At Cumming Group, you will work on some of the world's most exciting projects in a dynamic environment where your success is measured by the impact you make. We are one of the fastest-growing project and cost management consultancies in the United States, as reflected in our top 10 rankings in ENR. With over 60 offices globally, an extremely diverse project portfolio, and double-digit year-over-year revenue growth, the opportunities to make your mark are limitless!
The Design Manager - Data Centers will lead project-level, multidisciplinary architectural and engineering teams across multiple concurrent projects (2-3 at a time), including hyperscale, colocation, build-to-suit, and retrofit data center developments.
This role is responsible for full lifecycle design oversight, from site selection and due diligence through construction completion and commissioning, ensuring technical excellence, cost efficiency, schedule alignment, and consistency with platform standards and client requirements.
The Design Manager will coordinate Civil, Structural, Architectural (CSA), Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing (MEP), Fire Protection, Telecommunications, and Security disciplines, while interfacing with utility providers, general contractors, commissioning agents, and clients. This individual will drive design consistency, innovation, risk mitigation, and regulatory compliance across projects.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities:
Manage external A/E consultants for performance, accountability, and adherence to project objectives.
Manage design budgets and track design-to-budget alignment.
Review and approve consultant invoices; manage design vendor cash flow.
Support cost benchmarking and early-stage budget validation with preconstruction teams.
Support our development function in executing site evaluations, test fits, due diligence, entitlement planning site selection efforts, including coordination of power availability, water supply, zoning, and geotechnical inputs.
Lead Request for Proposals (RFP) processes for design consultants; define scope, negotiate fees, and coordinate contract execution with Legal.
Lead multidisciplinary external teams in preparation and refinement of Schematic Design (SD), Design Development (DD), Issue for Permit (IFP), and Issue for Construction (IFC) documentation.
Utilize the standard tools, techniques, and processes to ensure clarity and consistency.
Oversee the creation and refinement of project-specific design documentation, including Schematic Design, Design Development, Issue for Permit (IFP), and Issue for Construction (IFC) packages.
Oversee construction administration (CA) activities, resolving field issues and preserving design intent with AOR / EOR.
Direct design change management processes to maintain alignment with reference designs, client standards, and cost/schedule targets.
Define project scopes, budgets, and schedules in partnership with Development and Pre-Construction teams.
Conduct structured design reviews and value engineering exercises to optimize cost, constructability, performance, and long-term operability.
Monitor project milestones to ensure timely delivery of high-quality design deliverables.
Capture and institutionalize lessons learned to inform continuous improvement and portfolio-wide standards.
Collaborate with commissioning and QA/QC teams to ensure systems meet design intent and performance requirements.
Assist in technical procurement efforts related to long-lead equipment (e.g., transformers, generators, switchgear, chillers).
Serve as primary design liaison with internal stakeholders, including Development, Construction, Capital Markets, Leasing, and Leadership.
Interface directly with hyperscale and colocation clients to align on technical requirements and performance expectations.
Present design concepts and progress updates to stakeholders, incorporating feedback into project execution.
Facilitate coordination with Real Estate and Finance teams to align design strategy with underwriting assumptions.
Collaborate with the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) regarding requests and comments to streamline the review process.
Manage consultants supporting permitting and entitlements during design.
Ensure compliance with applicable codes, standards, and jurisdictional requirements.
Knowledge & Skills Required:
Proven experience managing CSA and MEP systems for large-scale data center projects, including MV/LV power systems, telecom, and security infrastructure.
Strong understanding of mission-critical systems, including:
Power distribution (MV/LV, UPS, generators)
Cooling systems (air-cooled, water-cooled, liquid cooling readiness)
Fire protection and life safety systems
Familiarity with high-density environments and evolving hyperscale requirements.
Proficiency in design and collaboration tools such as AutoCAD, Revit/BIM, Bluebeam, and project management software.
Ability to translate technical complexity into clear communication for non-technical stakeholders
Ability to travel up to 30%
Preferred Education and Experience:
Bachelor's degree in Architecture, Electrical, Mechanical, or Civil Engineering
Professional licensure (Registered Architect or Professional Engineer) preferred.
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Cumming Group is committed to providing Equal Employment Opportunity in its personnel policies and practices. It is Cumming Group’s policy to recruit, hire, train and promote Team Members and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, age, sex, marital status, registered domestic partner status, genetic information, sexual preference, sexual orientation, gender (including gender expression and gender identity), pregnancy (including childbirth or related medical conditions, including breastfeeding), military service, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, physical disability, mental disability, veteran status or any other protected classification under federal, state, or local law. All such decisions are based on (1) individual merit, qualifications, and competence as they relate to the particular position, and (2) promotion of the principle of equal employment opportunity.
All other terms and conditions of employment, such as compensation, benefits, transfers, layoff, return from layoff, training, education, and social and recreational programs, are administered without regard to the characteristics described above. To this end, Cumming Group complies with all provisions of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as amended, all of the rules, regulations and relevant orders of the Secretary of Labor, and all similar state and local laws.
The salary range for this full-time role is $115,700.00-$161,966.69 per year. Ranges are determined based on the position, geography, client and industry experience and level, and represent a good faith effort to provide a fair and equitable salary. This range reflects base salary only, and not the total compensation package. Cumming Group reserves the right to pay more or less than the posted range, depending on a candidate’s experience, skills, and qualifications, including client requirements.
In addition to base salary, Cumming Group offers a comprehensive benefits package including: