Principal Data Center Design Manager

About the role

The Principal Design Manager is accountable for leading the end-to-end design lifecycle of large-scale Oracle Cloud data center projects, ensuring critical infrastructure designs are delivered safely, reliably, and at scale. This role partners closely with cross-disciplinary engineering, construction, and operations teams to drive alignment from concept through commissioning, resolve complex technical and execution challenges, and represent the Design organization in cross-functional forums. This is an individual contributor role and will operate in a matrixed team. Must be able to travel within the US and internationally.

Responsibilities

• Own and oversee the end-to-end design lifecycle for Oracle Cloud data center critical infrastructure, including requirements development, detailed design, construction issue resolution, coordination with commissioning teams, and handover to operations.
• Partner closely with cross-disciplinary engineering teams (mechanical, electrical, controls, network, and systems integration) to ensure designs meet performance, reliability, scalability, and operability requirements while adhering to Oracles requirements and best practices.
• Represent the Engineering organization in cross-OCI and cross-functional forums, providing clear technical direction, driving alignment across stakeholders, and advocating for design solutions that optimize long-term business outcomes.
• Communicate complex technical concepts and tradeoffs clearly to executive leadership, enabling timely, data-driven decisions on cost, schedule, risk, and capacity
• Build and maintain strong, trust-based relationships with internal stakeholders, external design consultants, construction partners, and vendors to influence decisions, resolve conflicts, and ensure alignment with program objectives.
• Provide design oversight during pre-construction, construction, and QA/QC phases, collaborating with field teams to resolve design issues, manage change, and ensure execution aligns with approved design intent.
• Travel to data center sites as required (approximately 10–25%) to build relationships, support field execution, and resolve design-related issues in collaboration with construction, commissioning, and operations teams.
• Respond to data center build and construction-related issues on an as-needed basis, providing timely technical leadership, root cause analysis, and corrective action to mitigate risk to schedule, cost, or operational readiness.
• Lead recurring project and design coordination meetings with core teams, providing guidance, soliciting feedback, proactively identifying risks, and removing blockers to maintain momentum and delivery commitments.
• Lead design reviews, value engineering, and technical due diligence with internal and external stakeholders
• Drive continuous improvement by capturing lessons learned, refining design standards, processes, and tooling, and improving collaboration across design, construction, and operations teams.

Qualifications

Disclaimer: Certain U.S. based or U.S.