Data Center Design Lead Architectural

Mott MacDonald•Los Angeles, CA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

At Mott MacDonald, we trust our brilliant people to do brilliant things in engineering, management, and development services, supporting multisector project work in over 150 countries. As one of the largest employee-owned companies in the world, we pride ourselves on our ability to deliver exceptional outcomes through our network of 20,000+ talented consultants. With sustainability and innovation at the heart of all our sectors in North America, including, Buildings, Energy, Transportation, and Water. We believe in empowering our people to excel, learn, and grow, offering diverse opportunities to contribute to career-defining work. Join us and be part of a collaborative environment where your ambitions are united with ours, and you can truly shape your story. If you share that vision, even if you don’t meet every requirement listed, we’d still love to hear from you. We value potential and diverse perspectives as much as experience. Let’s explore how we can support your growth and help you take the next step in your career, while contributing to an exciting new chapter for Mott MacDonald in North America. We are seeking a Data Center Architectural Design Lead to provide senior leadership across the architectural planning, design, coordination, and delivery of large-scale data center and mission-critical facilities. This role will support the growth of our North American Data Center practice by leading architectural design strategy, technical coordination, client engagement, design governance, and capability development across hyperscale, cloud, AI, colocation, enterprise, and mission-critical environments. The successful candidate will bring dedicated experience in data center architecture, with a strong understanding of the functional, technical, operational, security, planning, and constructability requirements that define high-performance mission-critical facilities. This includes expertise in space planning, campus planning, building configuration, equipment adjacency, egress, code compliance, envelope design, physical security, maintainability, phasing, modularity, sustainability, and integration with highly complex mechanical, electrical, structural, civil, and telecoms systems. This role requires an architect who can balance technical performance with speed-to-market, constructability, planning constraints, client standards, operational requirements, and long-term scalability. The Architectural Design Lead will work closely with multidisciplinary teams, global delivery resources, contractors, developers, and clients to deliver consistent, efficient, and resilient architectural solutions for the data center market.

Requirements

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Architecture or a related design discipline.
Registered Architect, AIA, NCARB, RIBA, or equivalent professional credential preferred.
20+ years experience leading architectural design for data center, mission-critical, industrial, advanced manufacturing, semiconductor, logistics, or complex technical facilities.
Demonstrated experience working on data center projects as a primary area of focus, ideally across hyperscale, cloud, AI, colocation, or enterprise environments.
Strong understanding of data center planning, space programming, building configuration, equipment adjacency, egress, envelope design, physical security, fire and life safety, code compliance, and operational requirements.
Experience coordinating highly technical buildings with significant mechanical, electrical, structural, telecoms, civil, security, and commissioning interfaces.
Knowledge of North American building codes, accessibility requirements, fire and life safety requirements, planning processes, permitting, and sustainability frameworks.
Experience supporting fast-track design and construction programs where speed-to-market, phasing, constructability, and client standards are critical.
Strong familiarity with BIM, Revit, model coordination, clash resolution, digital delivery, and multidisciplinary design management.
Proven ability to review and approve architectural deliverables, manage design risk, and support quality outcomes across complex programs.
Strong client-facing skills, including experience with proposals, interviews, design workshops, technical presentations, and executive-level discussions.
Experience mentoring architects and designers, supporting recruitment, and building architectural design capability.
Excellent communication, design judgement, commercial awareness, leadership, and stakeholder management skills.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with Uptime Institute Tier Standards, TIA-942, LEED, ASHRAE, security standards, commissioning requirements, and data center operational performance metrics preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead architectural design strategy for major data center projects across North America, including hyperscale, cloud, AI, colocation, enterprise, and mission-critical facilities.
Provide architectural leadership from site feasibility, planning, and concept design through detailed design, permitting, construction support, commissioning, and operational handover.
Develop building and campus design solutions that support resilience, scalability, constructability, security, maintainability, operational efficiency, and phased growth.
Lead space planning and building configuration for data halls, electrical rooms, mechanical areas, white space, support areas, loading docks, administration spaces, security zones, circulation, egress, and back-of-house operations.
Coordinate architectural design with mechanical, electrical, structural, telecoms, civil, security, fire protection, commissioning, and construction teams to deliver fully integrated solutions.
Support AI-ready and high-density facilities by coordinating space, clearances, access, equipment adjacencies, cooling strategy, structural loading, and future expansion requirements.
Provide senior technical oversight for architectural drawings, specifications, design narratives, code analyses, envelope systems, fire and life safety coordination, accessibility, and quality reviews.
Support entitlement, planning, permitting, and authority approval processes where architectural leadership is required.
Partners with clients, developers, contractors, and internal teams to balance client standards, program requirements, local codes, cost, constructability, and speed-to-market.
Support major pursuits, client interviews, design presentations, proposals, and strategic account development as senior architectural subject matter expert.
Establish and improve architectural design standards, planning templates, coordination workflows, governance processes, lessons learned, and quality procedures for data center projects.
Mentor architects, designers, and design managers, supporting technical development, project leadership, recruitment, and succession planning.
Coordinate with global delivery teams to ensure consistent technical quality, production efficiency, and alignment with North American codes and client requirements.
Stay current with emerging trends in AI-ready infrastructure, modular design, sustainable design, low-carbon materials, security requirements, building envelope performance, and mission-critical facility planning.
Represents the organization with clients, contractors, authorities, and industry stakeholders as senior architectural design leader.