Design Manager (Owners Representative) - Data Center Construction

KALCON is looking for a self-starting Design Manager who will lead multi‑disciplinary design coordination on a hyperscale data center build from concept through construction administration as an Owner’s Representative. This individual will ensure accurate schedules, consistent documentation, and timely closure of submittals/RFIs. The Design Manager will serve as liaison between Project/Construction Management and the A/E team to maintain design clarity and support timely, cost‑aware delivery.

Minimum Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree in architecture, engineering, construction management, or related field.
• 7–10 years of design management experience in mission‑critical, semiconductor, data center, or complex commercial projects.
• Proven success coordinating A/E partners and subcontractors, closing submittals/RFIs, and aligning base‑build vs. tenant fit‑out scopes.
• Proficiency in Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC) or Procore, and MS Word/Excel/PowerPoint/Project; strong written and oral communication skills.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Platforms & Information Management
• • Review and help set up Autodesk Construction Cloud or Procore configuration and daily governance; establish/maintain clean, logical file structures and metadata conventions.
  • Ensure compliance and ongoing maintenance by architect/engineer (A/E) partners; standardize naming, versioning, and distribution workflows.
  • Develop a centralized meeting/action tracker covering A/E partners, GC, and subs to capture decisions, RFIs, submittal status, and assignments.
• Design Coordination & Alignment
• • After initial design, lead and manage cross‑discipline design coordination; ensure alignment across multiple EORs and subcontractors.
  • Drive design clarity and closure of submittals and shop drawings; lead weekly coordination meetings and publish minutes/actions.
  • Track design packages, narratives, and scope splits (Base‑Build vs. Tenant Fit‑Out), capturing lessons learned and sharing information across buildings.
  • Coordinate customer/tenant fit‑out design package integration (non‑base‑build) to maintain alignment with the core design.
• Schedule Management
• • Review and manage the design schedule; ensure weekly updates and accuracy, including phase gate readiness and milestone adherence.
  • Align design phase turnover with construction phasing and tenant fit‑out to protect critical path.
• Construction Administration (CA)
• • Manage CA processes: run weekly A/E partner meetings; escalate and resolve submittals/RFIs that are held up by the A&E or GC; coordinate site visits with A/E and QA/QC teams.
  • Oversee mock‑ups/FOK (first‑of‑kind) reviews and acceptance criteria to de‑risk fabrication/installation.
  • Provide CA reporting and documentation per project requirements and Owner standards.
• Change Management & Cost Control
• • Lead change management workflows (PCOs, bulletins, RFIs with cost impact); train GC teams on contract expectations and entitlement standards; partner with Cost Management for pricing reviews.
  • Validate design‑related cost changes and process VE options, documenting rationale and approvals.
  • Ensure QA/QC design issuance and narratives clearly categorize changes at the drawing sheet level for traceability.
• Permitting & Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJ)
• • Manage and communicate the overall permit strategy, submissions, and responses; coordinate AHJ inspections and certificate‑of‑occupancy milestones with the project team.
• Quality, Documentation & Risk
• • Log and document major decisions/events; maintain action registers, RFIs, submittal metrics, and issue logs through design and CA.
  • Support QA/QC activities tied to design intent and acceptance criteria; assist field teams with design clarifications and punch‑list readiness.
  • Maintain a design risk register (interfaces, late vendor data, long‑lead items) and drive mitigations with stakeholders.
• Stakeholder Engagement & Leadership
• • Serve as the liaison for Project/Construction Management to the A/E team; lead meetings and communicate design decisions, constraints, and impacts.
  • Provide weekly project reporting on schedule, deliverables, open issues, and approvals.
  • Perform additional duties as assigned by Management.