Senior Design Manager

Location: London / Manchester - Needed to be in the office 3 days a week.

A leading global consultancy with a strong, future-focused presence in the data-centre sector is seeking an experienced Senior Design Manager to support the delivery of major UK data-centre programmes. This organisation provides end-to-end support across the full data-centre lifecycle - including strategic advisory, feasibility, engineering, environmental approvals, cybersecurity and construction-phase integration - underpinned by multidisciplinary technical depth. With the UK experiencing rapid growth in data-centre development driven by AI adoption, cloud expansion and increasing power-supply pressures, this is a pivotal opportunity to shape large-scale, next-generation digital infrastructure.

The Senior Design Manager will lead multi-disciplinary teams to deliver technically robust and coordinated designs for hyperscale, enterprise and colocation data-centre projects. This role covers full design-cycle oversight, including scoping, technical assurance, regulatory compliance, stakeholder engagement and interface management from concept through to construction support. Responsibilities include:

• Managing all design stages across architecture, MEP, environmental, digital systems and technical advisory streams.
• Ensuring integrated solutions across energy management, water systems, sustainability and operational resilience - key challenges in modern data-centre development.
• Working closely with clients to shape briefs, project origination, commercial definition and feasibility alignment.
• Steering compliance with both UK and international standards, ensuring design quality and project readiness.
• Supporting modular and prefabricated design approaches to accelerate programme delivery and improve energy efficiency.
• Coordinating planning submissions, permitting activities and interface with environmental and grid stakeholders.

The ideal candidate will bring:

• Extensive design-management experience in mission-critical or technically complex infrastructure, preferably including data centres.
• Strong multidisciplinary coordination skills, with the ability to integrate engineering, architecture, digital and environmental inputs.
• Awareness of emerging UK market drivers such as power-grid constraints, increased AI-related energy use, net-zero policies and the surge in new facility construction.
• A proactive, solutions-focused approach to navigating regulatory, environmental and technical challenges.
• Excellent communication and client-management skills.
• Degree-level qualifications in engineering, architecture or a related discipline; chartership desirable.

This is a rare opportunity to join a consultancy with a major strategic focus on future-ready data-centre development. Their teams are known for innovation, integrated delivery, regulatory leadership and an emphasis on sustainable, resilient and efficient infrastructure. You'll play a central role in shaping critical digital infrastructure at a time of unprecedented sector growth and transformation in the UK.