Data Centre Lead - MEA

We are seeking a talented and experienced individual to oversee our MEA Data Centre business. Focus countries are KSA, UAE, Bahrain, Qatar and South Africa.

This role will require both technical delivery (70%) and growing our business (30%), and you will be based in South Africa, as our technical teams are based here. You will be required to travel to the Middle East and occasionally to Europe for client meetings and site visits, and to attend industry conferences.

You will have the opportunity to work with our teams around the world on high-profile, fast-paced data center projects for global clients.

As project- and design manager you will oversee a wide variety of hyperscale data center projects from site due diligence, master planning, conceptual/schematic/detailed design through construction documents and construction administration.

You will be client facing and lead technical teams delivering the work and must be experienced in managing the design of hyperscale data centers, with a background in architecture or engineering, and have good written and verbal communication skills. 

You will maintain excellent relationships with our existing clients and grow the business by taking on new clients and delivering additional services and growing our multidisciplinary team.

You will have the ability to take what has already been built and organize, grow, and take it to new levels of service and revenue.

Job Responsibilities

• Manage data center core and shell due diligence and design projects (including architecture, civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, security, and fire protection) from start to finish, ensuring budget/schedule adherence, satisfaction of design requirements, and quality.
• Develop trusting relationship with client stakeholders/buyers
• Develop technical and financial proposals for new data center design projects
• Administer, oversee, and perform peer review and quality checks in line with AECOM standards.
• Oversee and maintain responsibility for project basis of design and localization process.
• Establish and oversee a process to detect, track and resolve scope changes, errors or inconsistencies throughout the design process.
• Host and attend meetings with client and external stakeholders. 
• Manage and grow AECOM’s data center design team, fostering a sense comradery, collective ownership, and collaboration.
• Proactively manage and communicate change throughout the project both within AECOM and to our clients.
• Identify problems early and develop creative solutions.
• Contract management
• Proactively communicate with all stakeholders to provide project updates and resolve outstanding issues.
• Identify, onboard, and offboard design resources in coordination with department leadership (as needed to support project execution).
• Influence and implement a MEA data center market strategy, utilizing AECOM’s global teams and capabilities
• Build MEA relationships with senior leaders at global data center companies alongside the global technology market sector leader and technology client account managers
• Lead and grow data center due diligence, design, and construction administration team and practice
• Work closely and collaboratively with AECOM’s Global and Regional Market Sector Leaders (Europe, India, US, LATAM, Asia, ANZ, etc.) to share resources, augment capabilities, and bring the best of AECOM to each and every project.
• Grow existing clients in partnership with global technology market sector leader and technology client account managers
• Prepare and lead client presentations and interviews
• Travel as-needed to support project, client, and team needs.
• KPIs for this role would include project bookings, executed net service revenue, gross margin, and quality