Technical Director

Role overview

An expanding client portfolio across EMEA is seeking a seasoned Technical Director for Construction to steer the technical delivery of hyperscale and mission-critical data centre builds from early-stage planning through commissioning and operational transfer. This is a senior owner-side position with accountability for technical quality, buildability, performance, and readiness across the full project lifecycle.

The role is strongly site-based and practical in nature. The successful candidate will spend most of the time on active construction projects across EMEA, acting as the owner’s technical lead in the field and coordinating closely with contractors, consultants, vendors, commissioning specialists, and internal teams.

The mandate covers safe, efficient delivery that matches the approved Basis of Design, technical specifications, contract obligations, and operational performance targets.

Location

Frankfurt, London, Paris, or other EMEA locations.

Core scope

• Represent the owner as the main technical authority during construction.
• Guide projects from design and pre-construction through construction, commissioning, testing, and final handover.
• Lead constructability input, issue resolution, quality control, and operational readiness activities.
• Coordinate technical interfaces across civil, structural, architectural, mechanical, electrical, controls, and life safety disciplines.

Non-negotiable requirements

• Deep hyperscale, colocation, or mission-critical data centre experience is mandatory.
• Prior ground-up delivery of large-scale infrastructure or mission-critical facilities is required.
• Strong command of both electrical and mechanical systems is essential.
• End-to-end exposure across design, pre-construction, construction, commissioning, testing, and handover is necessary.
• Hands-on work with general contractors, trade contractors, consultants, and commissioning teams is expected.
• A site-first working style is essential, with most time spent on active project locations.
• Comfort operating in a regional role with significant travel across EMEA is required.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the owner’s on-site technical lead and ensure construction aligns with the approved Basis of Design, specifications, and contractual requirements.
• Review construction-stage design outputs, shop drawings, RFIs, technical queries, and submittals.
• Provide pre-construction support on sequencing, logistics, temporary works, phasing, and interface planning.
• Help identify and reduce construction and commissioning risks early in the delivery cycle.
• Offer hands-on technical direction across multiple live construction sites.
• Work with general contractors and trade partners to maintain safe, efficient, and compliant execution.
• Check that field installation matches the design intent and expected quality levels.
• Resolve technical conflicts, coordination problems, and site issues as they arise.
• Participate in inspections, progress reviews, site walks, and readiness assessments.
• Set up and oversee QA/QC approaches across civil, structural, architectural, mechanical, electrical, controls, and life safety systems.
• Ensure quality supports the Basis of Design, Sequence of Operations, commissioning plans, and operational goals.
• Identify technical risks and lead mitigation actions across design, procurement, construction, and commissioning.
• Drive root cause analysis, corrective actions, and non-conformance management.
• Provide technical oversight of critical electrical, mechanical, life safety, controls, and BMS systems.
• Validate installation, integration, testing, and performance of mission-critical infrastructure.
• Confirm that systems work together to achieve resilience, redundancy, reliability, and efficiency targets.
• Act as the main technical point of contact for external stakeholders, including designers, consultants, contractors, vendors, commissioning agents, and AHJs.
• Support project leadership with technical decisions and escalation handling.
• Support Level 1 through Level 5 commissioning, Integrated Systems Testing, reliability testing, performance validation, and final acceptance.
• Verify as-built records, asset data, test documentation, and O&M manuals before handover.
• Contribute to continuous improvement, technical standardisation, and value engineering across the regional portfolio.
• Track industry changes, emerging technologies, and regulatory updates relevant to hyperscale data centre delivery.

Required experience and background

• At least 10 years of experience delivering data centre, mission-critical, or large-scale infrastructure construction projects.
• Background in an owner’s representative, developer, EPC, design-build, or technical leadership function.
• Strong knowledge of data centre design, construction methods, commissioning, and operational requirements.
• Practical experience with medium-voltage distribution, generators, UPS systems, switchgear, protection systems, controls, and power distribution.
• Practical experience with chilled water systems, cooling plants, CRAH/CRAC systems, heat rejection equipment, and related controls.
• Solid understanding of integrated MEP systems in mission-critical environments.
• Working knowledge of EMEA building codes, electrical and mechanical standards, commissioning protocols, and health and safety rules.
• Ability to lead technical delivery across several projects at the same time.
• Strong contractor management, stakeholder engagement, negotiation, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Comfort working in fast-moving, complex, multi-country environments.

Language and education

• Business-fluent English is required.
• German is strongly preferred.
• Additional European languages are an advantage.
• A bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Construction Management, Architecture, Engineering, or a related field is required.
• An advanced degree is preferred but not mandatory.
• Experience across design, engineering, construction, commissioning, and operations is highly valued.

Additional notes

This position is intended for professionals with strong owner-side judgment, a field-oriented leadership style, and the ability to influence delivery standards across EMEA data centre projects.

Experience with data centre developers, owner/operators, mission-critical contractors, EPC organisations, or hyperscale environments is highly desirable.