Head of Data Center Design

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Head of Data Center Design based in Portugal. As Head of Data Center Design, you will take ownership of the technical vision and architecture for a major next-generation AI data center development in Europe. You’ll lead design decisions across power, cooling, IT infrastructure, fire protection, networking, and structural considerations. The role offers significant technical influence, from early site feasibility and concept development through detailed engineering and construction execution. You’ll establish the Basis of Design and ensure that multidisciplinary teams remain aligned with performance, capacity, efficiency, and reliability objectives. Working with technology partners and implementation teams, you’ll ensure approved designs translate effectively into real-world infrastructure. The environment is international, technically complex, and focused on large-scale, high-density compute infrastructure. This is an opportunity to shape a critical infrastructure project designed to support the rapidly growing demands of AI and advanced computing. Own the overall technical design, architecture, and engineering vision for large-scale data center facilities. Define and maintain the Basis of Design , covering modular POD architecture, cooling strategy, power topology, fire suppression, networking, and other critical infrastructure requirements. Establish design standards for IT deployment, including rack layouts, containerization approaches, and CDU placement. Lead multidisciplinary design reviews and approve engineering drawings across electrical, mechanical, structural, fire protection, and networking disciplines. Establish and monitor design-stage targets for PUE, capacity, availability, redundancy, and reliability . Coordinate with equipment manufacturers, technology providers, and engineering partners on technical specifications and integration requirements. Work closely with implementation and construction teams to ensure that physical execution remains aligned with the approved design intent. Assess and approve proposed design changes, evaluating their potential impact on cooling, power, capacity, redundancy, performance, and reliability. Lead technical criteria for site selection and feasibility assessments, including power availability, grid connectivity, cooling options, and other infrastructure considerations. Provide technical leadership throughout the design lifecycle and ensure consistent engineering standards across projects and disciplines. Requirements 5+ years of experience in data center design or in the design of critical infrastructure, industrial, energy, or similarly complex facilities ; direct data center experience is highly valued but not mandatory. Demonstrated ownership of, or significant contribution to, Basis of Design documentation for large-scale facilities. At least 3 years of experience in a design leadership or technical leadership position. Strong technical knowledge of power distribution/topology and cooling strategies , with sufficient working knowledge of fire suppression and structural loading to coordinate effectively across disciplines. Proven experience leading multidisciplinary design reviews and reviewing or approving engineering drawings across multiple technical trades. Strong ability to translate technical requirements into clear design standards, decisions, and execution requirements. Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to collaborate with engineering teams, technology partners, suppliers, and construction teams. Professional English proficiency sufficient for international technical documentation, meetings, and stakeholder communication. Experience with modular or POD-based deployment architectures and high-density GPU/HPC environments is a strong advantage. Knowledge of direct liquid cooling (DLC) systems is ben