Data Centre Architectural Technical Director

Job Description

The Data Centre Architectural Technical Director leads, develops, and advances the Architectural & Digital Design discipline for data centre projects across the region. This discipline includes Architectural Designers, Technical Architects, BIM Managers, and Digital Delivery Specialists. The Director ensures excellence in design quality, technical execution, innovation, and alignment with global standards. We are looking for a Data Centre Architectural Technical Director to join our talented team at one of our offices in either the UK or Europe.

The Data Centre Architectural Technical Director shall:

• Hold full responsibility and accountability for the Data Centre Architectural & Digital Design discipline.
• Ensure consistent, high quality deliverables through structured QA/QC processes and technical audits.
• Support business development through technical expertise, proposal input, and design effort estimation.
• Maintain deep technical proficiency in data centre architectural design, enabling effective resource planning and project execution.
• Drive strategic initiatives, innovation, and digital transformation within the discipline.
• Serve as a subject matter expert (SME) for architectural and digital delivery methodologies.
• Oversee discipline specific budget management, inter office collaboration, and quality assurance.
• Ensure alignment with global architectural, BIM, and digital engineering standards, tools, and workflows.

Key Responsibilities

Project & Technical Leadership

• Collaborates with Regional Directors, Project Managers, and Proposal Managers to define project scope, complexity, schedule, and design requirements.
• Assigns appropriate architectural and digital design personnel to ensure cost effective, high quality project delivery.
• Defines efficient workflows and levels of design detail appropriate for each project phase.
• Estimates design hours and supports project planning for architectural and BIM deliverables.
• Ensures accuracy, consistency, and completeness of all architectural outputs in accordance with engineering principles, quality standards, codes, and project schedules.
• Provides technical guidance, mentorship, and leadership to all discipline members.

Strategic & Organisational Leadership

• Develops a long term strategic plan for the Data Centre Architectural & Digital Design discipline aligned with company goals.
• Contributes to regional strategic planning and operational improvement initiatives.
• Leads the Architectural & Digital Design Communities of Practice (CoPs) to advance frameworks, standards, and best practices.
• Coordinates with global discipline leaders to ensure consistent project execution across all offices.
• Drives innovation in architectural design, digital delivery, automation, and AI enabled workflows to increase productivity and reduce manual effort.
• Maintains active engagement with industry bodies, standards groups, and professional associations; encourages team participation for continuous professional development.

People Leadership & Capability Development

• Performs hiring, performance reviews, compensation recommendations, and career development planning.
• Plans and allocates workload, staffing, and resource distribution across the discipline.
• Oversees inter office work sharing and outsourcing to external partners.
• Conducts regular capability assessments to identify skill gaps and implement training or recruitment strategies.
• Builds a culture of collaboration, inclusivity, and high performance.
• Leads teams through organisational change and ensures smooth transitions during restructuring or strategic shifts.

Technical Excellence & Digital Delivery

• Ensures quality of all architectural and BIM deliverables, including model federation, coordination, clash detection, digital twins, and immersive visualisation.
• Oversees digital delivery during construction phases, including progress scanning, model based validation, and integration with 5D–7D digital workflows.
• Collaborates with project teams to align Levels of Detail (LOD) and digital requirements across project phases.
• Oversees development of architectural BIM families, templates, and standards aligned with industry and vendor requirements.
• Reviews and approves BIM Execution Plans for all data centre projects.
• Supports risk assessments and design reviews, including constructability, safety, and operational risk evaluations.
• Provides architectural and digital consultancy services as required.

Business Development & Client Engagement

• Participates in business development efforts by identifying opportunities with existing and new clients.
• Contributes to proposal development, technical presentations, and client meetings.
• Collaborates with client architectural and technical counterparts to develop design concepts and project strategies.

Other Responsibilities

• Travels to regional offices and client sites to support project and business needs.
• Leads special projects as assigned.
• Supports a smooth transition to new organisational structures, addressing concerns and fostering alignment.
• Promotes company vision, values, and culture across the discipline.

Line of Report

The Data Centre Architectural Technical Director reports to the Senior Director of Design. The Architectural Technical Director oversees the Architectural Design and Digital Delivery (BIM/VDC) disciplines. Associate Directors and discipline leads report directly to this role.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Extensive experience in architectural design and delivery of data centers, mission critical facilities, or similarly complex technical buildings.
• Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary design teams and manage large scale technical projects.
• Strong administrative and organisational skills, with the ability to plan, coordinate, and supervise technical work.
• Expertise in architectural design software, BIM platforms, and digital engineering workflows.
• Experience producing and reviewing advanced digital deliverables, including model coordination, clash detection, digital twins, and construction phase digital validation.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with senior stakeholders.
• Proven ability to lead teams through change and maintain a positive, high performance culture.
• Strong background in employee engagement, talent development, and succession planning.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a dynamic, growth oriented environment.
• A degree or equivalent qualification in Architecture or a related field.
• Commitment to fostering a culture of innovation, inclusivity, and continuous improvement.

All interviews are conducted either in person or virtually, with video required.

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