Subregional Data Center Design Lead

Digital Realty Trust•Ashburn, VA

31d

About The Position

The Subregional Design Lead plays a pivotal role within the Design, Engineering & Construction (DE&C) organization, serving as the technical authority and strategic coordinator for data center design initiatives across the subregion. You will drive the implementation of standardized design, oversee design execution from concept to commissioning, and ensure alignment with Global and Regional Design Engineering Guidelines. You will collaborate extensively with internal stakeholders-including Construction, Pre-Construction, Portfolio Management, Solutions Engineering, Operations, and Global DE&C teams-as well as external consultants, contractors, vendors, and customers. In this role, you'll mentor design managers, guide consultant teams, and provide technical leadership that ensures projects meet quality, budget, schedule, and governance expectations.

Requirements

10+ years of mission-critical building delivery experience, ideally in multi-disciplinary design environments or data center design.
Strong technical foundation in one or more CSA or MEPH engineering disciplines, with experience spanning full project lifecycle-from planning and design through permitting, construction, and commissioning.
Familiarity with owner-operator development processes, gating, change control, contractual interfaces, and multi-stakeholder coordination.
Ability to confidently explain, defend, and negotiate complex technical decisions with senior internal and external stakeholders.
Experience managing consultants, contractors, commissioning firms, utilities, and other specialist partners.
Proven ability to interpret and enforce design standards, evaluate proposals, assess compliance, and identify key issues across multiple disciplines.
High-level problem solving, decision making, and the ability to navigate project pressures around cost, risk, schedule, and quality.
Strong communication skills with the ability to tailor complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
Highly organized, process-oriented, pragmatic, and able to operate effectively in fast-paced, high-pressure environments.
Bachelor's degree in engineering or architecture preferred.

Responsibilities

Provide strategic oversight, mentorship, and performance management for design managers across the subregion, including resource balancing and workstream optimization.
Lead technical coordination across internal and external stakeholders-consultants, vendors, permitting authorities, contractors, A/E teams, commissioning agents, and customers.
Ensure full compliance with Global & Regional Design Engineering Guidelines, escalate deviations, and maintain alignment with DLR's gating, permitting, and governance processes.
Oversee consultant engagement including issuing RFPs, leveling bids, selecting firms, and managing design deliverables, scope demarcation, and schedule alignment with TES milestones.
Review and approve key design documentation including Basis of Design, drawings, submittals, technical studies, commissioning plans, and OFCI equipment packages.
Serve as a technical resource throughout construction and commissioning, attending OAC meetings, site walks, Level 4/5 testing, and coordinating technical responses to RFI escalations.
Manage project reporting, including PIDs, monthly reports, budget reviews, contract changes, and technical input to pipeline, insurance, and corporate reporting processes.
Chair or support DLR gating milestones (G0-G2), ensuring alignment across Pre-Con, Construction, Portfolio Management, and other functional partners.
Drive continuous improvement by leading lessons-learned reviews, standards evolution initiatives, cross-functional design reviews, and the adoption of new tools or design innovations (e.g., BIM, DfMA).
Provide technical support for Operations, Sales Engineering, due diligence, customer feasibility reviews, and other ad hoc business needs related to design, innovation, or major incidents.