[Hiring] Head of Data Center Design @OnHires

Role Description

The Head of Data Center Design owns the overall technical design and architecture of the company's data centers, from initial site feasibility through approved engineering drawings. This role defines the technical vision — modular POD architecture, cooling strategy, power topology, and reliability targets — and ensures that every design decision, from equipment selection to construction execution, stays aligned with that vision and meets company requirements.

Responsibilities

• Own the overall technical design and architecture of the data centers
• Define and maintain the Basis of Design: modular POD architecture, cooling strategy, power topology, fire suppression, networking
• Set design standards for IT deployment (rack layout, containerization, CDU placement)
• Lead design reviews and approve engineering drawings across disciplines (electrical, mechanical, structural, fire, networking)
• Own PUE, capacity, and reliability targets at the design stage
• Coordinate with equipment and technology partners on specs and integration requirements
• Work with implementation teams to ensure construction execution matches approved design intent
• Evaluate and approve design changes for technical impact (cooling, power, capacity, redundancy)
• Lead site selection technical criteria and feasibility studies (power availability, grid connection, cooling options)

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in data center design, or in critical infrastructure, industrial, or energy project design — data center experience is a plus but not required
• Demonstrated ownership of (or significant contribution to) Basis of Design documentation for large-scale facilities, with 3+ years in a design leadership role
• Strong technical fluency in power topology and cooling strategy; working-level understanding of fire suppression and structural loading sufficient to coordinate across disciplines
• Track record of leading multidisciplinary design reviews and approving engineering drawings across trades
• English proficiency sufficient for international technical documentation and stakeholder communication

Nice to Have

• Experience with modular/POD-based deployment architectures and high-density GPU/HPC compute environments
• Experience with direct liquid cooling (DLC) systems
• Tier III/IV certification (Uptime Institute), or direct experience with certification processes
• Experience evaluating site feasibility (power availability, grid connection, cooling source options)
• Experience with NVIDIA GB200/GB300 or equivalent high-density GPU cluster infrastructure
• Background spanning both design and construction execution phases
• Experience with EU regulatory frameworks for power, environmental, and building compliance