Senior Director, Design Engineering - Coppell, TX
Senior Director, Data Center Design Engineering
Location: Coppell, TX (On-site)
Job Category: IT
Employment Type: Full-Time
Position Overview:
My client is seeking a strategic and technically accomplished Senior Director of Data Center Design Engineering to lead the end-to-end design, upgrade, and delivery of global data center capacity. This role is critical in driving cost-effective engineering solutions, optimizing lifecycle performance, and supporting hyperscale, AI, and enterprise workloads. The ideal candidate will bring deep expertise in electrical and mechanical engineering, extensive MEP implementation experience, and a proven track record in both greenfield builds and complex brownfield upgrades.
Key Responsibilities:
- Serve as the senior engineering authority across the full data center lifecycle-from concept and design through construction, commissioning, and operational transitions.
- Lead multidisciplinary engineering teams (internal and external) to deliver robust, scalable, and energy-efficient infrastructure.
- Ensure all systems meet high-availability standards (e.g., N+1, 2N) and comply with relevant codes and safety practices.
- Standardize design templates, technical specifications, and playbooks to ensure global consistency and speed-to-market.
- Drive strategic planning for infrastructure upgrades, capacity expansions, and sustainability retrofits.
- Evaluate emerging technologies for performance, reliability, and cost benefits.
- Oversee value engineering efforts to reduce CapEx and OpEx through innovation and vendor optimization.
- Collaborate with real estate, finance, construction, and operations teams to align infrastructure delivery with business growth.
- Support pre-sales and go-to-market efforts by translating customer requirements into technical deliverables.
- Establish KPIs, monitor project health, and report to executive stakeholders.
- Lead and mentor a high-performing team of engineering experts, fostering a culture of innovation and accountability.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering required; PE license or advanced degree preferred.
- 10+ years of experience in data center electrical engineering or MEP leadership roles.
- 5+ years of direct people management experience.
- Proven success managing complex infrastructure upgrades with minimal disruption to live operations.
- Strong knowledge of NEC, IEEE, ASHRAE, and Uptime Institute standards.
- Expertise in medium- and low-voltage systems, UPS topologies, switchgear, and mechanical systems including liquid cooling and chiller plants.
- Excellent communication and leadership skills with the ability to align technical execution with business objectives.
- Willingness to travel frequently and respond to operational needs outside standard hours.
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