Data Center Project Architect

Armada is the hyperscaler for the edge, delivering modular AI infrastructure from first deployment to AI factory with speed, scale and sovereignty. Named one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies and to the CNBC Disruptor 50, Armada’s solutions are deployed in over 60 countries globally for organizations ranging from energy to defense. With nearly $500 million in funding to date, Armada is backed by leading investors including Founders Fund, Lux, BlackRock and Microsoft (M12), alongside strategic partnerships with Microsoft, Dell, Palantir, NVIDIA, SpaceX, and Skydio. We are building the infrastructure layer for sovereign and edge AI—rugged, deployable compute for customers that cannot rely on centralized cloud.

Working at Armada means taking ownership, driving autonomy, and delivering impact. You’ll tackle challenges that haven’t been solved before and help build something transformative from the ground up. What you do here will not only define your career but help further Armada’s mission to bridge the digital divide for customers around the world.

About the role

Armada is hiring a Data Center Project Architect to support the Galleon and Leviathan product lines—a brand-new capability for the company. As we scale Modular Data Center (MDC) deployments to sites around the world, you will own the architectural thread that runs from early site due diligence through permitting, design, and construction, ensuring consistency across every geography we operate in.

This role is remote-based (approximately 20–30% travel to project sites and vendor/GC locations).

Responsibilities

• Global vendor liaison & permitting compliance — Identify, vet, and liaise with domestic/international architecture vendors and local permitting/code consultants on every active project site, confirming each can produce building designs and permit submissions compliant with local building, fire, and life-safety codes (IBC and its international/AHJ equivalents).
• Site due diligence & code/permitting risk assessment — Own early-stage architectural due diligence for new sites globally: evaluating local zoning, building code, and permitting pathways, and flagging vendor gaps or approval risk before they cause late-stage redesign or slip a permitting timeline.
• Standardized, modular campus design — Develop and maintain a repeatable architectural concept for Modular Data Center (MDC) buildings, auxiliary buildings (administration/office, security, support spaces), and overall campus layout, defining a consistent design language that scales across geographies instead of a one-off design per site.
• In-house design for new products and sites — Personally develop architectural design for new Armada products and first-of-a-kind site conditions where no vendor solution or precedent yet exists, establishing the design basis in-house before handing off to local architects and permitting consultants for jurisdictional review and approval.
• Life safety, occupancy & operational workflow integration through construction — Act as the architectural point of contact linking Armada product/engineering with international architects, general contractors, and local code consultants, ensuring life-safety, occupancy, and operational workflow requirements carry through correctly from design into fabrication, installation, and as-built construction.
• Architectural governance, documentation & operational readiness sign-off — Build and maintain architectural design standards, permitting checklists, and code-compliance workflows by geography; track open architectural/permitting items across active sites; and provide the final sign-off confirming MDC and site are permitted, code-compliant, and ready for operational handoff.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Architecture (or related field); professional licensure (RA/AIA or international equivalent).
• 5–7 years of hands-on experience leading architectural design and permitting on ground-up commercial, industrial, or mission-critical facilities, including direct work with local AHJs (Authorities Having Jurisdiction).
• Ability to independently perform architectural design in-house for new Armada products and site conditions, rather than relying solely on outside vendors.
• Working knowledge of IBC and the ability to navigate comparable international building, fire, and life-safety codes across multiple countries.
• Comfort operating with a high degree of autonomy—you'll be defining the playbook, not inheriting one.
• Willingness and ability to travel approximately 20–30% to project sites, vendor offices, and construction locations worldwide.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience with modular or prefabricated construction methodologies, ideally for data centers or other mission-critical/industrial facilities.
• Exposure to data center–specific design considerations: equipment yard layout, cooling and power infrastructure coordination, and security/operations building programming.
• Experience vetting, directing, and holding external architecture and permitting vendors accountable across concurrent, geographically dispersed projects.
• Experience standing up design standards, templates, or governance processes for a growing team or portfolio, rather than only executing against existing ones.
• Background collaborating directly with product/hardware engineering teams, general contractors, and local consultants across multiple regions or countries.

Pay

For U.S.-based candidates, the starting base salary range varies by location, experience, skills, and qualifications. We use a geographic pay structure based on cost-of-labor markets:

• Tier 1 (e.g., SF Bay Area, NYC, Seattle): $130,800 - $163,500
• Tier 2 (most U.S. metro areas): $113,750 - $142,200
• Tier 3 (other cities): $108,072 - $135,000

Final compensation will be determined by experience, scope, and level, and may vary from the posted range. In addition to base salary, this role includes equity and subsidized benefits.

Benefits

• Competitive base salary and equity
• Medical, dental, and vision (subsidized cost)
• Health savings accounts (HSA), flexible spending accounts (FSA), and dependent care FSAs (DCFSA)
• Retirement plan options, including 401(k) and Roth 401(k)
• Unlimited paid time off (PTO)
• 14 paid company holidays per year

Skills

• A go-getter with a growth mindset: intellectually curious, with strong business acumen, and actively seeking opportunities to build relevant skills and knowledge.
• A detail-oriented problem-solver: able to independently gather information, solve problems efficiently, and deliver results with a "get-it-done" attitude.
• Thrives in a fast-paced environment: energized by an entrepreneurial spirit, capable of working quickly, and excited to contribute to a growing company.
• A collaborative team player: focused on business success and motivated by team accomplishment vs. personal agenda.
• Highly organized and results-driven: strong prioritization skills and a dedicated work ethic are essential.