Design Lead (Data Centres)
At Hickory, we don’t believe in standing still, for over three decades we have continually invested in researching and developing systems and products to improve the way we build. Our philosophy is ‘MADE for LIFE’ – it’s a commitment we honour, each day. Everything we do and everything we build is ‘MADE for LIFE.’ Whether it’s refining our patented, prefabricated building products, developing more efficient and sustainable construction practices, or bringing expertise inhouse to supply critical components, we always believe there is a better way. As a result, Hickory have become one of the most diverse property companies in Australia.
POSITION OVERVIEW
The Design Lead – Data Centres is a senior leadership role responsible for driving the end-to-end design strategy and delivery of hyperscale data centre projects. Leading a team of Design Managers and Design Coordinators, this role sets the direction for all design activities from early planning through to completion.
The Design Lead ensures the seamless integration of architectural, structural, and highly complex building services systems, aligning all design outcomes with client technical requirements, operational performance, and Hickory’s delivery standards. This role plays a key part in shaping best practice, mentoring the design function, and embedding consistency and innovation across all data centre projects.
WHAT HICKORY CAN OFFER
- Work-Life Balance: Enjoy a balanced work-life schedule with a standard 5-day work week.
- Family-Friendly Policies: Receive paid parental leave to support your family needs.
- Novated Leases: Take advantage of novated leasing options to maximize your salary and enjoy tax savings on vehicle expenses.
- H-Perks Employee Rewards: Access exclusive discounts, cashback and everyday savings through our internal benefits platform.
- Employee Wellbeing: Access our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for valuable support and resources.
- Diverse Opportunities: Gain exposure to a wide range of roles and industry leaders in our leading market company.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of Design Managers and Design Coordinators across multiple data centre projects.
- Establish and drive the overall design strategy, ensuring alignment with project objectives, client technical briefs, and mission-critical performance standards.
- Oversee the full design lifecycle across projects, providing leadership and direction from pre-planning through to construction and commissioning.
- Act as the central point of leadership for all design-related decisions, ensuring consistency, quality, and efficiency across multidisciplinary teams.
- Provide expert guidance on data centre design, including electrical and mechanical capacity, equipment layouts, thermal performance, and systems integration.
- Champion buildability and design optimisation, focusing on complex services coordination, prefabrication, modularisation, and constrained site environments.
- Drive value management initiatives, balancing cost efficiency with resilience, redundancy, and Tier-level requirements.
- Implement and continuously improve Hickory’s design management frameworks, ensuring consistency across all projects.
- Oversee the development and implementation of Data Centre Design Management Plans tailored to project scale and complexity.
- Lead senior stakeholder engagement, including clients, consultants, specialist contractors, and vendor partners.
- Facilitate high-level design and technical workshops, ensuring alignment across MEP coordination, constructability, and commissioning strategies.
- Maintain oversight of design risk, including commercial, technical, and programme impacts, particularly around long-lead equipment and complex services.
- Ensure all design outputs meet Hickory’s quality standards, regulatory requirements, and client specifications.
- Drive sustainability initiatives, including energy-efficient design, PUE optimisation, and integration of renewable and backup systems.
- Champion digital engineering and BIM adoption across the design function to improve coordination, reduce rework, and enhance delivery outcomes.
- Lead internal design reviews and continuous improvement initiatives to enhance performance across MEP-intensive projects.
TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE ROLE
- Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, Project Management, or equivalent.
- Proven experience in a senior Design Management or Design Leadership role, ideally within data centres, mission-critical infrastructure, or large-scale MEP-intensive projects.
- Demonstrated experience leading and developing multidisciplinary design teams across multiple projects.
- Strong technical expertise across building services, design integration, and complex construction methodologies.
- Deep understanding of data centre design requirements, including resilience, redundancy, and operational performance.
- Experience managing design strategy, budgets, and risk across large-scale, services-heavy projects.
- Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence at a senior level.
- Proven ability to drive innovation, standardisation, and continuous improvement across design functions.