Senior Design Manager (Data Center)

Senior Design Manager Ai Data Center White Space Design

At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good.

This individual will serve as a senior technical authority for white space design, translating rapidly evolving AI compute requirements into scalable, resilient, constructible, maintainable, and future-ready facility solutions.

Initially, this position will be based in South Carolina.

What You'll Do:

• Serve as the senior subject matter expert and technical authority for AI and high-density data center white space design.
• Establish and govern white space Basis of Design, design criteria, reference architectures, and technical standards.
• Translate GPU, accelerator, HPC, and next-generation IT platform requirements into facility requirements for power, cooling, connectivity, rack configuration, structural loading, service access, and deployment.
• Lead data hall layouts, rack deployment strategies, equipment spacing, compute-block planning, capacity utilization, and future expansion planning.
• Provide technical direction for white space electrical distribution, including busway, PDU, RPP, rack-level power, redundancy, monitoring, and high-density power architectures.
• Lead development of air-cooled, liquid-cooled, and hybrid cooling solutions, including direct-to-chip cooling, CDUs, rack manifolds, technology cooling water interfaces, leak detection, and thermal optimization.
• Guide integration of high-density AI network infrastructure, including network racks, high-speed fiber pathways, cable management, InfiniBand, and high-speed Ethernet environments.
• Develop and validate capacity models linking facility MW capacity to data hall, compute block, rack, power, cooling, network, and floor-space requirements.
• Address rack loading, structural capacity, equipment access, material handling, installation pathways, serviceability, and equipment replacement requirements.
• Lead white space constructability, deployment, commissioning, phased energization, turnover, and operational-readiness planning.
• Evaluate designs for resiliency, concurrent maintainability, failure isolation, technology refresh, and future increases in rack density.
• Lead multidisciplinary coordination across electrical, mechanical, structural, architectural, controls, telecommunications, commissioning, construction, IT, and operations.
• Serve as a senior technical interface with clients, technology providers, OEMs, contractors, commissioning teams, and facility operators.
• Champion standardized designs, lessons learned, technical governance, modularization, and repeatable deployment strategies across hyperscale programs.

Here's what you'll need:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Architecture, Construction Management, or a related technical discipline.
• 15+ years of relevant engineering/design experience, with significant experience in mission-critical or data center facilities.
• Demonstrated experience leading hyperscale, HPC, high-density, or AI-focused data center white space design.
• Direct experience with high-density rack deployment and GPU/HPC compute environments.
• Strong working knowledge of:
• High-density rack and compute architectures
• Busway, PDU, RPP, and rack-level power distribution
• Direct-to-chip liquid cooling and CDUs
• Air/liquid hybrid cooling and thermal management
• High-density fiber and network infrastructure
• Capacity modeling and utilization
• Rack structural loading and equipment deployment
• Experience delivering projects through concept, detailed design, construction, commissioning, turnover, and operational readiness.
• Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and communicate complex technical issues with clients and senior stakeholders.

Ideally, You'll Also Have:

• Experience supporting major hyperscale, cloud, colocation, AI, or HPC infrastructure providers.
• Experience with 100 kW+ rack environments and planning for next-generation, higher-density deployments.
• Experience implementing direct-to-chip liquid cooling at scale.
• Knowledge of high-speed AI network environments and their impact on physical data hall design.
• Familiarity with relevant standards and guidance, including ASHRAE TC 9.9, ASHRAE 90.4, NFPA 70/NEC, NFPA 75, TIA-942, and BICSI 002.
• Professional Engineer (PE), Registered Architect (RA), or similar credential.
• Experience with BIM, digital twins, DCIM, BMS, and EPMS.
• Experience with modular, prefabricated, or repeatable multi-MW data center deployments.

What distinguishes this role:

We are looking for someone who can operate at the intersection of AI technology, facility engineering, construction, commissioning, and operations. The successful candidate will understand the technology roadmap, challenge requirements where appropriate, and translate them into a safe, scalable, resilient, constructible, and future-ready white space solution.

Our health and welfare benefits are designed to invest in you, and in the things you care about. Your health. Your well-being. Your security. Your future. Employees have access to medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance, a 401(k) plan, and the ability to purchase company stock at a discount. Eligible employees may also enroll in a deferred compensation plan or the Executive Deferral Plan. Jacobs has an unlimited U.S. Personalized Paid Time Off (PPTO) policy for full-time salaried/exempt employees, seven paid holidays, and caregiver leave. And certain roles may be eligible for additional rewards, including merit increases, performance discretionary bonus, and stock.

The base salary range for this position is $166,000.00 to $228,300.00. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. Job posted on November 03, 2026. This position will be open for at least 3 days.

Qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered for employment

Onsite employees are expected to attend a Jacobs Workplace on a full-time basis, as required by the nature of their role.

Your application experience is important to us, and we're keen to adapt to make every interaction even better. If you require further support or reasonable adjustments with regards to the recruitment process (for example, you require the application form in a different format), please contact the team via Careers Support.

Locations

Spartanburg - South Carolina - United States