Electrical Technical Director - Mission Critical Data Centres

About the role

GHD is seeking an experienced Electrical Technical Director to join its Global Data Centre Design Team (Mission Critical), based in its UAE offices. This is a senior leadership role for an accomplished engineer with extensive experience designing, leading and delivering hyperscale, AI and mission-critical data centre facilities. The director provides technical leadership across a portfolio of complex projects, acts as a trusted advisor to clients, supports business development and helps win new work.

Key responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership and governance across multiple mission-critical and data centre projects globally, defining electrical engineering strategies for hyperscale, colocation, enterprise and AI-driven developments.
• Lead the design of resilient power architectures, including utility connections, HV/MV/LV distribution, transformers, switchgear, UPS, standby generation, BESS and critical power distribution.
• Review electrical resilience and redundancy strategies (N+1, N+N, 2N, distributed redundant, concurrent maintainability).
• Lead high-density AI and GPU infrastructure, including busway systems and integration with liquid-cooled technology.
• Lead and review electrical studies: load flow, short-circuit, protection coordination, arc-flash, harmonics, power quality, grounding and transient/dynamic studies.
• Drive design assurance, engineering standards, best practices and quality procedures; mentor senior engineers and lead engineers.
• Interface with clients, utilities, operators, contractors, OEMs and other stakeholders, and support business development, proposals, bids and technical presentations.
• Support commissioning, integrated systems testing, failure-mode testing and operational readiness, and manage technical risks, budgets and quality.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or Building Services Engineering; Chartered Engineer status preferred.
• Minimum 15 years of relevant engineering experience, including significant experience in mission-critical and data centre environments.
• Proven track record leading the design and delivery of hyperscale, colocation, enterprise and AI-focused data centres.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams on international projects and winning new work in the data centre sector.

Required skills

• Knowledge of data centre electrical infrastructure and redundancy philosophies (N+1, N+N, 2N, fault tolerance).
• Understanding of MEP integration, controls, EPMS, commissioning and integrated systems testing.
• Familiarity with ETAP, SKM or equivalent electrical modelling software and BIM delivery.
• Strong commercial awareness and leadership, communication and presentation skills.
• Uptime Institute ATD certification and experience with AI data centre cooling strategies highly desirable.