Design Manager - Data Center Construction
kalconHouston (TX)
$135,000 - $185,000 per year
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Posted today
kalconHouston (TX)
SENIORITY
Manager
SALARY
$135,000 - $185,000 per year
About the role
Design ManagerKALCON 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:
- ManagementReview 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
- 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 OwnerChange 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
- Ensure QA/QC design issuance and narratives clearly categorize changes at the drawing sheet level for
- 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 & RiskLog 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
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
Perform additional duties as assigned byBenefits Offered: Medical insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Life Insurance
Accident Insurance
Long Term Disability 401(k) retirement plan with 4% KALCON match when an employee contributes at least 5%15 days of paid time off8 paid National Holidays
Reimbursement for professional licenses and certifications
Salary Range $135,000 —$185,000 USD
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