Data Center Expert Specialist Manager

About the role

The TCOE is a small group of expert consultants who work alongside Kearney’s broader consulting teams to bring deep, practical technology expertise into client engagements. The TCOE focuses on highly technical topics across network and IT domains, enabling effective collaboration with telecom engineering and operations teams.

Responsibilities

• Bring deep, hands-on expertise in one or more core data center domains, including but not limited to full rack architecture and design (e.g., compute, memory, storage, and network configurations), power and cooling systems, DCIM software, facilities and fit-out, and data center operations.
• Complement above depth in one or more domains with strong working knowledge across adjacent areas – including coverage of both regular and AI-focused data centers.
• Act as a senior technical authority on client engagements, leading and owning technically complex workstreams related to data center design, expansion, modernization, and operational optimization.
• Evaluate, challenge, and guide data center architectures, technical specifications, and vendor proposals, ensuring solutions meet performance, resilience, scalability, regulatory, and cost requirements.
• Support clients across the infrastructure lifecycle, including site selection, capacity planning, design standards, technology selection, and delivery / commissioning approaches.
• Translate technical trade-offs into clear business implications while retaining the ability to engage credibly and in depth with client engineering, facilities, and operations teams.
• Engage across the broader infrastructure value chain—including facilities, power and environmental systems, servers and IT equipment, colocation, and interconnect.
• Independently structure and lead technical work streams, combining rigorous analysis with practical execution planning, risk identification, and delivery oversight.
• Work closely with generalist consulting teams, providing technical direction, raising solution quality, and ensuring recommendations are grounded in real-world feasibility.
• Coach junior and non-specialist consultants, contributing to the development of reusable technical frameworks, standards, and methodologies within the TCOE.
• Support business development through technically credible input into proposals, client discussions, and the shaping of new data center and digital infrastructure offerings.

Qualifications

• After nearly 100 years, we know this business is fundamentally about making connections—between facts, figures, insights, strategies, tools, technologies, and above all, people. That’s why we look for collaborative, insightful, and inquisitive problem-solvers who don’t accept the first thing in front of them and who are always unapologetically themselves.
• Experience in one or more core data center domains, including but not limited to full rack architecture and design (e.g., compute, memory, storage, and network configurations), power and cooling systems, DCIM software, facilities and fit-out, and data center operations.
• Strong working knowledge across adjacent areas – including coverage of both regular and AI-focused data centers.
• Ability to evaluate, challenge, and guide data center architectures, technical specifications, and vendor proposals, ensuring solutions meet performance, resilience, scalability, regulatory, and cost requirements.
• Experience supporting clients across the infrastructure lifecycle, including site selection, capacity planning, design standards, technology selection, and delivery / commissioning approaches.
• Ability to translate technical trade-offs into clear business implications while engaging credibly and in depth with client engineering, facilities, and operations teams.
• Experience engaging across the broader infrastructure value chain—including facilities, power and environmental systems, servers and IT equipment, colocation, and interconnect.
• Experience independently structuring and leading technical work streams, combining rigorous analysis with practical execution planning, risk identification, and delivery oversight.
• Experience working closely with generalist consulting teams, providing technical direction, raising solution quality, and ensuring recommendations are grounded in real-world feasibility.
• Experience coaching junior and non-specialist consultants, contributing to the development of reusable technical frameworks, standards, and methodologies within the TCOE.
• Experience supporting business development through technically credible input into proposals, client discussions, and the shaping of new data center and digital infrastructure offerings.

Skills

• Collaborative, insightful, and inquisitive problem-solving skills.
• Ability to evaluate, challenge, and guide data center architectures, technical specifications, and vendor proposals.
• Experience supporting clients across the infrastructure lifecycle.
• Ability to translate technical trade-offs into clear business implications.
• Experience engaging across the broader infrastructure value chain.
• Experience independently structuring and leading technical work streams.
• Experience working closely with generalist consulting teams.
• Experience coaching junior and non-specialist consultants.
• Experience supporting business development.

Benefits

• Generous retirement/pension savings contributions
• Comprehensive medical insurance for employees and immediate family
• Gym membership discounts
• Non-partner equity-based awards (for consulting managers and above)
• Structured and on-the-job learning and development opportunities
• Personalized opportunities including talent mobility, flexible work programs, and externships

Pay

Manager compensation range : $194k to $212k

Schedule

Full-time