Mechanical Technical Director – Mission Critical (Data Centres)
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Key skills for this role
About the Role
GHD seeks an experienced Mechanical Technical Director to lead the design and delivery of hyperscale and AI data centre projects globally. The role involves technical leadership, client advisory, business development, and mentoring.
Key Skills for This Role
Responsibilities
- Provide technical leadership and governance across multiple mission critical and data centre projects globally
- Define and oversee mechanical engineering strategies for hyperscale, colocation, enterprise, and AI driven data centre developments
- Lead the development and review of cooling architectures, including chilled water systems, liquid cooling solutions, direct to chip cooling, CDUs, heat rejection systems, and high density thermal management strategies
- Drive technical excellence through peer reviews, design assurance processes, and development of engineering standards
- Act as senior technical authority for mechanical engineering matters
- Support development of global standard reference designs and modular data centre solutions
- Interface directly with clients, operators, contractors, and technology providers
- Lead technical workshops, value engineering exercises, feasibility studies, and master planning activities
- Ensure designs achieve performance, resilience, maintainability, energy efficiency, sustainability, and operational objectives
- Support project delivery teams in managing technical risks, programme requirements, budgets, and quality objectives
- Maintain strong client relationships and identify opportunities for repeat business
- Support business development activities, client engagement, and strategic growth initiatives
Requirements
- Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering or Building Services Engineering
- Chartered Engineer status (CEng, PE, RPEQ, or equivalent) preferred
- Minimum 15 years of relevant engineering experience, including significant experience within mission critical and data centre environments
- Proven track record leading the design and delivery of hyperscale, colocation, enterprise, and AI focused data centre facilities
- Extensive knowledge of data centre cooling systems, including chilled water plants, CRAH/CRAC systems, liquid cooling technologies, CDUs, cooling towers, dry coolers, and advanced control strategies
- Strong understanding of resilience and redundancy philosophies, including N+1, 2N, and concurrent maintainability principles
- Strong understanding of mechanical electrical integration, controls and BMS systems, commissioning, integrated systems testing, and operational readiness
- Experience leading multidisciplinary engineering teams across international projects
- Demonstrated experience undertaking technical reviews, design assurance, engineering governance, and quality management activities
- Familiarity with CFD modelling, thermal analysis, energy modelling, digital engineering, and BIM delivery processes
- Strong commercial awareness with experience supporting business development, client management, and project pursuits
- Experience with hyperscale and AI data centre cooling strategies is highly desirable
Full Job Posting
About the Role
- We are seeking an experienced Mechanical Technical Director to join our Global Data Centre Design Team (Mission Critical), based in our UAE offices.
- This is a senior leadership role for a highly accomplished engineer with extensive experience in the design, technical leadership, and delivery of hyperscale, AI, and mission critical data centre facilities.
- You will provide technical leadership across a portfolio of complex data centre projects, guiding multidisciplinary teams through all stages of delivery while shaping the future direction of mechanical engineering within our global data centre practice.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide technical leadership and governance across multiple mission critical and data centre projects globally.
- Define and oversee mechanical engineering strategies for hyperscale, colocation, enterprise, and AI driven data centre developments.
- Lead the development and review of cooling architectures, including chilled water systems, liquid cooling solutions, direct to chip cooling, CDUs, heat rejection systems, and high density thermal management strategies.
- Drive technical excellence through peer reviews, design assurance processes, and the development of engineering standards, best practices, and quality procedures.
- Act as the senior technical authority for mechanical engineering matters, providing guidance and support to project teams throughout all project phases.
- Support the development, adaptation, and optimisation of global standard reference designs, modular data centre solutions, and bespoke engineering approaches.
- Interface directly with clients, operators, contractors, technology providers, and other stakeholders, acting as a trusted technical advisor and subject matter expert.
- Lead technical workshops, value engineering exercises, feasibility studies, master planning activities, and technical due diligence assignments.
- Ensure designs achieve the required performance, resilience, maintainability, energy efficiency, sustainability, and operational objectives.
- Support project delivery teams in managing technical risks, programme requirements, budgets, and quality objectives.
- Maintain strong client relationships and proactively identify opportunities for repeat business and long term partnerships.
- Support business development activities, client engagement, and strategic growth initiatives across the Mission Critical sector.
Experience & Qualifications
- Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering or Building Services Engineering.
- Chartered Engineer status (CEng, PE, RPEQ, or equivalent) preferred.
- Minimum 15 years of relevant engineering experience, including significant experience within mission critical and data centre environments.
- Proven track record leading the design and delivery of hyperscale, colocation, enterprise, and AI focused data centre facilities.
- Extensive knowledge of data centre cooling systems, including chilled water plants, CRAH/CRAC systems, liquid cooling technologies, CDUs, cooling towers, dry coolers, and advanced control strategies.
- Strong understanding of resilience and redundancy philosophies, including N+1, 2N, and concurrent maintainability principles.
- Strong understanding of mechanical electrical integration, controls and BMS systems, commissioning, integrated systems testing, and operational readiness.
- Experience leading multidisciplinary engineering teams across international projects and geographically distributed delivery environments.
- Demonstrated experience undertaking technical reviews, design assurance, engineering governance, and quality management activities.
- Familiarity with CFD modelling, thermal analysis, energy modelling, digital engineering, and BIM delivery processes.
- Strong commercial awareness with experience supporting business development, client management, and project pursuits.
- Experience with hyperscale and AI data centre cooling strategies is highly desirable.
Why Join Us?
- Work on globally significant projects, influencing the next generation of AI and hyperscale data centre design.
- Be part of a globally recognised, fast growing mission critical team delivering projects that blend technical excellence, sustainability, and commercial success.
- Collaborate in a multi disciplinary, innovative environment where your input shapes both standardised and bespoke solutions.
- Join a team that values knowledge sharing, mentorship, and professional excellence.
- Be part of a workplace that combines collaboration, flexibility, and connection. Join us in the office three days per week to contribute, connect and excel in our vibrant environment.
Who We Are
- With over 14,000 professionals globally, GHD is a leading multidisciplinary professional services company delivering engineering, design, and advisory solutions across water, energy, resources, environment, property & buildings, and transportation sectors.
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