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Digital Realty · 3 days ago

Subregional Data Center Design Lead

Ashburn, VA

Full-time

Onsite

Lead/Staff

10+ years exp

Digital Realty is a global leader in data center solutions, and they are seeking a Subregional Data Center Design Lead to oversee design initiatives across the subregion. This role involves strategic coordination, technical leadership, and collaboration with various stakeholders to ensure successful project execution and compliance with design guidelines.

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Comp. & Benefits

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

Qualification

Data center designProject lifecycle managementTechnical leadershipCSAMEPH engineeringConsultant managementCommunicationProblem solvingOrganizational skills

Required

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