Data Center Design Lead

The Role

The Data Center Design Lead will partner with internal infrastructure, hardware, and operations teams, as well as external consultants, engineers, and construction firms, to deliver designs that support rapid deployment and long-term operational excellence.

This role leads internal electrical and mechanical engineers, oversees third-party design partners, and ensures all designs meet Nebius standards, local regulations, and operational requirements.

You will be responsible for both hands-on design oversight and technical leadership, serving as the final authority on data center design decisions.

Location: Remote, US

Responsibilities:

Design Leadership
• Own the end-to-end design process for new data center builds and expansions.
• Translate business, hardware, and workload requirements into facility design specifications (power, cooling, network, and floor space).
• Ensure designs optimize density, reliability, and efficiency while supporting rapid scalability.
• Coordinate with mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) engineers and consultants to deliver detailed designs.

Power & Cooling Strategy
• Define requirements for high-density rack power, redundancy and UPS configurations.
• Lead cooling design trade-offs (air, liquid, immersion) to meet GPU cluster needs.
• Evaluate and integrate renewable energy and sustainability initiatives.

Network & Infrastructure Integration
• Work closely with network and hardware teams to ensure physical layout supports cabling, interconnects, and future expansion.
• Plan for modular design that enables incremental GPU cluster growth.

Compliance & Standards
• Ensure all designs comply with international and regional standards (e.g., Uptime Institute Tier guidelines, local building codes).
• Incorporate safety, fire suppression, and physical security measures.
• Define documentation and as-built standards for ongoing operations.

Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Coordinate with construction project managers and external contractors during build phases.
• Provide design oversight during commissioning and handover to operations.

Continuous Improvement
• Evaluate emerging GPU data center technologies and integrate innovative solutions.
• Develop playbooks and design templates for repeatable, fast deployments.
• Benchmark efficiency (PUE, WUE) and reliability across sites to drive improvement.

Requirements:

• 12+ years of experience designing data centers.

• Direct experience with electrical, mechanical, and architectural DC design.

• Degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or Architecture (or equivalent).

• Proven leadership experience managing technical design teams.

• Strong stakeholder communication skills across construction, operations, and external partners.

• Experience designing high-density data centers, including: Air-cooled environments & Liquid-cooled technologies

Nice to Haves:

• Experience designing data centers for hyperscalers or neoclouds

• Prior experience supporting GPU dense or AI infrastructure environments.