Design Project Lead, Data Center Design and Construction

Meta builds technologies that help people connect, find communities, and grow businesses. Our data centers are the foundation upon which our software operates, and building reliable, efficient facilities is essential to support Meta’s growth.

About the role

As a Design Project Lead within the Data Center Design Engineering organization, you will oversee the design and construction administration of critical facilities as an Owner’s Representative. You will lead the Civil, Structural, Landscape, and Architecture (CSLA) disciplines, collaborating with cross-functional teams, external partners, and regulatory agencies to deliver data center capacity safely, on time, and within budget. This full-time role provides directional guidance aligned with fast-tracked design and construction schedules.

Responsibilities

• Lead multiple projects through schematic design, design development, construction documents, construction administration, and turnover as the Project Lead and technical domain lead for CSLA disciplines on new builds (greenfield), leased facilities, and retrofit projects.
• Drive end-to-end project planning, including requirements gathering, scope definition, milestone identification, and resource allocation.
• Serve as the primary technical liaison between business stakeholders and design engineering teams, ensuring alignment with Meta’s organizational goals and technical vision.
• Set clear goals and expectations for teams, track progress, and communicate status updates to stakeholders.
• Facilitate regular project meetings, retrospectives, and reviews to drive transparency and continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with internal and external partners to resolve issues and lead risk mitigation strategies, ensuring on-time, on-budget delivery with a focus on safety, quality, operability, and sustainability.
• Prepare and issue Requests for Proposals (RFPs), analyze and recommend awards, manage project/program-level contracts, and review/approve change cost proposals, value engineering proposals, invoices, shop drawings, submittals, RFIs, and other design-related deliverables.
• Hold Engineers of Record (EoR) teams accountable for deliverables and performance by providing actionable feedback and participating in project health reviews.
• Proactively identify risks and remove roadblocks to ensure on-time delivery of project milestones.
• Analyze forward-thinking ideas to mitigate risks and embed lessons learned into current and future projects, driving schedule compression where possible.
• Participate in mock-ups, onsite testing, commissioning, and quality checks to ensure proper installation and system commissioning.
• Liaise between internal teams, consultants, and contractors to ensure transparency, situational awareness, and timely issue resolution.
• Maintain project documentation, including knowledge repositories, status updates, decisions, and planning documents. Provide regular updates to stakeholders and share priorities/feedback with external partners.
• Provide technical expertise and oversight to ensure designs and construction meet owner requirements and industry standards for critical facility systems, including Manufactured/Owner Furnished Equipment (M/OFE).
• Collaborate with other technical disciplines to ensure fully integrated, functional systems and guide cross-discipline interactions within Meta’s Design team and EoR teams.
• Develop and support onboarding for new teammates to ensure continuity of design support.
• Build cross-discipline knowledge to strengthen the overall field design team.
• Lead CSLA discipline design, delivery, and quality meetings to resolve critical design issues.
• Support innovation in Design-Construction technology and processes.
• Engage closely with the Quality Team on area walk-downs, critical benchmarks, systems integration, issue resolution, commissioning script review, and implementation, providing technical guidance on design-related matters.
• Support the Facilities Engineering and Operations Team through knowledge sharing, technical guidance, and system operation throughout the project schedule.

Requirements

• Experience with design software applications such as Google Suite, Revit/BIM, Bluebeam, Autodesk, ACC, or similar tools.
• Proven analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills.
• Knowledge of mission-critical building systems, including mechanical, electrical, control, and fire protection systems.
• Strong presentation and communication skills for peers, stakeholders, and leadership.
• Ability to provide solutions to complex projects under pressure.
• Expertise in geotechnical/soil design, concrete and steel structural design, landscape architecture, sustainable design, interior/exterior finish systems, and culinary/physical security systems.
• Subject-matter expertise in building systems design and architectural details for steel, concrete, and mass timber structures.
• Familiarity with industry standards, building codes, and safety standards (e.g., IBC, ASCE, and European equivalents).
• 8+ years of professional experience in mission-critical building design, construction, and/or operations.
• Effective communication skills and fluency in English for coordination with internal teams, external partners, and regulatory agencies.
• Experience leading and managing multidisciplinary teams.
• Registered or licensed professional with a degree in Architecture or Engineering.
• Experience on large-scale design and construction projects.
• Knowledge of environmental, health, and safety programs.

Preferred Qualifications

• LEED Accreditation.
• Experience supporting construction and cost estimating processes.
• Owner’s representative experience or Program/Project Management experience.
• PMP Certification.
• Experience on large-scale data center design and construction projects.
• Proficiency with Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC), Unifier, Visio, and Oracle P6.
• Demonstrated ability to integrate AI tools to optimize workflows and drive measurable impact (e.g., efficiency gains, quality improvements).
• Experience adhering to and implementing responsible, ethical AI practices (e.g., risk assessment, bias mitigation, quality/accuracy reviews).
• Ongoing AI skill development (e.g., prompt/context engineering, agent orchestration) and staying current with emerging AI technologies.

Pay

$150,000/year to $209,000/year + bonus + equity + benefits. Individual compensation is determined by skills, qualifications, experience, and location.