Design Manager, NA

Vantage Data Centers 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 our US locations: Denver, CO; Phoenix, AZ; Santa Clara, CA; or Ashburn, VA in alignment with our flexible work policy (3 days on site required, 2 days flexible).

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

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Architecture, Construction, Mechanical or Electrical disciplines (or equivalent experience)
  * 8-15+ years in mission-critical, data center, or industrial infrastructure design
  * Experience delivering hyperscale facilities, colo campuses, or large critical infrastructure
  * Technical leadership across MEP systems, redundancy models, and constructability
  * Strong understanding of commissioning, integrated systems testing (IST), and operational handoff

• Travel required is expected to be up to 20% but may increase over time as the business evolves

Key Competencies

• Strong project management skills

• Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities; skilled at managing conflicting priorities

• High level of integrity and professionalism

• Stakeholder Alignment & Executive Communication

• Process Development & Change Leadership

• Project Controls & KPI Reporting

• Vendor and Consultant Management

• Risk Management & Decision-Making Discipline

• Hyperscale campus delivery (multi-MW greenfield & live-site expansion)

• Electrical + mechanical infrastructure fluency preferred (UPS, generators, switchgear, CRAH/CRAC, chillers, MV/LV, busway)

• Familiarity with BIM/Coordination tools (Revit, Navisworks, AutoCAD, Bluebeam)

• PM software (Procore, MS Project, Primavera P6, Asana, ClickUp)

• Fast-paced execution, ambiguity tolerance, and data-driven decision-making

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: $130,000 - $140,000 + 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-AP2 #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.

Don't meet all the requirements? Please still apply if you think you are the right person for the position. We are always keen to speak to people who connect with our mission and values.

Vantage Data Centers is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Vantage Data Centers 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 Data Centers.

We'll be accepting applications for at least one week from the date this role is posted. If you're interested, we encourage you to apply soon-we're excited to find the right person and will keep the role open until we do!