Project Director - Data Centres

Help shape the next generation of mission-critical digital infrastructure across the UK.

AI, cloud growth and high-performance computing are accelerating demand for resilient, sustainable and rapidly deployable digital infrastructure. At GHD, we look beyond the data centre itself, helping clients connect site strategy, power, water, planning and approvals with architecture, multidisciplinary engineering, commissioning and long-term operations.

The opportunity

We are looking for an accomplished Project Director – Data Centres to lead major, multidisciplinary commissions in the UK and support the continued growth of GHD’s Data Centres and Mission Critical business. You will be a trusted senior adviser to developers, operators, investors, hyperscalers and delivery partners, taking accountability for projects from early strategy and feasibility through design, construction support, commissioning and operational readiness.

This is not a role for someone who wants only to oversee programmes and report progress. It is for a leader who can create clarity when power, planning, supply chains, sustainability and speed to market intersect; challenge conventional thinking; and give clients and delivery teams the confidence to act.

What you will do

• Direct complex data centre and mission-critical projects, with accountability for scope, programme, commercial performance, quality, risk and client outcomes.
• Lead integrated teams spanning project management, advisory, architecture, civil, structural, mechanical and electrical engineering, power and utilities, water, sustainability, ICT, security and commissioning.
• Guide projects through site selection, feasibility, business case, planning and permitting, grid and utility interfaces, design, procurement, construction support and handover.
• Build trusted relationships with senior client stakeholders, translating technical and commercial complexity into clear decisions and practical delivery strategies.
• Anticipate and manage critical constraints, including power availability, cooling and water requirements, long-lead equipment, constructability, phasing and operational resilience.
• Lead proposals and strategic pursuits, strengthen key client accounts and help grow a sustainable UK pipeline.
• Connect UK delivery with GHD’s international data centre specialists, bringing global experience and scalable solutions to local projects.
• Champion safety, technical excellence, inclusive leadership and the development of project management capability.

What success looks like

• You are the person clients and teams look to when a programme becomes complex, constrained or unstable.
• You turn competing technical, commercial and operational priorities into clear decisions and an achievable delivery strategy.
• You align multidisciplinary teams around scope, interfaces, risk, programme and accountability.
• You protect safety, quality, resilience, sustainability and commercial performance without allowing governance to slow delivery unnecessarily.
• You strengthen client relationships, create follow-on opportunities and leave teams more capable than you found them.

What you will bring

• Substantial experience directing large, technically complex data centre, mission-critical, advanced technology or comparable infrastructure projects.
• A strong record of leading multidisciplinary consultancy or engineering teams through multiple stages of the project lifecycle.
• Commercial ownership of significant commissions, including contracts, change, forecasting, risk and project performance.
• Credibility with senior clients and the ability to influence developers, operators, contractors, utilities, authorities and specialist partners.
• Sound understanding of the systems and interfaces that drive data centre delivery, particularly power, cooling, resilience, commissioning and operational continuity.
• Experience winning work, shaping propositions and converting client relationships into sustainable opportunities.
• Decisive, collaborative leadership and the ability to perform effectively in a demanding, rapidly evolving market.
• A relevant professional qualification; chartered status or an equivalent recognised credential is desirable.

Different routes, shared impact

There is no single route into project leadership. You may have developed your career in consultancy, engineering, construction, client-side delivery, programme management or another mission-critical environment. Direct data centre experience is highly valuable, but we will also consider leaders from advanced technology, energy, utilities, healthcare, life sciences, industrial or other complex infrastructure settings who can demonstrate relevant scale, systems thinking and delivery ownership.

Why GHD?

GHD is a global professional services company working across water, energy and resources, environment, property and buildings, and transportation. Privately owned by our people, we connect engineering, architecture, environmental, advisory and construction expertise to create lasting community benefit.

You will join a collaborative international network with deep capability across the infrastructure that makes data centres possible. Your expertise will be valued, your ideas will have genuine influence, and you will have the platform to shape major UK programmes, strengthen client partnerships and help grow GHD’s Data Centres and Mission Critical business.

Our commitment to you

We will give you the trust, tools and connected expertise to do your best work, recognise your contribution and support your continued development. We are committed to an inclusive and flexible culture where different perspectives are heard and people can succeed while balancing their individual circumstances with the needs of clients, teams and projects.

Ready to lead what comes next?

If you are motivated by complex delivery, senior client partnership and the opportunity to influence the future of the UK’s digital infrastructure, we would like to hear from you. Apply online with your CV and cover letter.

GHD is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture, and we want everyone to be able to participate fully in our recruitment process. Please let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments.

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