Senior Director, Design Management

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Senior Director, Design Management

Apply locations Frankfurt, Germany time type Full time posted on Posted 3 Days Ago time left to apply End Date: March 13, 2025 (2 days left to apply) job requisition id R17716

About Vantage Data Centers

Vantage is committed to being a workplace of inclusion, equity, respect and acceptance. We celebrate diversity and intentionally seek out opportunities to learn from one another’s experience.

Vantage Data Centers powers, cools, protects and connects the technology of the world’s well-known hyperscalers, cloud providers and large enterprises. Developing and operating across North America, EMEA and Asia Pacific, Vantage has evolved data center design in innovative ways to deliver dramatic gains in reliability, efficiency and sustainability in flexible environments that can scale as quickly as the market demands.

ROLE OVERVIEW:

Vantage is seeking a Senior Director of Design Management to drive the strategic direction and leadership of our operations across the EMEA regions. Reporting to the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) with matrixed responsibilities to the Vice President of Construction, you will be responsible for design standardization, cost optimization, and ensuring engineering alignment across our data center development projects.

This senior leadership role requires close collaboration with New Site Development, Engineering, Construction, Sales & Solutions Engineering, and Operations to integrate design seamlessly into the project lifecycle. You will be accountable for ensuring designs are cost-effective, optimized for delivery, and aligned with long-term operational objectives.

Additionally, you will provide leadership, mentorship, and structured oversight to a multi-disciplinary team, fostering collaboration and innovation while establishing a standardized approach to design execution across regions. Your ability to drive cost efficiencies, enforce design discipline, and enhance consultant management will be crucial to the success of this role.

This is an exciting opportunity to shape the future of data center infrastructure, helping to set new benchmarks for cost-efficiency, standardization, and engineering collaboration.

Join us as we transform the data center industry with visionary design and execution.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Strategic Leadership & Cost Optimization
   • Define and execute a standardized design management strategy across EMEA, ensuring consistency and efficiency and alignment with organizational goals and business growth.
   • Lead cost optimization initiatives, identifying value engineering opportunities and ensuring lifecycle cost efficiency (CAPEX & OPEX reductions).
   • Establish structured cost-control mechanisms in collaboration with Engineering and Project Delivery teams.
   • Set and enforce design standardization principles, ensuring all projects adhere to an optimized and replicable model.
   • Work closely with internal and external stakeholders including clients, contractors, and suppliers, ensuring effective communication and collaboration to balance innovation, functionality, and commercial feasibility.
2. Team Leadership & Development
   • Lead, mentor, and manage a diverse team of design professionals, fostering a collaborative, high-performance culture that emphasizes innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
   • Identify talent gaps, recruit top-tier design professionals, and implement succession planning strategies.
   • Promote a high-performance, cost-conscious design approach, ensuring teams challenge engineering and design decisions to achieve the best value.
   • Provide structured training and upskilling to ensure design managers have a strong commercial and engineering mindset.
3. Engineering Alignment & Process Improvement
   • Drive structured collaboration between Design Management and Engineering to ensure technical and cost decisions are aligned.
   • Ensure design teams are embedded early in project planning to optimize feasibility, cost, and execution.
   • Oversee the evaluation and approval of consultant and contractor selection, ensuring alignment with cost and quality objectives.
   • Implement a Design Management Playbook, defining clear processes, responsibilities, and workflows.
4. Project Oversight and Execution
   • Monitor and evaluate project performance, including risk management, cost control, and resource allocation, ensuring projects are delivered on time and within budget.
   • Monitor and evaluate project performance using KPIs and benchmarks.
   • Ensure that design solutions are innovative, cost-effective, sustainable, and meet or exceed client expectations.
   • Collaborate with project managers, construction teams, and other stakeholders to resolve complex design challenges and ensure the seamless integration of design through all stages of the project lifecycle.
5. Stakeholder & Consultant Management
   • Act as the primary liaison between Design, Engineering, and Project Delivery teams, ensuring integration across functions.
   • Build and maintain strong relationships with external stakeholders, including architects, engineers, contractors, and clients, ensuring clear communication and successful project delivery.
   • Establish clear consultant performance metrics, ensuring that external design partners deliver cost-effective, high-quality solutions.
   • Ensure regional engineering and design consultants follow a unified approach, reducing inconsistencies across projects and regions.
   • Improve the feedback loop between construction teams and design management to drive continuous improvement.
6. Performance Tracking & Accountability
   • Develop KPIs and performance benchmarks for design execution, cost savings, and engineering integration.
   • Monitor project budgets and cost drivers, ensuring design decisions are commercially sound and optimized.
   • Regularly report on design efficiency, cost performance, and process improvements to senior leadership.
7. Budget and Resource Management
   • Develop and manage the design department’s budget, ensuring resources are allocated effectively and that projects remain cost-effective without compromising quality.
8. Innovation and Sustainability
   • Lead initiatives to incorporate new technologies, materials, and design methodologies that enhance the sustainability and performance of development projects.
9. Continuous Improvement and Risk Management
   • Identify opportunities to improve design processes, workflows, and project delivery methodologies to drive greater efficiency and better project outcomes.
   • Implement risk management strategies, proactively identifying and addressing potential design or project issues before they impact timelines, budgets, or quality.
   • Facilitate cross-department collaboration to share lessons learned and apply insights from previous projects to future initiatives.

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES:

• Exceptional leadership and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence across multiple regions and disciplines.
• Strong commercial acumen and cost management expertise, ensuring design is optimized for cost and value.
• Proven ability to integrate engineering, design, and construction teams, fostering collaboration across functions.
• Deep knowledge of design standardization, value engineering, and consultant management.
• Strong project management and risk mitigation skills to drive efficiency and minimize project delays.
• A commitment to innovation and sustainability, ensuring future-ready design solutions.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Civil), or a related field; an advanced degree is preferred.
• 15+ years of experience in design management, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role in a development or construction organization.
• Proven track record in leading design teams, optimizing costs, and driving large-scale projects from concept to completion.
• Experience in data center, infrastructure, or mission-critical environments is highly desirable.
• Strong understanding of design processes, project management, value engineering, consultant management, project budget optimization and risk management, particularly in the context of large-scale real estate or infrastructure developments.
• Professional certifications such as Licensed Architect, Professional Engineer (PE), or Uptime Institute Accredited Tier Designer are highly desirable.

WHY JOIN VANTAGE?

• Shape the future of data center development with an industry leader.
• Lead strategic transformation in design standardization and cost efficiency.
• Work with top-tier professionals in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.
• Competitive compensation package and career growth opportunities.

We operate with No Ego and No Arrogance. We work to build each other up and support one another, appreciating each other’s strengths and respecting each other’s weaknesses. We find joy in our work and each other, actively seeking opportunities to inject fun into what we do. Our hard and efficient work is rewarded with an above market total compensation package. We offer a comprehensive suite of health and welfare, retirement, and paid leave benefits exceeding local expectations.

Throughout the year, the advantage of being part of the Vantage team is evident with an array of benefits, recognition, training and development, and the knowledge that your contribution adds value to the company and our community.

Don’t meet all the requirements? Please still apply if you think you are the right person for the position. We are always keen to speak to people who connect with our mission and values.

Vantage Data Centers is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Vantage Data Centers does not accept unsolicited resumes from search firm agencies. Fees will not be paid in the event a candidate submitted by a recruiter without an agreement in place is hired; such resumes will be deemed the sole property of Vantage Data Centers.

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