Design Manager

Overview

Join Kao Data as a Design Manager – Drive Excellence in AI‑Focused Data Centres! Kao Data leads the industry, pioneering the development and operation of data centres engineered for AI and advanced computing. With a hyperscale‑inspired and industrial scale platform, we provide our customers with a secure, scalable, and sustainable home for their compute. Design and Construction at Kao Data is the engine behind our high‑performance digital infrastructure.

Our multidisciplinary team integrates architectural design, structural engineering, and advanced construction methodologies to deliver hyperscale data centres with precision and speed. Leveraging BIM, modular construction, and sustainable design principles, we optimise every phase — from concept to commissioning. It’s a dynamic environment for professionals who thrive on technical complexity, innovation, and delivering mission‑critical facilities that power the future of AI and cloud computing.

About the Role:

Kao Data has an in‑house design management team which forms part of the overall project delivery team. Our Design Managers are skilled mechanical or electrical engineers whose role is to assist all elements of the business with any technical, design and engineering related assistance. We are looking for a Design Manager to primarily support new‑build projects through the RIBA stages and also deliver projects on live operational sites.

You will be involved in new site selection and the management of design development for new technology suites, DC buildings and campuses. You will support the operational team with the upgrade and replacement of aging plant, improvements to existing infrastructure and efficiency upgrades. You will support the operational team when there are problems and/or incidents and provide technical advice as required.

• Support the physical delivery of projects on site including attending design and progress meetings, ensuring designers and contractors work together collaboratively, liaising between the project and operational team, closing RFIs, reviewing and closing technical submittals, and supporting the delivery manager with change, etc.
• Manage the design team to deliver an accurate and detailed design package. This will involve reviewing design information, challenging the design team to consider all options and ensuring the design team understand Kao Data’s requirements.
• Determine and understand the design requirements, programme and budget.
• Develop a design strategy to deliver a positive outcome.
• Minimise, monitor and review design change.
• Support business activities such as funder audits, insurance audits, and marketing.
• Liaise with all elements of the business including operations, compliance, H&S, security, IT, etc.
• Develop the design/engineering brief, employers’ requirements or scope of works in sufficient detail to clearly brief the internal business, the project design team and/or the contractor.
• Rely on external consultants and contractors to undertake the detailed design.
• Work with the Kao Data delivery manager (PM) to set up the project and a project team to deliver the works.
• Set up an efficient and functional BIM/CDE strategy with the project team.
• Recognise that commissioning (Cx) is key and set up and monitor a detailed commissioning process – typically via appointed commissioning agents and consultants.
• Attend key commissioning activities including L1, L4 and L5.
• Support the handover process including record information reviews, inspections, etc.
• Deliver new data centre developments on existing and new campuses.
• Support operational teams with life‑cycle plant replacement/upgrade projects.
• Understand customer requirements including specific contract requirements.
• Work with the operations team – understand their requirements, ensure engagement in projects, support with lifecycle projects, problems and incidents, etc.
• Collaborate with, and manage the output of, our consultant design teams. Empower them, challenge them, understand the BoD and ensure the BoD ‘guiderails’ are understood and followed where it suits the brief – track BoD deviations where it does not.
• Manage all…