Design Manager

 

A Snapshot

As a Site Design Manager, you will report to the Project Director and work closely with the Development, Design, Technology, Commissioning and Operations teams to ensure AirTrunk's design standards are successfully delivered during construction.

You will be the primary design representative on site, providing technical leadership throughout construction while ensuring the original design intent is maintained. Acting as the interface between the Design Team and Construction Team, you will proactively resolve technical issues, coordinate consultants, contractors and vendors, and ensure projects are delivered safely, on time, within budget and to AirTrunk's world-class quality standards.

You will make your mark by:

• Leading the implementation of AirTrunk's design during construction.
• Acting as the technical authority for all design-related matters on site.
• Working closely with General Contractors, consultants, vendors and Owner Supplied Equipment (OSE) suppliers to resolve design issues quickly.
• Supporting Project Managers to ensure design decisions minimise programme and commercial impacts.
• Driving design quality throughout construction, commissioning and handover.
• Ensuring customer requirements are incorporated while maintaining AirTrunk design standards.
• Collaborating with Development, Technology, Design and Operations teams to continuously improve design standards and construction methodologies.

Your Day to Day

Design Leadership

• Lead design coordination throughout the construction phase.
• Maintain ownership of the approved design throughout delivery.
• Review contractor proposals and ensure compliance with AirTrunk standards.
• Manage design changes and ensure appropriate governance and approvals.
• Coordinate consultant responses to RFIs and technical queries.
• Drive practical engineering solutions that balance programme, cost, quality and operational outcomes.
• Technical Governance
• Provide technical leadership across Mechanical, Electrical, Civil and Architectural disciplines.
• Review contractor shop drawings, technical submissions and material approvals.
• Ensure all engineering decisions align with AirTrunk design philosophy.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary design interfaces.
• Support design standardisation and continuous improvement across projects.
• Construction Support
• Work alongside the Project Manager to provide technical support during construction.
• Participate in design workshops, value engineering exercises and constructability reviews.
• Assist in resolving site issues that may impact safety, quality or programme.
• Support procurement activities relating to Owner Supplied Equipment and specialist systems.
• Ensure consultant deliverables support construction sequencing.
• Quality
• Champion AirTrunk's quality-first culture.
• Conduct design quality inspections throughout construction.
• Ensure installations meet AirTrunk standards and approved documentation.
• Support defect management and close-out activities.
• Assist commissioning teams by ensuring systems are installed in accordance with design intent.
• Stakeholder Management
• Build collaborative relationships across Development, Design, Construction, Technology, Commissioning and Operations.
• Coordinate with customers regarding design requirements and changes.
• Manage external consultants and specialist designers.
• Support General Contractors with technical guidance while maintaining appropriate governance.
• Programme & Risk
• Identify design-related risks early.
• Develop mitigation strategies with contractors and consultants.
• Support programme recovery where design issues threaten delivery.
• Assist Project Managers in evaluating design impacts on cost and schedule.
• Commissioning & Handover
• Support testing and commissioning activities.
• Ensure design documentation is complete and accurate.
• Assist Operations during project handover.
• Coordinate consultant support through practical completion and defects liability periods.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as the site-based design authority throughout project delivery.
• Manage consultant design deliverables during construction.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary engineering interfaces.
• Lead design issue resolution across contractors, consultants and vendors.
• Review contractor design submissions for compliance.
• Manage design changes through approved governance processes.
• Support procurement and integration of Owner Supplied Equipment.
• Participate in value engineering and constructability reviews.
• Coordinate customer design requirements.
• Ensure design quality throughout installation and commissioning.
• Support Project Managers with technical decision making.
• Maintain accurate design records and reporting.
• Drive continuous improvement into future AirTrunk design standards.

Requirements

Essential

• Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Civil or Structural Engineering.
• 10+ years' experience delivering major infrastructure, mission-critical or data centre projects.
• Significant experience managing design during construction.
• Strong understanding of multidisciplinary engineering systems.
• Experience working for a developer, consultant, contractor or hyperscale data centre provider.
• Proven ability to coordinate consultants, contractors and multiple stakeholders.
• Strong commercial awareness with the ability to balance programme, cost and quality.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to work autonomously in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience delivering hyperscale data centres.
• Experience managing Owner Supplied Equipment (OSE).
• Experience in commissioning and operational readiness.
• Knowledge of BIM and digital engineering workflows.
• Experience across APAC data centre projects.
• Chartered Engineer or working towards chartership.