Director, Electrical Engineering, NA

Essential Job Functions

Strategic Leadership

• Define and drive the vision for design and engineering initiatives, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and industry best practices.

• Lead strategic planning for engineering projects, balancing innovation with operational excellence.

• Evaluate emerging technologies and design methodologies to enhance enterprise value and maintain competitive advantage.

• Represent the organization in industry forums and maintain strong engagement with the data center engineering community to stay ahead of trends.

Influence & Collaboration

• Build strong relationships across internal teams (Delivery, Mission Critical Operation, Market Development, Sales) and external stakeholders (Consultants, Vendors, Contractors).

• Act as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, providing insights that influence business strategy and product development.

• Foster a culture of collaboration and innovation through initiatives like the "Employee Think Tank," ensuring ideas are heard and acted upon.

• Communicate effectively with department leadership through reports and presentations that drive informed decision-making.

Autonomy & Decision-Making

• Exercise independent judgment in managing engineering activities from concept through commissioning across the portfolio.

• Drive design and engineering decisions to conclusion, balancing technical requirements, budget constraints, and business priorities.

• Oversee consultant/vendor qualification and make recommendations for technology adoption and deployment.

• Ensure lessons learned are integrated into processes to promote continuous improvement.

Managerial Capacity

• Provide thought leadership and accountability for team performance, budget, and schedule adherence.

• Oversee QA/QC processes, while mentoring and developing engineering staff, fostering professional growth and technical excellence.

• Manage team workload effectively to maintain balance, drive efficiency while ensuring timely delivery of high-quality work products.

• Recruit, lead, and manage high-performing Electrical SME team - driving collaboration, accountability, and delivering excellence.

  Nature of Work

  • Lead all aspects of Electrical Design and Engineering, including site assessment, conceptual design, basis of design, scope of work, and development of construction documents.

  • Oversee inputs and deliverables to guarantee that new data center spaces meet all applicable requirements (BOD, specifications, codes, leases, etc.), while fostering a culture of continuous improvement and added value.

  • Develop and refine design standards to align with company vision and industry benchmarks.

  • Coordinate with site operations to define project requirements and design criteria and provide support for any issues that arise once critical infrastructure is in operation

  • Work with sales and marketing to provide technical support wherever needed

  • Stay abreast of new technologies and opportunities to innovate within and beyond the data center industry.

  Additional Responsibilities

  • Develop and manage content for team learning and onboarding, promoting transparency and two-way communication across the organization.

  • Additional duties as assigned by Management Job Requirements

  Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, or a related field.

  • Registration as a US-based Professional Engineer (P.E.) strongly preferred.

  Experience:

  • 8+ years of experience in an engineering management or leadership role required.

  • 15+ years of experience in electrical design and construction required, 20+ years preferred

  • Data Center experience is required.

  • Extensive experience in leading technical design teams including:

  • Cross-discipline knowledge and understanding, including Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Architectural, and other critical data center trades

  • Strong understanding of the design, construction, commissioning, and operations processes for North American development projects

  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills

  • Strong analytical skills with demonstrated problem solving ability

  • Demonstrated experience leading and developing electrical engineering teams.

  • Experience managing a multi-project engineering workload in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.

  • Strong knowledge of electrical distribution systems, utility services, substations, medium-voltage and low-voltage systems, emergency and standby power systems, UPS systems, generators, transformers, switchgear, protection and controls, grounding, and electrical monitoring systems.

  • Travel required is expected to be 15 to 25% but may increase over time as the business evolves

  • Excellent communication skills to effectively work with present information to executive management, operations, sales engineering and finance

  Skills:

  • Ability to multitask and prioritize effectively in a fast-paced environment.

  • Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal abilities.

  • Strong people leadership, coaching, mentoring, and team development capabilities.

  • Strong technical judgment and the ability to balance engineering requirements with business, cost, schedule, constructability, and operational considerations.

  • Strong organizational and project management skills.

  • Proficient in Microsoft Office. Understanding of AutoCAD, Revit, BIM, Navisworks and CFD modeling software environments

  • Familiarity with electrical engineering analysis tools, including short-circuit, coordination, arc-flash, load-flow, and power system modeling applications.

  • Well versed with all building codes and ordinances, including NEC.

  • Strong attention to detail and accuracy.

  • Proactive, Problem-solving mindset with a focus on continuous improvement.

  • Familiarity with AI tools to support process automation and data analysis

  • High level of integrity and professionalism.