Senior Design Director - Digital Infrastructure & Mission Critical Facilities

About the role

AECOM is seeking an experienced Senior Design Director to lead the planning, design, and delivery of complex digital infrastructure, mission-critical, utility, and large-scale infrastructure programs.

This role will provide executive leadership for multidisciplinary teams delivering hyperscale data centers, mission-critical facilities, telecommunications infrastructure, utility systems, network operations facilities, cable landing stations, and associated infrastructure developments.

The successful candidate will bring extensive experience leading integrated design teams across architecture, civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing (MEP), telecommunications, commissioning, environmental, permitting, and construction disciplines.

This individual will serve as both a trusted client advisor and senior design leader responsible for guiding projects from site selection and due diligence through design, construction, commissioning, and operational readiness.

What You'll Do

Design Leadership

• Lead multidisciplinary design teams across all project phases.
• Direct coordination among architecture, civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, telecommunications, environmental, and commissioning disciplines.
• Ensure design integration, quality, constructability, resilience, and operational excellence.
• Lead technical design reviews and executive stakeholder workshops.

Program Delivery

• Manage large and complex programs from planning through commissioning.
• Oversee project scope, budget, schedule, quality, and risk.
• Identify project delivery challenges and develop mitigation strategies.
• Support procurement, contractor coordination, and construction administration activities.

Client Leadership

• Serve as executive-level client lead.
• Build and maintain relationships with hyperscale technology providers, utilities, infrastructure developers, public agencies, and institutional clients.
• Lead strategic account growth and business development activities.
• Support major pursuits and proposal efforts.

Provide leadership for the planning and delivery of

• AI infrastructure campuses
• Mission-critical facilities
• Cable landing stations
• Network operations centers
• Utility and power infrastructure
• Fiber and telecommunications networks
• Industrial and technology campuses
• Broadband and connectivity infrastructure

Team Development

• Mentor project managers, design managers, and technical leaders.
• Build and grow a high-performing multidisciplinary delivery team.
• Support recruitment and succession planning activities.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Architecture, or related discipline + 8 years of relevant experience or demonstrated equivalency of experience and/or education.
• 8+ years of experience managing complex infrastructure, telecommunications, mission-critical, utility, or data center projects.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary project teams and coordinating multiple stakeholders.
• Demonstrated success managing project budgets, schedules, and client relationships.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional Engineer (PE) license or equivalent professional credential.
• Experience delivering data centers, telecommunications facilities, broadband networks, fiber infrastructure, utility infrastructure, mission-critical facilities, or related large-scale infrastructure programs.
• Knowledge of submarine cable systems, cable landing stations, dark fiber networks, carrier-neutral facilities, or long-haul communications infrastructure.
• Experience supporting international projects and geographically distributed teams.
• Familiarity with permitting, environmental compliance, utility coordination, and regulatory processes.
• Experience using BIM/Revit, Civil 3D, Bluebeam, GIS, or related design and collaboration platforms.
• Strong business development, proposal management, and client engagement experience.
• Proven ability to mentor staff and lead high-performing teams.