across Japan, the UK, and Brazil, we have over 850 MW of power currently available and more than 1,500 MW in our global pipeline. To learn more about Ada Infrastructure, visit www.adainfrastructure.com or to learn more about Ares Management visit www.aresmgmt.com.

Job Description

Why Join Us

This role is an excellent opportunity to join a deeply experienced and high-performing team with the ability to directly impact and contribute to Ada’s development program. Our team combines industry-wide experience and in-country expertise across all our regions. We are committed to collaborating cross-functionally and partnering to drive efficient and effective solutions that meet the needs of our internal and external stakeholders.

The Team You Are Joining

The Design & Innovation function is part of the Global Design, Development and Delivery organization and is responsible for enabling the delivery of scalable, reliable, and sustainable data center infrastructure across Ada's global portfolio.

The organization operates through a collaborative global and regional model:

• Global Design & Innovation – Accountable for design standards, tools, productization, and innovation across all regions; operates as a center of excellence (CoE) and provides consultative support to regional teams
• Regional Design – Executes and adapts global standards to local codes, customer requirements, and site-specific conditions while piloting innovations for broader global adoption

Summary

The Design Lead, North America is responsible for leading the design execution function across Ada's North American development portfolio. This role ensures global design standards are effectively adapted into buildable, code-compliant, customer-aligned, and site-specific solutions that support delivery excellence across the region. Working closely with the Global Design & Innovation team, this leader serves as the primary bridge between global standards and regional execution, ensuring designs are scalable, constructable, cost-effective, and aligned with business objectives.

The role is also responsible for building, leading, and developing a high-performing multidisciplinary design organization that supports Ada's continued growth throughout North America.

Responsibilities

• Lead design execution across Ada's North American development portfolio, ensuring alignment with safety, quality, schedule, cost, constructability, and customer requirements
• Build, lead, and develop a high-performing multidisciplinary design organization fostering accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Direct the regional and site level adaptation and implementation of global standards, specifications, and requirements to meet codes, permitting requirements, customer needs, and site-specific conditions
• Partner closely with Development and Delivery teams to ensure designs are constructable, cost-effective, scalable, and aligned with project objectives
• Serve as the regional design authority throughout project planning, design, procurement, construction, commissioning, and turnover
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure regional design performance, quality, schedule performance of AOR/EORs, budget alignment, change management, and risk mitigation
• Collaborate with the Global Design & Innovation team to support continuous improvement of design standards, engineering specifications, and delivery processes through regional feedback and lessons learned
• Support the evaluation and implementation of new technologies, engineering approaches, and design innovations that improve performance, efficiency, reliability, and scalability
• Partner with Supply Chain to align designs with procurement strategies, equipment standardization initiatives, and vendor capabilities
• Collaborate with Operations and Commissioning teams to ensure designs support long-term operational reliability, maintainability, and lifecycle performance
• Champion digital engineering, BIM, automation, and data-driven design practices to improve design efficiency and project outcomes
• Foster relationships with design consultants, engineering partners, equipment manufacturers, and industry stakeholders to maintain awareness of emerging trends and best practices
• Partner with Development & Delivery teams to provide regular executive-level reporting on project performance, resource planning, design risks, and project level opportunities
• Support customer engagements and strategic initiatives as required, communicating Ada's design capabilities and technical solutions

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Design or Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Civil, Architectural, or related discipline)
• 12+ years of experience in engineering, design, design management, or technical leadership within data centers, mission-critical infrastructure
• Demonstrated success building high-performing team, developing technical talent, and scaling teams through periods of growth
• Strong understanding of data center systems, including mechanical, electrical, controls, commissioning, and operational considerations
• Experience leading design execution across multiple projects while balancing quality, schedule, budget, constructability, and customer requirements
• Experience implementing standardized design approaches while adapting solutions to local codes, permitting requirements, and site-specific conditions
• Strong commercial and operational acumen, including understanding of cost drivers, procurement considerations, project delivery risks, and decision-making tradeoffs
• Excellent communication, leadership, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence technical and executive audiences across a matrixed organization
• Willingness to travel as required to support project sites, regional teams, customers, and business objectives

Reporting Relationships

Compensation

The anticipated base salary range for this position is listed below. Total compensation may also include a discretionary performance-based bonus. Note, the range takes into account a broad spectrum of qualifications, including, but not limited to, years of relevant work experience, education, and other relevant qualifications specific to the role.

$250,000.00 - $275,000.00

The firm also offers robust Benefits offerings. Ares U.S. Core Benefits include Comprehensive Medical/Rx, Dental and Vision plans; 401(k) program with company match; Flexible Savings Accounts (FSA); Healthcare Savings Accounts (HSA) with company contribution; Basic and Voluntary Life Insurance; Long-Term Disability (LTD) and Short-Term Disability (STD) insurance; Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and Commuter Benefits plan for parking and transit.

Ares offers a number of additional benefits including access to a world-class medical advisory team, a mental health app that includes coaching, therapy and psychiatry, a mindfulness and wellbeing app, financial wellness benefit that includes access to a financial advisor, new parent leave, reproductive and adoption assistance, emergency backup care, matching gift program, education sponsorship program, and much more.

There is no set deadline to apply for this job opportunity. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the search is no longer active.