Data Centre Design Manager

Job Title: Design Manager – Data Centre Project

Location : Northern Italy

Employment Type : Full-time freelance

Start Date: June (TBC)

Length of Contract : 12 Months

Rate of Pay: DOE

Work Type: Remote into Hybrid

As a Design Manager , you will lead and coordinate all aspects of the design management function, ensuring consistency across vendors and consultants. You’ll promote best practices, provide clear and timely feedback, and drive continuous improvement in design delivery.

This role involves early site due diligence, master planning, and the deployment of global design standards and governance. You will play a key role in ensuring technical risks are understood and addressed, contributing to the quality and scalability of my clients ad technical inputs during site selection and oversee design delivery through to construction, ensuring alignment with my clients long-term portfolio goals. You’ll also support pre-qualification, bid, and tender processes, ensuring high-quality design output that aligns with budget, schedule, and Health & Safety standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the project design review process, coordinating with internal stakeholders and external partners.
• Oversee the performance and deliverables of contractors, vendors, and suppliers across multiple projects.
• Coordinate design releases, submissions, and approvals in line with the overall delivery programme.
• Facilitate model reviews, clash detection, and ensure effective communication of design changes.
• Monitor and manage permitting activities, ensuring alignment with the master project schedule.
• Oversee commercial aspects of design, including cost estimates, change control, and final cost assessments.
• Champion sustainability goals and ensure they are embedded throughout all design stages.
• Audit designs for completeness and consistency; track and close out discrepancies via the Information Required Schedule (IRS).
• Provide ongoing support during construction to resolve design issues and minimise impact on programme delivery.
• Lead technical due diligence during site acquisition activities in Italy.
• Collaborate with internal discipline leads to implement site-specific masterplans and Basis of Design (BoD).
• Adapt standard design principles to meet client-specific and site-specific requirements, feeding back improvements to global BoD standards.

Qualifications & Experience

• Minimum 10 years of experience in high-performance, highly serviced buildings—ideally data centres or mission-critical facilities.
• Background in architectural, structural, or MEP design or design management preferred.
• Strong understanding of the full design and construction lifecycle, including refurbishment and fit-out.
• Proven track record delivering complex, large-scale construction projects.
• Commercially astute, with the ability to identify cost impacts and support change control processes.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to implement and manage systems that reduce design risks.
• Proficient in design management tools and platforms; experience with BIM, Revit, or similar is a plus.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills across cross-functional and multicultural teams.
• Experience collaborating with IT teams to improve design-related systems and workflows.
• Able to lead technical workshops and represent the company in consultant and vendor meetings.