NES Fircroft·4 days ago
4 days ago
Design Director
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What you'll do
- Lead design management across the full Spanish data‑centre portfolio.
- Set design criteria, technical standards and Employer’s Requirements.
- Drive consistency across campus masterplans and phased developments.
- Challenge consultants and contractors to ensure buildable, cost‑efficient solutions.
- Oversee architectural, civil, structural, MEP, controls, security and ICT design.
- Lead electrical topology, redundancy philosophy and power distribution strategy.
- Review cooling solutions (air, liquid, hybrid) for high‑density AI/HPC workloads.
- Ensure resilience, Tier alignment and future scalability.
- Maintain awareness of hyperscaler, cloud and AI infrastructure trends.
- Develop flexible base designs that can adapt to tenant requirements.
- Review high‑density rack layouts, liquid cooling and CDU needs.
- Support technical discussions with potential customers.
What they're looking for
- Degree in Electrical, Mechanical or related engineering discipline.
- 12–15+ years’ design/design‑management experience.
- Strong mission‑critical and data‑centre background.
- Experience delivering large‑scale DCs from concept to commissioning.
- Strong understanding of critical electrical and mechanical systems.
- Experience managing multidisciplinary international consultants.
- Fluent English
Nice to have
- Hyperscale, colocation or AI/HPC experience preferred.
- Knowledge of Spanish/EU permitting desirable.
- Spanish advantageous.
Summarised by NextRaise from the employer’s description, which follows in full below.
Full description from employer
Role: Design Director – Data Centres
Location: Madrid
Travel: Occassional site visits in Zaragoza
Department: Data Centre Development & Delivery
Role Summary
An international renewables developer is seeking a Design Director to lead the end‑to‑end technical design of large‑scale data‑centre developments in Spain. The role oversees feasibility, masterplanning, permitting, detailed design, construction support and commissioning. Operating on the client side, the Design Director ensures designs are technically robust, commercially efficient, scalable and aligned with hyperscale, AI/HPC and colocation requirements.
Key Responsibilities
Design Leadership
Requirements
Why This Role?
With over 90 years' combined experience, NES Fircroft (NES) is proud to be the world's leading engineering staffing provider spanning the Oil & Gas, Power & Renewables, Chemicals, Construction & Infrastructure, Life Sciences, Mining and Manufacturing sectors worldwide. With more than 80 offices in 45 countries, we are able to provide our clients with the engineering and technical expertise they need, wherever and whenever it is needed. We offer contractors far more than a traditional recruitment service, supporting with everything from securing visas and work permits, to providing market-leading benefits packages and accommodation, ensuring they are safely and compliantly able to support our clients.
Location: Madrid
Travel: Occassional site visits in Zaragoza
Department: Data Centre Development & Delivery
Role Summary
An international renewables developer is seeking a Design Director to lead the end‑to‑end technical design of large‑scale data‑centre developments in Spain. The role oversees feasibility, masterplanning, permitting, detailed design, construction support and commissioning. Operating on the client side, the Design Director ensures designs are technically robust, commercially efficient, scalable and aligned with hyperscale, AI/HPC and colocation requirements.
Key Responsibilities
Design Leadership
- Lead design management across the full Spanish data‑centre portfolio.
- Set design criteria, technical standards and Employer’s Requirements.
- Drive consistency across campus masterplans and phased developments.
- Challenge consultants and contractors to ensure buildable, cost‑efficient solutions.
- Oversee architectural, civil, structural, MEP, controls, security and ICT design.
- Lead electrical topology, redundancy philosophy and power distribution strategy.
- Review cooling solutions (air, liquid, hybrid) for high‑density AI/HPC workloads.
- Ensure resilience, Tier alignment and future scalability.
- Maintain awareness of hyperscaler, cloud and AI infrastructure trends.
- Develop flexible base designs that can adapt to tenant requirements.
- Review high‑density rack layouts, liquid cooling and CDU needs.
- Support technical discussions with potential customers.
- Coordinate with grid, substation and utility specialists.
- Review HV/MV concepts and campus power distribution.
- Manage water, telecoms, drainage and other utility interfaces.
- Align utility strategies with campus phasing and expansion.
- Ensure compliance with Spanish/EU regulations and codes.
- Coordinate planning, environmental and construction permitting.
- Work with local consultants to deliver complete, aligned submissions.
- Drive energy‑efficient and water‑efficient design solutions.
- Set and monitor PUE, WUE and sustainability targets.
- Integrate renewable‑energy strategies where applicable.
- Establish design programmes and deliverables schedules.
- Monitor consultant progress and identify risks early.
- Maintain decision logs, technical queries and interface registers.
- Prepare scopes of work and support consultant/contractor selection.
- Review EPC/design‑build proposals and value‑engineering options.
- Support selection of critical and long‑lead equipment.
- Provide design oversight during construction.
- Resolve technical queries and assess proposed changes.
- Support commissioning and ensure as‑built documentation meets operational needs.
Requirements
- Degree in Electrical, Mechanical or related engineering discipline.
- 12–15+ years’ design/design‑management experience.
- Strong mission‑critical and data‑centre background.
- Experience delivering large‑scale DCs from concept to commissioning.
- Strong understanding of critical electrical and mechanical systems.
- Hyperscale, colocation or AI/HPC experience preferred.
- Experience managing multidisciplinary international consultants.
- Knowledge of Spanish/EU permitting desirable.
- Fluent English; Spanish advantageous.
Why This Role?
- Lead the technical direction of major next‑generation data‑centre developments.
- Shape hyperscale and AI‑ready design strategy in a rapidly expanding market.
- High‑impact role influencing campus masterplanning, sustainability and long‑term infrastructure decisions.
- Opportunity to work on large‑power, multi‑phase developments with significant strategic importance.
With over 90 years' combined experience, NES Fircroft (NES) is proud to be the world's leading engineering staffing provider spanning the Oil & Gas, Power & Renewables, Chemicals, Construction & Infrastructure, Life Sciences, Mining and Manufacturing sectors worldwide. With more than 80 offices in 45 countries, we are able to provide our clients with the engineering and technical expertise they need, wherever and whenever it is needed. We offer contractors far more than a traditional recruitment service, supporting with everything from securing visas and work permits, to providing market-leading benefits packages and accommodation, ensuring they are safely and compliantly able to support our clients.
Company
NES Fircroft
Madrid, Spain
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